The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-23
Balfour's Statement.

The matter came up at the after
noon sitting, when Premier Balfour. re
plying 10 questions on the subject,
said he did not consider himself
pledged to inaCtion in regard TO CO.
l0Dial preference. except so far as par
liamentary action was concerned. He
reiterated that the government did not
intend 10 deal with the fiscal question
III the present parliament. The matter
of colonial preference might however.
De submitted 10 4 colonial conference
III 1906, even though the country had
not previously had an opportunity of
expressing an opinion on the subject.
The decision of the conference how
ever, would not be binding either on
the mother country or on the colonies
without legislative action.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman. the
liberal leader. charged Mr. BalfOur
with violating the pledge he had made
IN his Edinburgh speech. and moved
the adjournment Of the house TO dis
cuSs the matter.
The debate on Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman's motion came Up at the
night session, and was marked bv
scenes of the widest disorder. The
liberal leader demanded a plain an
SWer from Premier BalfOur. and Alfred
Lyttieton, secretary of state for the
colonies, rose to reply.
LyttIeton HowIed Down.
The members Of the opposition
drowned the efforts of the secretary
/ with cries Of "BalfoUr, BaIfour." After
| continuing for about ten minutes. Mr.
/ Lyttleton sat down. Winston Churchill
/ then attempted TO speak, but the min
! 1sterialiSts drowned his efforts, the
/ natlonalistS joining in the din and
/ shouting for the police.
| After a number Of members had
/ failed to secure a hearing the premier
| rose TO point of order and a tenn
pOrary lull followed. Mr.. BaIfour said
/ he thought it highly improper that he
| should be Immediately expected to fol-
low the leader OF the opposition He
! said he had never before known the
| opposition to refuse to hear a minister
and he insisted that the house should
hear Secretary LyttIetOn, as otherwise
the dignity Of the house could not be
| maintained.
New Rule Enforced.
Mr.. LyttIeton again made an at
/ tempt to speak. but the uproar was
| renewed Finally the speaker said If
/ was obvious that the scene could not
! continue, and he would, therefore. ad-
! JOUrn the house under the rules en-
/ poWering the speaker to take such ac-
/ ton in cases Of grave disorder.
! The speaker had been unable 10 Sc
/ cure even d sembIance of order after
| howls and counter hOwls lasting over
! an hour.
| The action of the speaker and the
| scenes in the house created a tremend-
/ Gus sensation in the Hobbies. which
/ We're crowded with members discuss
4 ing every phase Of the evenings oc-
| currences. which were declared to he
/ unprecedented The galleries were
/ nlled with peers and other distiu-
/ gulshed persons who gathered in the hope
/ fiscal question. They took part in th1
/ cries for their favorites. thus adding
] to the din, and aftervard Joined me
! excited crowds in the Hobbies
Scene Unprecedented.
ToniSht's unprecedented and un-
/ diSHifed scenes in the house of com
/ mons grew TO some extent Our % the
! Balfour-C chamberlain controversy. with
/ the addition OF the heat engendsrad on
/ the opposition side by the premier
| alleged breach Of his pledge not 20 deal
/ with the subject of colonial prefereUco
( without first appealing to the country
/ The members generally were IN fever
/ ish expectation that the debate ~ aid
/ indirectly provide the terms - Nr
/ RalfOuT's answer to Mr.. Chamberlain S
/ compromise proposals
! It was also anticipated that Mr.
/ Chamberlain himself would MAKE az
I important speech on the fiscal question
! Then when Secretary LyttIeton was
put up TO speak instead Of Mr.. BaIfCuT
d storm burst such as has not been