IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2743, 23 February 1910, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THE KING’S SPEECH

United Press Association—Copyright

LONDON, Eeh. 21

The first session of the newly-elected Parliament was opened to-day, there being fine weather for the ceremony. King Edward and Queen. Alexandra, and the Prince and' Princess Henry of Battenburg were present. The King’s jjpeecli foreshadowed a substantial increase in the cost of the Navy, and a proposal to secure the undivided authority of the House of Commons over finance and predominance in legislation. “These proposals, in my advisers’ opinion,’ ’it was stated, ‘’should provide that the House of Lords be so constituted and empowered a s to exercise impartially in regard to proposed legislation the functions of initiation and revision, and subject to the safeguards of delay.” '.flic speech foreshadows no Bills. It refers to tile friendly relations with Foreign Powers and to the South African Union, and the visit to inaugurate the parliamentary life of the great united dominion. “As the expenditure authorised by the last Parliament was not provided for by taxation there has been.” the speech stated, “temporary borrowing, and arrangements must be made for promptly dealing with the financial situation thus created. 7>

MR ASQUITH’S INTENTIONS. Mr Asquith, the Prime Minister, states that he intends to first introduce the Budget, and then to submit a resolution which will form the foundation of the Veto Bill. The Bill itself will be introduced after the extended vacation in the middle of April.

TRENCHANT SPEECH BY MR BALFOUR.

(Received February 22, 9.30 p.m.) -LONDON, Feb. 22.

In the House of Commons, Mr. P. 11. Illingworth, M.P. for the West Riding of Yorkshire, moved, and -Mr. C. Price, M.P. for Edinburgh Central, seconded the Address-in-Reply. Mr. Balfour said that he had heard with pleasure that a substantial increase in the cost of the navy was propos.ed. He hoped that the Government was prepared to face the situation, and do what was necessary for the naval defence of the Empire. The reference to the House of Lords was, he said, highly ambiguous, and seemed to embody two different policies forced into the framework of one ungrammatical sentence. The group system in Parliament was responsible for the difficulty of securing a, direct mandate from the country. It "was unreasonable that a iparty first elected for such a diversity of reasons as the present should claim a mandate to alter the constitution.

lIMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR. ASQUITH.

Mr. Asquith followed. Ho explained that- he had not intended to convey m his Albert Hall speech that the Liberal Ministry would not meet the House oi Commons unless it had previously secured a guarantee regarding the' exercise of the royal prerogative. “I have received no such guarantees,” he said ; ”1 have noi, ashed for them. It is the Ministers’ duty to keep the sovereign outside party. If occasion should arise I will not hesitate to tender such advice to the Crown as the exigencies of the situation render necessary.” Mr Asquith continued; “To ask in advance for an indefinite exercise of the royal prerogative regarding a measure not even submitted to the House of Commons, is a request no constitutional statesman could properly make, and no sovereign, could- be expected to grant. (Opposition cheers.) If the machinery of government has not come to a standstill an Act must be passed redeeming the war loan of 1900, and 21 millions of Treasury bills must be paid before the end of March. The -army, navy, civil service, and old age pensions would come to a standstill on April Ist unless supply is voted. The Government proposes a short, adjournment for Easter, but to dispose of the Budget and the veto resolution before the middle of April. The latter will not be submitted to the House of Lords, but will he authority for. the Government framing a Veto Bin.”

THE NATIONALISTS IRRECONCILI-

ABLE

The House of Commons listened to Mr. Redmond with absorbed attention. He declared that the Nationalists were allied with no British party. They were prepared to accept good government for Ireland from any party. They had supported l the Government at the • elections heart and soul, believing that Mr. Asquith’s (pledge regarding the abolition of the House of Lords’ veto was tantamount to a pledge to grant Home Rule. He understood the Albert Hall speech to mean that Mr. Asquith would not assume the responsibility of Government unless be could rely on the royal prerogative to enable him to pass a Veto Bill this year. Every Minister bad repeated, in substance, that pledge and Mr. Lloyd-George had said the same thing at the National Liberal Club. Mr. Redmond said : “It was all very fine for Mr. Asquith to say that he meant something else, hut it .was -upon the value of this pledge, in conjunction with Home Rule, that we supported the Government. The King’s speech is ambiguous, and suggests a■scheme for altering the whole constitution of the House of Lords. That is

CABLE NEWS.

not what ive ivant. We want the veto limited. (Loud Nationalist and Labor cheers). Mr. Redmond added that it was imperative that the Government’s veto resolutions should immediately proceed. If the House of Commons approve and the Lords reject them, the Government would then be in a position to ask the sovereign for guarantees. If refused, the Government would free itself immediately from the responsibilities of Government.

(Received February 23, 12.2 a.m.) Mr. Redmond continued: “A financial crisis is a great weapon. You, throw it away directly you pass,- the Budget, andtrust to luck or another election to get the Veto Bill. We in Ireland arc not going to throw away the weapon. If the Budget is passeu first, the House of Commons will settle down to a hum-drum discussion of the Veto Bill, which it knows the Lords will reject. An election follows, and the Government will be displaced by the wearied, disheartened electorates. Let Ministers give assurances that- they will carry the Veto Bill this year, and the Nationalists will vote for the Budget, but we are not going to pay this price for nothing. Do not lot Mr. Asquith wait until he is kicked to his constituents by the Lords.” There was a dramatic silence when Mr. Redmond finished, and no speaker arose.

Mr. Barnes hastily conferred with his colleagues, and then moved the adjournment to enable the Labor members to discuss the situation, and the House adjourned. The result of the Labor -meeting will not be disclosed until Mr Barnes speaks to-day.

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

In tbe House of Lords, Lord Farrer moved, and Lord Saye and Sole seconded, the Address-in-Reply.

Lord Lunsdowne tendered the Government his respectful admiration for disregarding the extremists’ counsels regarding -the House of Lords. He said that he had not changed his opinion on the Budget, but if it found favor with the Commons the Lords Avere prepared to expedite its passage. He expressed willingness to reform the House of Lords if it were shown to be necessary, but did not want a sham, tawdry second chamber. If the Government refused co-operation, the Lords would at tbe proper time consider their own proposals.

[The statement made by Mr. Asquith at the. Albert Hall was cabled as follows: “I tell you quite plainly, and I tell my felloiv countrymen outside, that neither I nor any of the Liberal Ministers, supported by a majority of the House of Commons, are going to submit again to the rebuffs and the humiliation of the- last four years. We shall not assume office, and, Ave shall not hold ofSc-e, unless wo* can secure the safeguards which; experience shows- to be necessary for the legislative utility and honor of the party of progress.”]