The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1910. BRITAIN'S POLITICAL CRISIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2744, 24 February 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1910. BRITAIN'S POLITICAL CRISIS.

How like to a game are the politics of even the greatest nations is indicated by the position of affairs in Biita.n. On the one hand Mr Asquith holds the reins of olliee and uses every art known to political diplomacy to keep them. The fact that the verdict of the polls did not provide him with the mandate he expected to receive from the people dor's not distress him in the least. He expected, or at least hoped, that the return of -a substantial majority of Liberal members would warrant him in assuming that the people on whose behalf he professed to hold office were really in favor of his Budget- and likewise desired to abolish the House of Lords or at any rate to seriously curtail the power of‘the Peers. Instead Tie found that thousands who had formerly supported his administration are ■now opposed to it and his Parliamentary following is so attenuated that he cannot command a majority for a single division unless at the will of the Irish and the Labor parties. However, with or without the confidence of the {people, it is evident that- Mr. Asquith intends to stick to office with the same tenacity as do his contemporaries in this country. In short, he will play the game of politics for all it is worth. In previous articles we have outlined the various factors which were likely to make his task one of extraordinary difficulty and the sequence of events has confirmed the views we set forth. If the Prime Minister had placed the Lords’ veto first he would have risked the support of all those in his own party who arc afraid of Home Rule; if he placed the Budget first lie was faced with the danger of losing his Irish allies. He has chosen tl;© latter course, and Mr. Redmond has at once taken up the challenge. In his statement published in yesterday’s issue the Irish leader outlined the position with admirable clearness and frankness. He made it plain that his -party occupied their seats in the House of Commons for one reason only, namely to gain self Government for Ireland. To gain that 'end he too intends to use every weapon known to politicians and it is probably the strength of his position which has induced him to express his intentions so bluntly. iSays he:—-

“A financial crisis is a great weapon. You throw it away 1 directly yon pass the Budget, and trust to luck or another election to get the Veto Bill. IVc in Ireland are not going to throw away the weapon.” This, of course, is rough on the people of Britain, hut it is part of the game, and Mr Redmond can scarcely be blamed for playing trumps and the joker at the -present stage. Ilis final word :-tLet Ministers give assurances that they will carry- the Veto Dill this year and the Nationalists will vote for the Budget, hut we ave not going to pay this price for nothing. It seems evident that Air Redmond is in a position to dictate terms, hot it does not follow that to depose Air Asquith from fffice would bring Home

Rule any nearer. In all probability another election, would bring a Unionist victory with Tariff Reform and a big Navy as- paramount issues and then Home Rule would be postponed for a lengthy period. 'He can only drive Mr Asquith to the- point of tho Premier’s capacity. Can the latter -give an absolute assurance that he will carry the Veto Bill this year? He might possibly obtain an undertaking from his followers that it would go through tho House of Commons, but that would be of little avail unless, upon the Lords’ rejection thereof, the Royal sanction can be obtained. Mr Asquith has already stated that he lias no right to ask tho Sovereign beforehand for a pledge ion such -an issue, and it is, therefore, obvious that he cannot give one to Mr Redmond. Even so far as the House of Commons is concerned the nature of the Veto Bill will very largely determine whether the Government can really command a majority. If it- is one that in its effects will spell Home Rule many of the Liberals will view it with strong misgivings, if it does not the Nationalists will certainly not accept it. Altogether the situation is about -as clear as the Waimata after a- heavy fresh, and we must not be surprised at any turn which events may take within the next few days.