NATIONAL SERVICE BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2554, 16 July 1909, Page 5

NATIONAL SERVICE BILL.

LORD ROBERTS AND THE TERRITORIALS.

DEBATE IN TiHEi HOUSE OF

LORDS

TJniticd Press .Association Copyright.

LONDON, July 14.’

Lord Roberts’' National Service Bill 'does not provide -machinery. It is rather a reconnaissance in favor of the. principles enunciated during the discussion. Lord Roberts himself describes the territorials as a grand organisation, well designed, and his object was to fill in. the framework which that structure affords. Thus the country would no longer be dependent upon a force whose serious training was deferred until after a. declaration of war. 'He added: “In this latter respect our military policy is a wilful gambling with the country’s safety.” The Duke of Norfolk supported the Bill. He begged the House, of Lords to bako the advice of a leader in this subject.

The Duke of Northumberland moved an amendment in favor of trusting to the present military advisers. Lord Lansdowne emphasised the overwhelming reasons for giving Mr Haldane’s scheme a fair trial, adding: “Opinion is not yet ripe for compulsion.”

The Earl of Crewe. strongly opposed the Bill.

The amendment was carried by 123 to 103, the minority, including Lords Curzon, Milner, Newton, Raglan, Ellenborough, Blythe, and Haversham, the Earl of Portsmouth, and the Bishop of Oxford. The majority included the front benches, the Archbishop of Canterbury. the Bishop of Peterborough, Lord Alvei stone, Lord Cromer, and the Duko of Devonshire, and Duke -of Marlborough. The “Times” dwells .upon the growth of the feeling in favor of the principles of the- Bill, as exemplified in the attitude of independence of the Peers, and the significantly narrow majority. In the course of the debate on Lord Rollerts’ Bill, the. Earl of Crewe warned tho House of Lords, that the Bill Was intended to apply to Ireland, where portions of the population were accused by some of disloyalty. Many of the middle and respectable classes in Britain object to their sons camping with what they would consider rifraff, just as they did not send their children to Council schools, lest they were associated with what was regarded as gutter children. ...

Unionist newspapers are amazed at the speech, contrasting it with those of Lord Milner and the bishops in favor of fusion of the. classes.