The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-12
The Premier Pours Oil on the
Stormy Sea.
A PRINCE OF JUGGLERS
Commits the Government Neither to Protection
Nor Free Trade But Insnuates That Tar
if Issue is 10 b Shelved for
Present.
CBy the Associated Press.)

London, June 10.-By a dexterOuS and
extraordinary speech Premier Balfour to-
night temporarily smoothed over the
differences in the Cabinet relieved Colo
ial Secretary Chamberlain of any neces-
sity of resignng, and for the movement
averted a crisis which threatened the
Unionist party This, Mr.. Balfour ae-
cepted without committing the govern
ment either to protection or free trade
though the effect of his speech viii be
generally taken to mean that the tariff
issue is to be shelyed for the present.
Henry Chaplin's amendment which gave
rise to the most interesting debate OF
the present parliament, was defeated by
the overwhelming majority of 1896, com
posed of Unionists, Liberals and Irish
members. The minority who supported
/ Mr. Chaplins amendment, were almost
all followers of the government, while
many others of the Conservative prty
abstained from voting.
I 1t was 1890 oclocn. tonight when Pre-
mier Balfour sprang to his feet to reply
to the taunts Of the opposition and ap-
peals from his own party.
For two days the House of Commons
has rung with echoes of discussions with
in the Cabinet and dissatisfaction with
out The Premier was loudly cheered
/ He had scarcely commenced to deal with
! Mr. Chaplain's amendment before he was
interrupted by applause and ronioal
cheers at the entrance of Mr.. Chamberlain,
/ who had been absent hitherto through
out the evening. The Colonial Secretary
i dropped into his accustomed place The
1 House was now packed with peers. mem
4 bers of the House, and spectators as it
4 has not been since the days Of the home
rule debates, and they waited and hist
ened in tense expectation.
! In a whimsical vein Mr. Balfour ex-
| planned that the only reason that the
corn tax was put on was because the
government wanted money and the only
reason it was taken off was because the
! government wanted money no longer.
4 Reverting to the charges of vacillation
made against him the Premier took a
1 tone of unusual yeheno->e. lie declared
i that he himself, though a believer in
/ free trade, (which statement met with
+ loud applause) did not regard it as fetish
and he had absolutely an open mind re-
garding the necessity for any alterations
i in system which was rounded to suit
4 conditions Of fifty years ago. He re-
4 fused not only to make a statement OF any
4 fnality upon such an important sub
! ject, 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 imprisoned plea,
/ Gladstone's ministries, for allowing the
Premier to retain an open mind upon
question so difficult and so superior to all
party issues. The speaker did not believe
i that the country would ever return to the
old protective system and no tax on food
was ever imposed without the full assent
| of the working classes They were con-
| fronted. however, 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.
/ This non-committal speech and appeal
made with all the eloquence and magne-
I tism which Mr. Bafour wields so success
fully, for an open mind not only in the
Cabinet but in the Unionist party.
brought a salvo of cheers Throughout
Mr. Chamberlain sat beside the leader of
the house. beaming with satisfaction.
! Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman, the
Liberal leader, briefly replied, appealing
for an opportunity for the House to more
fully discuss the issue raised. The mem
bers of the House trooped into the lobby
to vote against Henry Chaplain's amend
ment, the general comment being "Ba-
| four has saved Chamberlain ;"
The Colonial Secretary himself jubilant,
said:
"our friend, the enemy, is nonplussed
this time
That this interest in the present stu
alton had been enhanced by the dramatic
developments yesterday was fully evi-
denced by the remarkable animation and
alertness Of everybody in and about the
Houses of Parliament when the time APP
Iproached for the resumption of the de-
bate in the House of Commons on the
amendment of Henry Chaplin (Conserva-
tive to the budget bill.
The answers to the questions not re-
ferring to the great problem of the day
passed almost unnoticed, so keen was the
anxiety to get to the all absorbing topic
The debate was resumed by Major
/ SotGly kNOilSGiNdliNtJ WHO IGJOAutu III VIC
repeal of the grain tax.
Sir Charles Dixie, advanced RADICAL
commended that the House had the right
to demand an opportunity for pronouncing
judgment on this important fiscal question
There was enormous exaggeration in the
statement that it was foolish for this
country to maintain a policy differing
from that of the rest of the world While
the United States and Germany were
reaping much prosperity under protection
Great Britain's foreign exports at The
present moment were equal to the COM
bined exports of the United States, Ger
many and France, which considering the
enormous population Of the United states
was a surprising thing The speaker de-
MED that the expansion OF protectionist
countries was cutting out Great Britain
from the markets OF the world
H. Fl, Asquith (Adyanced Liberal FORM