SNAP DIVISION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 13 November 1912, Page 5

SNAP DIVISION.

CABLE NEWS

(United Itos Aitociatior. — By B1& trie Ttkpraph — Copyright.)

BRITISH GOVERNMENT DEFEAT ON HOME RULE BILL. (.Received November 12, 9 a.m.) LONDON, November 11. In the House of Commons the Home Rule Bill was further considered in committee. Sir Frederick Banbury, Unionist member for the City of London, moved an amendment on the Ways and Means Committeo's resolution, dealing with the subject of the Imperial contribution to the Irish Parliamc The amendment was in the direction of limiting tho contribution to £2,500,000 annually. Sir Frederick Banbury explained that he wished to prevent the English taxpayer providing for a Government in which he did not share. • ''The. Government was defeated, the voting being'.— For the amendment ... 228 A gainst 206 The result of the division, which ■vns a snap one, surprised the Government. The Unionists wildly cheered the ••."•■iiH.. :-nd there were shouts of "Resign!" The House adjourned, on the motion of the Prime Minister.

GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE IN OFFICE. (Received November 12, 2 p.m.) LONDON, Uovember 11. The Government has decided to continue in office. ABSENT MEMBERS. (Received November 12, 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, November 11. Twelve Nationalists and twenty Lalmur members were absent when the division was taken.

AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. ANOTHER ;DIVISION TO BE TAKEN. WHAT THE UNIONISTS THINK. (Received Last Night, 11.20 o'clock.) LONDON, November 12. In an official statement, the Moment says it does not regard the adverse vote on the Home Rule Bill .is involving any modification of its j programme. It will take steps to as.e.tain the real opinion of the Hous?. "jhe division was on a motion not even put on the Order Paper, but communicated in manuscript, without notice, and overthrew a resolution idopted in the committee stage on Thursday. The statement adds: ''The .Premier, in his recent speecTi at Ladvb:nk, intimated that he would not allow Ilis course to be affected by i siiau division. The Government majorities have since been seldom below a. bundred." C-.ibinot sat for two ' hours lastnight, and meets again to-day. The Right Hon H. H. Asquith will ;e-c!:y move the rejection of the re••alution as amended by Mr Banbury's motion. The Right Hon Sir Robert Finlay. Unionist member for Edinburgh University, speaking at Rethnall Green, j said the Government had fared badly on a crucial question. Before the division, the Postmaster-General had declared that were it conceivable that the motion could be carried, it would knock the bottom out of the Bill. Sir Robert Finlay hoped Mr Samuel's j statement would prove right. Lord Robert Cecil, speaking at Beimondsoy, said the Government's defeat was its death blow. 'Viscount Peel, in a speech at Tauton. predicted that the Government { would continue for some weeks long- j er its broken and discredited existence. Tts prestige had gone, and its doom was already threatening.

THE TIMES' OPINION. RESOLUTION MUST BE ALTERED (Received This Morning, 12.15 o'clock.) LONDON, November 12. The Times, quoting Erskine and May, shows that the Government must propose another financial resolution differing from the original proposals. It will also bo necessary to revise or discharge the closure resolution, allotted yesterday for the commencement of the consideration of Clause 14. The closure resolution, as it stands, does not afford an opportunity to mend the financial resolution. The Government is, according to the Times, placed in a position of unparalleled difficulty.