IMPERIAL BUDGET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2606, 14 September 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL BUDGET.

LORD ROSEBERY’S SPEECH.

MORE NEWSPAPER CRITICISM

United Pukes Association—Coi'YitionT , LONDON, Sept. 12. Lord Rosebery resigned the presidency of the Liberal League before making his Glasgow speech. Mr Asquith, Prime Minister, and Mr Haldane, Minister for War, were among those present.

Radical provincial newspapers bitterly criticise and complain of the speech.

Tue “Sheffield Telegraph” suggests that Lord Rosebery has come down from the Olympic heights to fight the Budget. The “Birmingham Post” states that the speech will do much to cause the silent voter to think hard. The “Pall Mall Gazette” states that in the city the opinion is almost unanimous that Lord Rosebery has smashed the Budget. The speech is bound to have a tremendous effect on Scotland.

OPINIONS OF LIBERAL POLITICIANS.

(Received September 13, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13. Mr. Lloyd-George (Chancellor of the Exchequer), interviewed, described Lord Rosebery’s speech as a soft-nosed torpedo. Colonel Seely (Under-Secretary for the Colonies), speaking at Liverpool, said that the speech was inconclusive. stroy the Budget, the people would xise theirs to destroy the Peers. Mr. F. I). Acland (Financial Secretary to the War Office), speaking at Kensington, said that there were a number of peers, known in London as the wild men from the woods, who regarded the land tax from so narrow and selfish a standpoint as not to he willing in the event of Mr. Balfour and his people thinking it beet to let the Finance Bill pass, to obey Lord Lansdowne (the leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords). If that happened, and despite the Conservative party, those wild uncontrollable peers, who emerged from their hiding places only on great occasions, rejected the Budget, then, as surely as to-morrow’s sun would rise, the Budget would smash them.

Dr. MacNamara (Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty), in a speech at Grimsby, said that Lord Rosebery’s speech was reminiscent of the jackdaw of Rheims. Lord Rosebery and the Unionists were at one regarding the Budget but, while the Unionists proposed the alternative of tariff reform. Lord Rosebery had no practical alternative. Any tampering with the Budget by the Lords would lead to a declaration by the people against the Peers. Mr. L. Ure (Liberal member for Linlithgowshire), speaking at Coventry, said that, as an attack on the Budget, Lord Rosebery’s speech was hopelessly ineffective, futile,- harmless, and vain. It was the greatest help the Budget had yet received. There were only two ways of attacking the Budget. A critic could say : “The expenditure is -wrong”; or “This is not the right way to raise money. I can show you a better.” Since Lord Rosebery had -x>t assumed either position, it was clear that he, like Lord Rothschild and the o-reat bankers, know that this Budget the only just and fair method to secure the necessary millions. Mr. J. W. Gulland (Liberal member for Dumfries Burghs), speaking at Edinburgh, said that the enthusiasm everywhere shown for the Budget would "be increased by this speech from a raven croaking on his withered branch. If the Lords rejected the Budget they would raise an issue which might cost them their coronets. The mandate must then be received, —Besides carry the Finance Bill, .permanently curb the cruel blighting power of tlie Lords. A CONSERVATIVE VIEW.

Mr. Walter Long (Conservative member for Dublin County South), speaking at Market Livington, said that Lord Rosebery’s indictment of the Budget was so powerful and trenchant that it left nothing to he said by m .furtherance of the campaign agams the Finance Bill. Business men in Newcastle are inviting Lord Rosebery to address them >on the Budget.