Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1910. BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10149, 20 December 1910, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1910. BRITISH ELECTIONS.

The British elections arc practically finished. The result has, to a remarkable degree, endorsed the opinion expressed by the electors in January last, whatever that opinion may be. The majority of the Government, if the alliance with the. Nationalists and Labourites may be termed a majority, is the same as it was when the Governme.i- went to the country. The only difference in the position to-day, compared with what it was a few weeks back, is that the electors who. voted the Government into power in January, have endorsed its action in regard to the House of Lords. The country as a whole has not evinced a keen desire to see reformation on the lines laid down by Mr Asquith, while England itself has expressed its disapprobation of both the Parlim-

meivt Bill and the devolution ana Home Rule proposals of the Government. Future developments will be watched with intense interest. It has been suggested that another Conference will bo held between the heads of the two dominating parties. In view of the failure of the last Conference, such a contingency would appear improbable. If the Government proceeds wim its Parliament Bill, it will most assuredly pass through the House of Commons. But what will be tae attitude of the Lords? Will the Peerage submit to a revision of the Constitution without a mandate the country? Assuming that it does, what will he the position? The Commons, having arrogated to themselves the

power, will he compelled to proceed with their Homo Rule and devolu-tion-proposals. This will be the beginning of the end. The whole system of legislation and political control will undergo a change, and, as a natural corollary, the present Administration must be extinguished. Is it at all probable that Mr Asquith and Mr Lloyd-George would pursue a course which would obviously result in their political extinction? If they concede Home Rule to Ireland and proceed no further, they will not have a working majority ;n the Commons. If they use the Nationalists to force through the Parliament Bill, and then refuse Horn;? Rule, they will be ousted by the Redmondites. If they grant separate Parliaments to Ireland, Scotland and Wales, they will not be sufficiently strong in England to carry on, and would have little hope of forming ;.n important element in an Imper'al Council. The whole position is, therefore, fraught with dam* -r ;o the Liberals. That British politics are in a state of transition, few can deny. Before anything of a- revol itionary character eventuates, however, there will require 'o be another appeal to the country, an-1 on a more satisfactory electoral basis. The present system of voting is grotesquely absurd. The Lib.wil crmeiit can ony do justice lc itself and the country by arranging a reel- » + iibution of seats and 'i nore common-sense system of voting.