The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-02
Annual Meeting of the National
Liberal Federation.
RADIcALIsM IN THE AIR.
The Grand Old Man to Make Great
Speech ON British Politics Tonight.
John Morley Says . Constitution Is
Needed-Home Rule. Labor Reform,
Welsh Disestablishment, Abolition
OF the Lords and Local Option.

NEWCASTLE, Oct L-fAssociated Press,
Copyrighted, 1891, THE formal opening
of the great National Liberal Federation
congress occurred here today. The most
extensive preparations have been made for
the reception and entertainment of Glad
stone. An enormous crowd was present
when the congress was called to order at 2
o'clock this afternoon. DR.. Watson, who
presided, was reelected president.
Some idea of the congress can be had
from the fact that no less than 5000 dele
gates, to say nothing of distinguished par
liamentary leaders. have made arrange
ments to address the congress before it
closes its labors. Nearly eighty members
OF parliament will be present.
AS each delegate represents 1000 voters,
the congress represent4 about 100000
electors from England ann Wales alone.
After the report of the federation's past
years work had been read and adopted,
John Morley addressed the congress- He
referred to the spirit of liberalism as in
spired by the highest motives and noblest
impulses. Ireland, he said. had vindi-
Gated the confidence the Liberals had
placed in her by refusing to follow a leader
the Liberals could not conscientiously
work with. In regard to temperance re-
form, he said it was not the Liberals fault
that it had not legislatively advanced, for,
as usual, the Conservatives blocked the
way.
There was a prospect that, if victorious,
the members of the house of commons
would find to all such measures unyield-
ing obstacles to progress in the house of
lords, therefore it became matter for seri-
Gus consideration as to how long that
privilege house, non-representative and
non-reformed as it was, out of sympathy
and out of touch with the majority of the
representative chamber, was to endure
Prolonged cheering.J
Continuing, after the applause had
subsidized, Morley said he wes ready
to renew the agitation against
hereditary peers whenever their
lordships pleased. Alluding to the
obstacles existing in the exercise of the
franchise, Morley said he did now know
how the voice of the workmen could be
heard with full effect in parliament until
England followed the example of other
countries in having constitution, and by
placing some moderate assistance within
the reach of the aspirants to serve the peo-
pie in parliament. Loud eheering.l The
country could not hear constantly the
voice of the working aopulation. The
workmen ought therefore, 20 be encouraged
to obtain representation in all local au-
thoritative bodies, councils and school
boards up to the great senate of the ma
ton.
A resolution of trust in Mr. Gladstone
and belief that no wise or durable settle
of fl,aT Trto ff,@v,
except by the establishment of an Irish
legislative body for the management of
xclusively Irish affairs was carried with
cheers.
DR.. Watson, president of the National
Liberal Federation, referring to the eight
hour question, said it still remained i'm the
stage of argument. for the resolutions re-
ceived from different associations vary in
their Interpretation of the matter and i'm
the form in which they would like such
law passed. The National Liberal Feder-
alton. he added, did not wish to stife dis
cussion on the eight-hour question. On
the contrary, it desired that the question
should be searched out, and the members
of the council were prepared to give the
question a chance to come up for general
discussion
resolution-in favor of disestablishipg
the Welsh church and to amend free edu-
cation by increasing popular control of
schools was passed.
Tomorrow the women's federation will
hold meeting, at which Mrs. Gladstone
is expected to preside In the evening
there will be a great meeting of Liberals.
at which Gladstone is expected to sneak
In an interview with an Associated
Press representative, Mr.. Shuadhorst. the
great Liberal organizer, said the meeting
is not for discussion so much as for declar-
alton. The council of the federation. weeks
before the annual meeting, sent out circu-
lars to every local association, asking in
formation as TO their attitude on questions
interesting to the party at large. When
the council finds that the great mass of
the party have agreed upon certain
course of action, then it is ready to en-
body the party's wishes in a reso-
luton, adding a new plank to the
recognized platform. Thus they adopted
home rule and disestablishment
of the Welsh and Scotch churches but
have not adopted the eight-hour day.
woman suffrage and some other measures
which have ardent advocates in the partv
the party upon the formation of such Leg
islation as is by general consent deemed
of the first Importance, and deal with no
unsettled question.
The programme TO he approved this
year, he said, is much the same as the
last. 1t reaffirms as the first and fore
most plank, home rule. Mr.. Gladstone.
he said, will declare himself on the Irish
policy tomorrow The other resolutions
will include, besides those adopted at to-
days meeting, declaration that Great
Britain should avoid entanglement
in continental quarrels and promote the
principle of international arbitration:
that in any reform of the land laws lust
and equitable taxation of land values and
ground rents is essential; that all restric-
tions upon the free sale and transfer of
land should be abolished: local electoral
reforms, direct popular veto of the liquor
traffic, better housing of the working
classes, extension of the factory acts and
the mending or ending of the house of
lords That" said Mr.. Schuadhorst. lis
n1r proprsmmas