BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9668, 16 December 1909, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN. BRITAIN'S NAVAL SUPREMACY. LABOUR PARTY'S PLEDGE. BALLOT OP MINERS. United Press association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright. Received December 15, 8.30 a.m. ! LONDON, December 14. Mr Robert Blatchford's articles urging the vital need of improved defence, are attracting attention, and preventing the naval problem from being swamped in the discussion on the Budget and reform of the House of Lords. The Berlin newspaper, "Vossiscbe Zeitung" protests against insane articles on the eve of an election which is 10 decide whether peaceable l<reetrade Liberals or warlike protective tariff Conservatives shall rule.

The Right Hon. A. Lyttelton, formerly Colonial Secretary, speaking at Slough, near Winsdor, said if it were true that within [a decada Britain's supremacy on the 'Seas would be greatly menaced, if not actually attacked, the fact should strengthen the desire to buttress our little State with the rising strength of the young nations oversea. The ballot of the Northumberland miners on the question whether Mr T. Burt, member for Morpeth, and Mr C. Fen wick, member for Wansbeck, should be compelled to sign the Labour Party's constitution, resulted as follows: For the proposal 13,374 Against 11,697

Maority 1,677 The vote proves that there is a sharp division of opinion among the miners on the subject. Lord George Hamilton and Cromer and others, on behalf of the UnLnist Freetrade Club, declare that it is undesirable to recommend members how to vote, but they should inform the candidate for whom they are voting, that they are strongly opposed to Protection and to Home Rule. Received December 15,, 8.45 p m. LONDON, December 15. Representative Peers continue to address election meetings daily. Fifty further meetings have been arranged to be held before the issue of the Writs.

The Duke of Norfolk, speaking at Taunton, protested against the Radical newspapers continually harking upon the immense wealth of the Peers. "They credit me with » Colossal income, which exists only in the writer's imgination," said the Duke. The Lords were accused of constantly rejecting bills, he continued, but during the last four sessions 500 Bills had become law. Many of „these were vastly improved by the Lords.

Dr. Macnamara (Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty), speaking at explained that Mr Asquith did not* mention the Navy in his recent Albert Hall speech for the simple reason that the Navy was all right. | Sir Edward' Gray ,(Foreign Secretary). speaking at Wooler, declared that the Navy should be maintained at a standard equal to any combination against it. | Lord Faber, addressing the business men at Bradford, said that if the Lords were not allowed to touch Money Bills it would mean a single Chamber, because Hume Rule, Education and similar questions could be /dealt with finance measures. Sir A. P. AcKland-Hood (Principal Opposition Whip), speaking at Oxford, said that Mr Asquith's offers of a promise to each section of the pStv? were dishonest yote-catching briber '——> l The %hi Hoh. Walieif L&ng (Secretary for Ireland tti the lata Unionist Government), speaking at Pembroke l)ock k said that there were a million and a half loyalists in Ireland who were determined to strenuously oppose Home Rule. If Britain plunged into this controversy what would become of Mr Asquith's social programme. The country must be blind if it did not realise that the Nationalists' aim was separation. v

IRISH PARTY WILL SUPPORT THE LIBERALS. Received December 15, 10 p.m. LONDON, December 15. The directory of the Irish League resolved moat heartily to advise the League in Britain to use the Irish vote in support of the Liberal and o£ j the Labour Parties. Mr John E. Redmond, Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, presided, and in the course of a speech, said that he considered Mr Asquith's declaration in regard to Home Rule was satisfactory. Lord Dunraven, in a letter, says that Mr Asquith's utterance on Home Rule has no practical value. Home Rule has been within four corners of the Liberal policy for twenty years, but is assuredly not the leading ilem in its practical programme. The triumph of the Socialist Radical Party would prove disastrous for the material well-being of Ireland, a nd the spiritual well-being of the Irish in Britain.