Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-02

Iiic SOtSi ncuIu DC tiC iC-0hoSh-
ment of all the taxes for which provi-
sion was made in the budget rejected by
the house of lords.
1t is believed parliament will be dis
elections between January 10 and 20. The
prorogation will take place tomorrow.
Arthur Henderson, leader of the labor
party in the house of commons, an
nounced that the government would have
the whole-hearted support of the labor
ties.
Great Battle Is On.
All the preliminaries to the great po-
liticai battle are being cleared away this
afternoon at Sandringham. where the
king held a meeting with the privy coun-
Gil during which he signed an order pro-
roguing parliament until January IL,
1910. The fixing OF this date was mere
formality, as before that time the pres
ent house will have been dissolved.
The center of interest today was the
house Of commons. where Premier As
quith, on behalf of his government, de-
livered the reply to the action of the
lords In withholding their consent upon
the budget. The house was crowded
with members and the galleries were
filled with lords, diplomats and other dis
tinguished personages. The ministers and
unionist leaders, including A. ]. Bal
four, who had suffice. ,ly recovered from
an indisposition to take part in the de-
bate, entered the chamber during the
course of the routine business. and were
received with cheers by their support
ers, who rose to their feet and waved
their hats in welcome to the chiefs.
The nationalists, who had decided not
to participate in the debate or division,
were conspicuous by their absence.
Premier Wildly Cheered.
Premer Asquith's first words as he
rose amid the widest demonstration of
enthusiasm to move the resolution, of
which he had given notice Tuesday, were:
I'VE are meeting this afternoon under
circumstances without example in the
history of the British parliament.
The prime minister pointed out that in
opening parliament the king had invited
the house of commons alone to make
provision for the heavy additional ex-
penditureS in view of the necessities III
the way of social reform and the ma
ttonal defense
The budget was the result and it repre-
sented. he said, in a greater degree than
could be said of any other measure of
"our time the deliberate work of an
overwhelming majority of the represent
atives of the people. In the course of the
week that whole fabric had been thrown n
TO the ground by d body which. admitted
~, had no power to increase or decrease a
single tax. With much emphasis Premier
Asquith declared that the house of COM
mons would prove unworthy of its tradl-
tions If it allowed a single day to pass
without making it clear that 1t did not
mean to brook this grave indignity and
arrogant usurpation of its rights.
The session of parliament was closing,
the premier said, without financial act,
and until fresh provision could be made
the necessities of state could be supplied
only through borrowing. He expressed
the hope that the ultimate loss to the
government would not be very great. but
added that so far as the present financial
year was concerned it was obvious the
result of the action of the house of lords
must create the largest deficit yet faced
His warnings. he said, had been unheed-
confusion and loss must rest with the
lords.
Only One Course Open.
In view of the fact that the govern
mont could not continue the collection
Of taxes after the prorogation of parlia-
ment the premier said that it had been
suggested that the lower chamber bring
in new budget, but he thought that
affairs would have come to a pretty pass
when the house of commons had to stoop
to the humiliation of presenting to the
house Of lords an amended budget trim
med to meet their scruples. To adopt
such a suggestion would be recognition
bill.
The only course left open to the govern
ment was to advise the king to dissolve
parliament at the earliest possible mo-
ment. and his majesty had accepted that
advice. Accordingly, the new house of COM
mons would provide retrospectively and
prospectively for the needs of the current
financial year. If returned, the first act
of the government would be to reimpose
from the present week all taxes and
duties embodied in the finance bill. and
to validate all past collections made in
anticipation of it's passage.
Prompt and Solid Protest.
The object Of his resolution, Premier
Asquith explained, was to make a prompt
and solid protest against the whole pro-
ceedings Of the lords In regard to this
matter. The members of the house Of
commons need not be ashamed to be called
pedants If they used the same means as
had those who in the past put an end
to the domination of the crown In order
to put an end to usurpaticn n on the part
Of the lords. He contended that there
was not single clause in the budget
bill which was not relevant to the mat
ter Of raising revenues.
If the contention of the lords that in
rejecting the budget they were only re-
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