THE VETO BILL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10220, 22 April 1911, Page 5

THE VETO BILL

CABLE NEWS

United Press Association— -By 'Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

DISCUSSING SECOND CLAUSE.

VIEWS OF FOREIGN STATESMEN. (Received April 21, 9 a.m.) LONDON, April 20. The House of Commons in engaged in committee on clause 2 of the Veto Bill. Mr Asquith, the Prime Minister, intends to pass the clause within a fortnight, and send the Bill to the House of Lords on May 16th. The Daily Telegraph is publishing the views of foreign statesmen on the Veto Bill. Count Sergius Witte, a member of the Russian Council of the Empire, says that at first, as a Conservative, he sympathised with the House of Lords. A truly sorry mistake was committed by the Lords in reject; the Budget. Unless he had been misinformed, the members of the Upper Chamber had managed to burn their fingers in cold water. The Lords had set their faces against reform which they were now willing to accept.

AMENDMENTS DEFEATED

MR ASQUITH FIRM.

(Received Last Night, 10.45 o'clock.) LONDON, April 21. An amendment by I Mr G. Cave, Unionist member for Surrey, making clause 2 only operative after a dissolution. ensuring that the Home Rule, Church Disestablishment, and Licensing Bills were first approved by the electors, was defeated.by 222 votes to 136. . Another debate took place upon a proposal that the clause should be inoperative in the case of Bills extending the duration of Parliament. This was rejected by 235 to 150 votes. The Right Hon. H. H. Asquitb said there were many amendments on the Order Paper. Te save trouble, he wished to make it clear that the Government would not accept any of them. It was, he said, impossible to discriminate between constitutional and other charges. They wanted the machinery, among other things, for giving effect to Home Rule in Ireland. It was ridiculous to impose a self-denying ordinance. Mr Balfour argued that any Second Chamber would then be useless. It was monstrous that the House of Commons should make itself omnipotent.