The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-10

without substantial relief for the con-
sumner"
Before the debate opened Premier
Balfour ascertained from John Red
mond, the Irish leader, that the Ma
tionalist members of Parliament would
support the government, as against Mr..
Chaplin. This. with Liberal support,
practically insured the government
from possible defeat at the hands of
it's own supporters.
The curious situation created the
keenest interest. The debate by a rul-
ing of the Speaker was confined 10 the
grain tax.
Mr. Chaplin warmly attacked the
chancellor of the exchequer, to whose
inaptitude. he said, they owed their
present remarkable position. In re-
pealing the grain duty, Mr.. Chaplin
said, Mr.. Richie had made an ire.
trievable mistake. For a moment he
appeared to have prevailed over Mr.
Chamberlain, but his triumph would be
short lived. Mr.. Chaplin said the
ministers had thrown away a weapon
which would have helped them to car
ry out the new fiscal policy to which
Mr.. Balfour and Mr.. Chamberlain were
committed.
Sir Michael Hicks Beach said he was
opposed to Mr.. Chaplin's amendent, al
though he sympathized with the lat
ter's objection to the repeal of the
grain duty, but he believed the alter
native policy to be a greater evil. Hav-
ing TO choose between two evils he
would choose the lesesr and would sup
port the budget bill.
Referring to the suggested preferen-
tial tariff, the former Chancellor of
the EXchequer wished to know whether
Mr.. Chamberlain's opinion was that
of the united cabinet. The repeal of
the grain duty appeared to the Speaker
to be a direct bar to the adoption of
preference principles. He, therefore,
concluded that the opinion of the cabi
net as a whole was the same with re-
gard to these principles, as when he
was a member of 1t.
Mr.. Ritchie, who made a general re-
ply, read a carefully prepared state
ment. The government he said,
thought there should be an inquiry into
the matter of preferential tariffs, but
he would be surprised If the inquiry
showed any practical means of carry
ing out policy of preferential duties.
He aVowed himself to be an out-and-
out free trader, and added that with
his present knowledge he could not be
a party to a policy which he believed
would be detrimental to the interests
of both Great Britain and her colonies,
and he believed that the inquiry, from
which he would not shrink, would con-
firm his present views
Although he was precluded by the
Speakers ruling from discussing pref
erential tariffs he might say in behalf
of himself and his colleagues what he
and they thought. members of
the government. " | spoken on
the subject, had SIP . themselves
and not for the go Mt. All that
had thus far been suGs Jsted was that
the matter should be discussed and
inquired into.
Mr.. Ritchie said he thought in COM
mon with all his colleagues. that such
an inquiry was eminently desirable
from every point of view, and con-
cluded with saying that the grain duty
was properly imposed at time of
great national emergency, and had been
properly removed when the prospects
were brighter. He denied that there
had been any inconsistency, and while
he regretted that the government had
wounded the feelings of some of its
supporters, he believed it's motion would
be Endorsed by the country.
Mr.. Ritchies outspoken reputation
of Mr.. Chamberlain's proposals caused
an immense sensation in the Hobbies of
the House. No such situation had
arisen in the parliamentary world since
the memorable split on the home rule
BILL and the keenest interest was man.
Tested in regard to the possible deTel-