BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9102, 30 May 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

PREVENTION OF CRIME BILL Received May 29, 9.10 a.m. LONDON, May 28, In the House of Commons, a Prevention of Crime Bill, introduced by the Right Hon. H. Gladstone, Home Secretary, was read a first time. The Bill proposes the permanent establishment of Borstal institutions to reform young offenders; also the preventive detention of habitual criminals. ' THE BUDGET DEBATE. THE COLONIAL VOTE. i DISCUSSION ON THE NEW HEBRIDES. Received May 29, 9.25 p.m. LONDON, May 29. The Budget debate was resumed yesterday in the Hntse of Commons*. Speaking on the Colonial Vote, Major Seeley, Liberal M.P. for the Abrecromby Division of Liverpool, explained that the difficulty of bringing' the New Hebrides Convention into operation arose from the extraordinary state of things existing there. The country had no sovereign and belonged to nobody. The Government was hampered at every step because there was no precedent to go on. However, order was now being evolved out of chaos, and something would be done to make the place happier for the unfortunate natives. Britain had i:o control over the iccruitment by France of natives fcr service in Caledonia. "We must re y on France's justice and humanity, ' concluded the Colonel. Sir Frederick Banbury, Conservative M.P. for City of London, declared that the British Government cculd not shirk its obligations because some cf the natives were outside of British jurisdiction. The Government shared the responsibility for the treatment of the natives whoever they were. Mr 11. Tennant, Liberal M.P. lor Berwickshire, said that a recent Sydney telegram showed that the •French traders were landing' large quantities of intoxicants in the New Hebrides. Mr Hart-Davies, Liberal M.P. for Hackney North, held that the Colonial office had done much to improve the old system in the New Hebrides. The vote was eventually agreed to.