The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-19
BALFOUR HOLDS OFFICE
 BY FIFTY-FIVE VOTES
ATTEMPT TO UPSET BRITISH
 GOVERNMENT FAILS.

Premier's Policy on the Fiscal Question
 in His Sheffield Speech-sir Michael
 Hicks Beach Throws a BombshelI
 Into the Camp.
 London. May 1S.-By majority of fifty-five Premier Balfour tonight de- feated an attempt to upset the govern ment upon the fiscal question. An in teresting debate, characterized by some heated exchanges, took place, result ing in the premiers reiterated deter imitation to shelve the question of fs- cal reform until the next parliament. In this decision Joseph Chamberlain
 publicly concurred.
 The motion upon which the question came up was made by Alexander Will liam Black, member for Banffshire, Scotland, and an advanced liberal, well coming the ministerial declarations that
 protective taxation of food would be burdensome to the people and injurious to the empire" In purpose the motion was intended to censure MT. Chamber lain and the latters amendment to it would have split up the unionist party and possibly would have resulted in the defeat os the government.
 MT. Balfour's own amendment left q middle course open to the members of the unionist party, and although this amendment was not put, the house sc- complished the defeat of MT. Blacks indirect censure on the ground that 1t
 was not now necessary to discuss the fiscal question.
 The premier stuck to his policy as outlined in his recent Sheffield speech. Twenty-one unionist free traders voted against the government, but more
 than double that number would have
 done so but for MT. Balfour's skilful intervention between Mir. Chamberlain and his opponents.
 The net result of the debate, which
 crowded the house of commons to greater extent than it has been this ses- Esion. is that all parties stand where they were. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach
 and his following practically saved the day by refusing to vote with Winston Churchill Lord George Hamilton, Lord Hugh Cecil and othe more ardent unionist free traders against MT. Ball four.
 Tn the course of the debate Lord Hugh Cecil, in scathing satire, denounc- ed the policy of his cousin, the premier. Mir. Chamberlain interrupted him, and then storm Of interruptions and cries of order arose from the radical and liberal benches. Twice Mir. Chamber lain sat down and twice the speaker appealed to the members to give the former colonial secretary hearing. At last there was comparative quiet
 and then Lord Hugh Cecil, with much | heat. and amid great uproar, accused Mir Chamberlain of cowardice in dodg- ling the issue by refusing to meet his op- ponents in the house on the campaign
 which he had preached throughout the country.
 Sir Michael Hicks Beach threw bombshell into the free food camp by
 announcing that he would not support MT. Blacks motion. Then MT. Cham berlain reiterated that he did not wish
 to raise the fiscal question in the house.
 He said he supported the government and would continue to do so. He hoped that the premier would take his own 1 time to carry out his policy. Mr. Balfour said his Sheffield speech still represented the advice he would give to the country if asked tomorrow to frame an election address. With a touch of passion the premier, amidst loud ministerial cheers, repudiated Lord Hugh Cecils charge of cowardice against MT. Chamberlain, saying that Lord Hugh twas the man to be accused 1 of lack of courage"
 l Henry Herbert Asquith summed up for the opposition, and what was lsomething of a. storm in teacup ended with a vote of 251 to 306 on MT. Blacks motion.
 Before MT. Balfour's amendment could come up the hour of midnight caused an adjournment.
 Tomorrow afternoon the house will 1 adjourn until May 91 for the Whitsun- 1 tide holidays.