The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-11
England's Prime Minister As
:. quith Pledges His Party
to This Policy
::y7'.AOS THE CuRTA|LMENT Of
= .1uSE Of LORDS POWER
Does Not Want 1t Abolished. But 1T
Must Surrender Its Absolute Veto
Power-Will No Longer Submit to
Rebuffs and Humiliatlons.

AOnQOn, DEC. ll.--At monster
meeting last night in Albert Hall,
Herbert Henry Asquith the British
prime minister laid down the policy
on which the liberal government is
appealing to the country. He repeat
ed what had been said by other min
isters-that ii 1t were returned to
power the government would demand
the Limitation of the power of the
house of lords-and then went a step
farther and pledged that the liberal
party would grant self government
to Ireland.
The meeting was marked by the
great enthusiasm OF an auuience
wnica tllled the vast hall ana wnlcn
was composed entirely OF men, wom-
en having been denied admission in
the fear that there might be counter
demonstration by suffragettes. Every
corner of the hall had ueen searched
during the day for women and a
small band OF them was routed out
but they managed to get two male
supporters into the meeting who in
terrupted Mr.. Asquith momentarily
with cries of votes for women" !"
Then they were promptly elected.
Mr.. Asquith pointed out that just
four years ago, Sir Henry Campbell
'Bannerman, then prime minister had
outlined In Albert Hall the policy Of
q new liberal government which in
cluded many reforms. The represen-
tatiyes Of the people of the house of
commons had labored faithfully to
carry into law the measures prom
ised, but their will had been nulli-
fed d3and, asa fitting climax the sup
plies which, the Nhenee. OF .con1nSns
had voted had been stepped, upon. by
the house Of lords, Therefore the
house of commons was now on the
eve Of another dissolution and 1t had
fallen to his lot to take up the bur
den. The last time, he said, the gov
eminent had reckoned without their
host. hut 1t was not going to make
that mistake again. ''4
II tell you in the name and on be-
halt of the liberal party" Mr.. Asquith'
proceeded, 1--WE have at this moment
laid upon us single task-a task
which dominates and transcends be-
cause it embraces and involves every
great and benef1cent social and poll
tical change upon which our hearts
are set. That task is to vindicate and
establish upon an unshakable foun-
dation the principle of representative
government"
Speaking last year before my ac-
cession to the premiership" Mr.. AS
quith continued, "I described the
Irish policy as the one undeniable
failure of British craftsmanship. ~
repeat today what I said then and on
behalf of my colleagues and. be-
lieve. on behalf of my party, L reiter-
ate that this is problem to be solved
only in one way-by a policy which.
while explicitly safeguarding the su-
preme, indivisable authority of the
imperial parliament can set up In
Ireland system of full self-govern-
ment as regards purely Irish affairs.
There is not and canhot be any ques-
tion Of separation. There is not and
cannot be. any question Of rivalry or
competing for supremacy subject to
these conditions. That Is the liberal
policy. For reasons which we be-
lieve to have been adequate the pres
ent parliament was disabled, in. ad-
vance from proposing any such solil-
tton but IN the new house. the liberal
government at the head Of a liberal
majority will be in this rsatter entire
~ free"
Defended Budget.
Mr.. Asquith defended the budget as
necessary to social reform and in
this respect old age pensions were
the first step. The budget, he con-
had been thrown out by the
house of lords after weeks of debate
and the government, as a result, was
confronted with three constitutional
first, the claim Of the
house of lords to control in levying
taxation; second the claim of the
same house to the right to compel
Of the popular chamber
and third, the assertion of the house
Of lords of their power to make and
the executive government of
the crown. -
"What has been done." declared Mr..
Asquith. may be done again. It be-
comes our first duty; to make it's re-