The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-11
And Relieves Colonial Secretary
rendering His Resignation.
PREMIER DELIVERS SPEECH
NEITHER COMMITS HIMSELF TO PRO-
lection NOR FREE TRADE.
Cheers Greet Him and Chamberlain
Amendment by 800 Majority.

LONDON June 10.-By a dexterous and
extraordinary speech Premier Balfour to-
night temporarily smoothed over the diff
ferences in the Cabinet. relieved Colonial
Secretary Chamberlain of any necessity of
resigning and for the moment averted
crisis which threatened the Unionist party.
This Mr.. Balfour accomplished without
committing the government either to pro-
lection free trade. though the effect of
his speech will generally be taken to mean
that the tariff issue is to be shelved for
the present. Henry Chaplin's amendment,
which gave rise to the most interesting de-
bate of the present Parliament, was de-
feated by the overwhelming majority of
1896 votes, composed of Unionists, Liberals
and Irish members. The minority who
supported Mr.. Chapln's amendment were
almost all followers of the government,
while many others of the Conservative
party abstained from voting.
1t was half past 10 o'clock tonight when
Premier Balfour sprang to his feet to re-
ply to the taunts of the opposition and ap-
peals from his own party. For two days
the House of Commons had rung with
echoes of discussions within the Cabinet
and dissatisfaction without The premier
was loudly cheered He had scarcely be-
gun to deal with Mr.. Cbaplin's amendment
before he was interrupted with a hurri-
cane Of applause and ironical cheers at
the entry of Mr.. Chamberlain. who had
been absent hitherto throughout the even
ing. The colonial secretary dropped into
his accustomed place. The House was
now packed with peers, members of the
House and spectators as 1T has not been
since the days of home rule, and they
waited and listened in tense expectation.
BALFOUR'S SPEECH.
In whimsical vein Mr.. Balfour ex-
planned that the only reason that the corn
tax was put on was because the govern
ment wanted money and the only reason it
was taken off was because the government
wanted money no longer. Reverting to the
charges of vacillation made against him,
the premier took on a tone Of unusual We
hemence. He declared that he himself.
though a believer in free trade, which
statement met with loud applause, did not
regard 1t as fetish and he had absolutely
an open mind regarding the necessity for
any alterations in a system which was
founded to suit conditions of fifty years
ago. He refused not only to make a state
ment of any finality upon such an impor-
tant question, but he also refused to compel
his colleagues to conform to a standard of
opinion upon which he himself had an
open mind. He admitted that differences of
opinion existed within the Cabinet, but
these were not serious enough to cause the
resignation of any member. Mr. Balfour
made an impassioned plea, enforced by the
precedents Of friction in Mr.. Gladstones
MINISTRIES, for allowing the premier to
retain open mind upon a question so
difficult and so superior to all party issues.
The speaker did not believe that the coun-
try would ever return to the old protective
system, and no tax on food was ever i'm
posed without the full assent Of the work.
ing classes They were confronted, how
ever, continued the premier, by three great
phenomena-huge tariff walls against the
United Kingdom, the growth of the trusts.
and the desire of the colonies for closer
fiscal union with the mother country These
factors could not be ignored. He MAIN
tanned that the method of starting a public
discussion was the only way to deal with
these phenomena, though he did not commit
himself to Mr.. Chamberlains more adj
vanced programme. 1t would be folly and
rashness, he said, to interfere with the
great system which had been in operation
examination and without due regard for
while at the same time they could not ig-
more those new problems which the ever
changing face of industrial life presented
for decision and the action Of statesmen.
This noncommittal speech, applied with
all the eloquence and magnetism which Mr..
Balfour Yields so successfully for an open
mind. not only in the Cabinet, but in the
UnOnst party, brought a constant salvo of
cheers. Throughout Mr.. Chamberlain sat
beside the leader of the House. beaming
with satisfaction. At the close the colonial
secretary said: "Our friend, the enemy is
nonplussed this time"