Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-06-27
A HIT AT ROSEBERRY
GOVERNMENT DEFEATED IN
THE COMMONS.
THE CABINET MAY RESIGN
Salary of the Secretary of War Re-
duced One Hundred Pounds ON Ac-
count of an Alleged Deficiency in
the Armory Stores = Unionists
Jubilant.

London, June 22.-The government
was defeated on the motion of u il
liam st. John +. Broderick, cons erya-
tive member for the Guilford division
of Surrey, TO reduce the salary of the
secretary of war one hundred pounds
on account of an alleged deficiency in
the army stores and munitions of war,
chiefly cordite. The motion was
adopte.4 by vote of 132 to 125.
The general belief is expressed that
the defeat of the governmnt means a
crisis. The cabinet is now sitting and
it is believed that the ministers will
decide upon dissolution at the earliest
possible moment. A business session
can be wound UP in a short order.
The result of the division was so
unexpected that when the paper was
Aikers-DouglaS read the figures he
gave it to the government whip, Ellis,
who upon reading it saw it was defeat
and returned it to Douglas, who, as
the opposition had won, was entitled
to report the figures. Douglas an
plause. The conservative leader, Bal
four then asked what course the gov
eminent proposed to take and the
chancellor of the eXchequer, Sir Will
liam Vernon Harcourt, announced the
government would proceed with the
non-contentious bills, and the house
proceeded to discuss the naval works
bill.
The unionists are jubilant at such
an unexpected victory. The opposi-
ton whips only issued an ordinary
whip but there was an immense
amount of private canvassing done to
bring up the supporters. The division
occurred during dinner hour. Great
excitement prevails in the Hobbies of
the commons and members are eagerly
discussing the expected dissolution.
| The announcement of the figures on
the vote caused great amazement in
the house. The house adjourned at
1870 o'clock without any further in
cident. 1t is reported that Campbell
Zimmerman. secretary of war, said to
a friend in the lobby that this was his
last night as minister in the present
cabinet The ministers only coun-
selled together, as Lord ROseberry, the
premier, was at EPSON. A formal
cabinet council will be held today.
The fight among the liberals abated
before the house adjourned and the
| opinion was expressed that the gov
eminent should ask for a vote of con-
| fidence which would be certainly given
| by a normal government majority.
Thus a crisis could be averted.
! London, June 22.-The secretary of
state for the war department all
nOunced in the house of commons that
! the duke of Cambridge, commander in
chief of the British forces. will resign
the command October l. The an
nouncement that the duke is to retire
will be welcome news to very many
BT-itOns. Certain English newspapers
and some sections of the political
parties of Great Britain have been
! strongly urging his retirement fol
years past. Dispatches to the assOciat t.
ed press for months past fOreShadOWed
! the announcement made in the com
mons. The dlspa tches said that an i'm
portant conference had been held at
the British war office May 1 between
the duke of Cambridge, the duke of
Connaught Lord YVolsley, Lord Rob
erts, of Kandahar. and Lieut.. General
! Sir Redvers Butler, and it revived
! rumors of the approaching retirement
of the duke of Cambridge, whose re-
tention of the office which the Barring
| ton commission advised the total abO-
lition of, meant an immense pecuniary
loss to the country.