IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2432, 22 February 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

AFRAID OF THE SUFFRAGISTS. A SPECIAL BILL TO PROTECT PARLIAMENT. United Press Association. Copyright LONDON, Feb. 19. In the House of Commons, a Government Bill was read a first time, providing for a maximum of six •months’ imprisonment for disorderly conduct by strangers in the House of Commons and House of Lords. OPPOSITION AMENDMENT DEFEATED. MR. BALFOUR’S SPEECH. (Received Feb. 21, 4.45 p.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 20. Mr. Austen Chamberlain’s amendment, the official Opposition amendment to the Address-in-Repiy, was defeated by 276 t-o 107. The debate lasted two days. Tire Unionist freefooders and’ the Nationalists did not vote* The Opposition made no definite proposals, beyond Air. George Wyndham’s suggestion of a tax on meat, wood, and wheat of two shillings.., Mr. Balfour demanded consideration for the producer besides the consumer. He never believed that fiscal reform would solve the whole problem of unemployment. The country depended upon its manufacturers. The present system aggravated unemployment in skilled trades. Wo must abandon the idea of the country placing a protective duty on a particular commodity. We were necessarily at a disadvantage in neutral markets. The colonics ardently desired England to imitate their fiscal example. Preference would] give freer trade with the colonies. It would be disastrous if the colonies gave preference to other countries against England. Great interest was manifested as to whether Mr. Balfour’s speech would show him to be on firm ground with the tariff reformers. Newspaper comments indicate that the papers mostly consider that he still lags behind. Mr. Winston Churchill’s. speech, closing the debate, was chiefly notable for his disapproval of the allegations that capital was leaving the country in unusual volume. He reiterated that retaliation might occasionally be resorted to.'