The St. Louis Republic., 1901-06-23
Parliamentary Opposition. Except
. in So Far as the Irish Are
Concerned, Has Ceased.
BOTH PARTIES QUARREL.
division in the Commons Followed
by Mr.. .Asquith's Speech at II
Dinner Lord Miner Cen
surcd for Alleged Cruelty.
RY HERBERT PAUL.

SPECIAL. BY CABLE.
London. Jure 22-tCopyrisht. 1891. by the
New York Herald Company.l-lt might
lave been thought last week that the con-
d:tion Of the Liberal party wss as bed
II could be. but the idea would have been
erroneous for this week IL IS distinctly
worse.
The debate and division In the Commons
on Monday. followed by Mr. Asquith's
speech at a dinner OF the Essex Liberals on
Thursday. made the confusion worse con-
founded
The fact IS that the parliamentary oppo-
sltion. except SC far as the Irish con-
cerned. has practically ceased 10 exist. Part
Of it supports the Government: both parts
| OF II quarrel with each other.
Let me. historian describe the
origin Of this latest quarrel which is equal
| ly Interesting and significant.
On Friday. June II. Sir Henry Campbell
| Bannermsn and Sir William Harcourt. the
present and late leaders OF the Liberal par
~ In the House Of Commons. were enter
| tanned at n public dinner by the National
Reform Union. a radical body opposed to
the war. Mr.. John Morley was also an
honored guest. but his name was not on the
| toast list. which included only the chair
man. the Honorable Phillip Stanhope Sir
Henry and Sr William.
Both the leaders spoke strongly against
the South African policy of the Govern
| ment. and both were loudly cheered. but
the reception of the evening was reserved
| fer Mr.. Morley.
When he rose I'm response TO the chair
| mans call. at a late hour. the enthusiasm
was unbounded. He said only few words.
| repeating with eloquent emphasis what he
| had said about the war in the House and to
| his constituents.
But in the course of his remarks he said
I that some Liberals now forget that they
had once supported the policy OF the war.
implying clearly enough that they had re-
| pc nted of their conduct.
There are few things which great men
| mind so little as confessing they have been
| wrong. but great men are rare even among
I-ibral lmprialists. Mr.. Morly's observation
| rankled.
| On Monday afternoon Mr.. Lloyd George.
| the well-known member for Carrarvon.
| moved the adjournment of the House in or
der to protest against the alleged neglect
| OF the Roer women and children in the
| refuge prison camps In South Africa.
/ He founded his case upon the report OF
Miss Emily HObhouse. who visited most of
these camps. and would have visited them
all II che had been allowed to do so. She
| disclosed the belief Of the women prisoners
| that they could have provided for their
families II they had been left alone. and
l could do so now IL they we're released. and
that the food given them was insufficient
and especially unsuitable for children.
Her statements were corroborated by the
rate OF infantile morality. which has been
| scandalously high.
Mr.. Broderick attributed this to an cpl
| demic Of measles.
l 20 ~ hos
camps has since been furnished by the cor
| respondent OF the Times at Bloemfontein
| As to that. however II must be said that
Miss Hobhouses visits may well have re-
suited In substantial improvements being
| made.
Mr. Morley had nothing whatever to do
with this motion. In fact he was not there
when 1t was made.
1t was designedly brought forward without
notice because II the Ministerialists had
got wind OF II one of them would have put
down what is called blocking notice and
prevented its coming on. They have done
this in the case OF almost every other topic
connected with South Africa.
Mr.. LLOYD George. In the course Of his
speech. used one very unfortunate express
sion. He said that Lord Miner had been
raised to the peerage for the cruelties he
had inflicted upon women and children.
Many Liberals refused in consequence to
vote for the motion.
One OF them. Mr.. Haldane. spoke against
It. asserting. with curious irrelevance. tha;
Mr.. Kruger was responsible for the war.
l confess I am unable TO follow the train
Of reasoning which led them to act.
Technically the question was this. that
the House do now adjourn" Substantially
1t was that the House should condemn the
system Of concentration in South Africa and
the results to which it has led.
What has that to do with the wisdom oi
Mr.. Kruger or the taste Of Mr.. Lloyd
| George?
Mr. Haldane. however, seems to have
spoken on behalf of the Liberal Imperialists
and his action was followed up by q much
more important person. Mr.. Asquith.
Sir Henry Campbell -Bannerman spoke and
voted for the adjournment. protesting
strongly against concentration.
| Mr.. AsQuith neither spoke nor voted in
the debate. but at the liberal dinner or
Thursday night. after denouncing Mr. LLOYD
Georges reference to Lord Miner. again
dissociated himself from his leader and
Sehementlv supported the policy OF the war
| denying. In answer to Mr.. Morley, that his
opinion had undergone the slightest change
except In one particular.
| At the outbreak of the war he had beeu
against annexation. but was now in fayo,
Of It..
Il know Lord Milner as well as Mr.. As
Quith knows him. OF deliberate inhuman.ty
he is incapable. Moreover. he has had moth.
ing to do with these camps. The Govern.
ment. not he. Is constitutionaliy responsible
for the war but the Immediate point is
that Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman MS
ableSt and most influential lieutenant has
publicly repudated his chief.
1T seems to me that the liberal party
has broken up