Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-09-25
CHAMBERLAIN is OUT
BRITISH COLONIAL SECRETARY
RESIGNS HIS POSITION IN
RALFOUR CABINET.

Chancellor Of the Exchequer RItchfs
and Secretary for India Hamilton
Also Throw Up Their Portfolios.
Preferential Tariff in Favor Of the
Colonies the Direct Cause Of the
Ministerial Crisis. .axAs:;; A!
London, Sept. 18.-The official an
nouncement of the resignation Of Mr..
Chamberlain and two other members
Of the cabinet, was made late at night
at Downing street in the following
communication:
"The following ministers have ten
dered their designations, which have
been accepted by the king: Right
Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, secretary
for the colonies; Right Hon. c. T.
Richie, chancellor Of the exchequer,
and Lord George Hamilton, secretary
for India"
Correspondence between Mr.. Cham
berlain and Premier Balfour is then
made public, among which is Mr..
Chamberlain's letter, dated Birming-
ham, Sept. 9. in which he sets forth
his reasons for his resignation. An ex-
tremely interesting feature OF the let
ter is the following statement. con-
corning a preferential tariff:
For the present, at any rate, a
preferential agreement with our colo
MES involving any new duty, however
small. on articles of food hitherto I'm.
taxed, even if accompanied by reduc-
ton of taxation on other articles OF
food equally universal in their con
sumption, would be unacceptable to
the majority Of the constituencies.
However much we may regret the de.
cision, however mistaken we may
think it, no good government in a
democratic country can ignore it.
feel, therefore; that as an immediate
practical policy the question of prefer.
ence to the colonies cannot be pressed
with any hope of success at the pres.
ent time, although there is a very
strong feeling in favor of the other
branch of fiscal reform which would
give fuller discretion to the govern.
ment in negotiating with foreign coun
tries for freer exchange Of commodi
ties and which would enable our rep
resentatives to retaliate if no conces
sion was made to our just demands.
involve Constitutional Changes.
IF, as l believe, you share these
| views, it seems to me that you will be
! absolutely justified in adopting them
| as the policy of your government al
| though it will necessarily involve some
changes in it's constitution. AS secre
! tary for the colonies during the past
| eight years l have been in a special
sense the representative of the policy
| OF a closer unipn, which l firmly be
lieve to be equally necessary in the
! interests of the colonies and our
selves. believe it is possible today
and may be impossible tomorrow tt
make arrangements for such union
| I have had uuexampled opportunities
| of watching events and approaching
/ the feelings of our kinsmen beyond the
seas. stand, therefore, in different
position to any of my colleagues an,
think that l. should justly be blamed
II I remained in Office and thus for
mally accepted the exclusion from my
political programme of so important
a part thereof
| II think that with absolute loyalty
to your government and with no fea1
of embarrassing it in any way, I car
best promote the cause I have at heart
| from the outside, and I cannot but
hope that in perfectly independent
position my arguments may be receiv
ed with less prejudice than would at
tach to those Of a party leader. Ac
| cordingly I would suggest that yor
| limit the present policy of the govern
ment to an assertion of our freedom
| in the case of all commercial relations
with foreign countries and that you
should agree to my rendering my resig
nation of my present Office to his
majesty and devoting myself to the
work of explaining and popularizine
these principles of imperial unior
which experience has convinced me
are essential to our future welfare and