The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-07

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 The leaders. facing each other from the opposing benches. present a very interesting picture. and after listen ing to the discussions back and forth one can understand why free speech has had so largo an influence in the development of the political institu- tons of Great Britain. Here every idea Is threshed out and every meas ure moulded into permanent form.
 But to return to the Minister or wa MT. Haldane might be taken TOT lo'h L. Johnson, Cleveland's redoubtabi@ Mayor, SO much is he like him In face and figure. He Is plausible in speech and so good -natured that no one car be angry with him. however much h. may dissent from his conclusions Fo' two hours he held the attention ot the house and gallery-an unusuai feat in London. where the speeches are not So long as in America. He was frequently encouraged by cries O Hear" Hear" the usual applause in the House of Commons. It was mo- ticeable that the heartiest responses were drawn forth by his expressions in favor of peace and arbitration The reorganization scheme which he pre- scented provides for rfeduction CT several thousand men and consider able decrease in the total cost. but to make the scheme more acceptable tEL remaining regiments are so disposrc as to give the country a larger fighting force than 1t now has. It was inter esting to watch the opposition benrhe'' whose able leaders vigorously attack everything that the new government prouses. Ex-War Minister Fostc: followed Mir Haldane and p'cked ''aws in his plans, but did not receive tnc attention accorded the War Minister.
 The army question is arousing con : siderable interest, and the Goverhmeht bill is likely to have more opposition In the House of Lords than in the Com mons In fact, Lord Roberts has al ready attacked the bill in advance in a speech which affords conclusive proof of inc tendency of man to magnify his own calling. Nothing better illustrates the conservatism of the House or Lords than the fact that the Liberal Party can claim but one-tenth of the member ship of that body. while IL mas |vo ma ma iority In the popular branch of Parlia- ment It must not be supposed. now ever. that all the bills passed by the House of Commons will be defeated III the House of Lords, for while large majority of that House may really op- pose a measure they recognize that the very existence of their body would be taODa r0iZeu IT IL oppoSeh thS PS'P.> on any important question. Nominal ly. the House of Lords has an equal voice with the House of Commons In the enactment of laws, but as matter of fact it does not dare to exercise the power which 1t has.
 The Navy Department has reduced the appropriation for large vessels. and 1t is certain that at the next Hague conference Great Britain will be found sur porting a proposition for the lim- itation of armaments. MT Edmund Robertson, the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, presented the Govern- ment's scheme for reduction and made a favorable impression upon the House of Commons.
 The Minister of Education, MT. Bir- rell, has been the busiest of the min isters so far. He has had charge of the educational bill which has been under discussion for several months and which. after being perfected in the committee of the whole. has been passed to third reading by a majority of 192 AS the bill deals with religion as well as education. and concerns the children of the country, 1t arouses deep interest. In England the public school system has grown up as an addition to the church schools. or rather the pub lie schools have supplemented the work formerly done by the private schools. As these schools increased in numbers and importance the church schools be- gan to ask for a division of the school funds, and this, as it usually does. brought into politics the question of religious instruction in the schools. As long as the private schools were sup ported by private contribution or en- dowment their religious instruction was entirely in their own hands, but when these schools began to draw their support from the public treasury the taxpayers objected to paying for in- struction In the creed of any other church than their own. Four years ago the conservatives enacted a law which gave to the established Church of Eng land considerable advantage over the non-conformist churches in the man agement of the public schools, and this led to a campaign against the law by the non-conformists. Their opposition to the conservative government con- tributed not little to the Liberal vic tory and the bill now uuder considera- tion in Parliament puts them upon an equal footing with the members of the established church In respect to schools and removes the tests which formerly operated against non-conformist teach