Imperial Politics.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 173, 4 March 1902, Page 3

Imperial Politics.

London, February 25'

In the House of Lords Lord Tweed_ mouth recap it'd.-, ted the adverse new a paper statements and criticisms on Army contracts, and moved lor the appointment of a joint committee to enquire into all contracts tor outfit, supply and. maintenance of troops in South Africa. The Earl of Morley admitted that a prima facie case had been made out for ultimate enquiry, but present criticisms were unfair in the face of what the War Office had done in difficult and pressing circumstances. -Lord Ribblesdaie, who 'Was -recently nt the Lout, eulogised the efficiency and ener.y shown in the conduct of operations, and said that an enquiry wo Id strengthen the hands of the War Office. The Earl of Selborne -said ’ that an enquiry at present was inopportune, na u would cover hundreds of thousands of purcuases, aud many wh nesses were at tue front, their whole lime being needed in toe discharge of their duties. Lord Roseberry, who was seated in the rearmost Opposition cross bench, seatniugly oriucised the .postponement of an enq.dry, especially on the purchase of rtmoun.s, until the war was over, when public interest would have evaporated. ■The Marquis of Lan-downe said that an immediate enquiry would be contrary co puobc interest.. Earl Spencer and Lord Tweedraouth wfrbed to lestrict the enquiry to tne purchase ot remounts, the meat-contracts, -freights and transport. The Marquis of Salisbury said that an enquiry would paralyse the machinery •whereby the war was prosecuted. -The' motion was lost by 88 votes to 25 votes. The Times'regrets a postponement of' the enquiry, and states that after a three hours’ debate the mam point Was almost overlooked, namely-; the deplorable sluggishness of the-Government for ino.itha to see-tbat the struggle was one wherein mounted troops were,of supreme value. In the House of Commons 'Lord Stanley stated thatthere had been c no change’ in the terms or the meat contract since it had been signed, -Bergl would pay ordinary railway rates Tor the carriage; of meat and ordinary store rati s lor; storage. Lord Stanley -stated That 'the ' cost of the war to the end of December had been -£131,081,000, While the estimate to the end of March was £15,000,000 additional. -Mr Brodriek’etateii that the National Scouts receive 6s per day. No pressure, was used to induce them to enlist. ■The petition from Victoria against ■Altering the terms of tne King’s oath was read in the House of Commons aud laid on the table. ■Mr Mellor presented other similar Australasian petitions. British petitions on the same subject were table i, and showed that the pe-.it-ions from England had 284,647 signatures; from Scotland, 49,197; from IreEnd, 16,949 ; from Wales, 8670; and from the ‘ Chancel-Islands 2369 s-gna- ■ hi es. > Sir Michael said that 'the Government not approaching the colonies as beggar*, but desired in at proportionately their resources should “share the'-irurden ofempire. i