Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-11

London, lee. 10.-At monster meet
ing tonight in Albert hall, Herbert
Henry Asquith, the British prime min.
lister, laid down the policy OH which
the Liberal government is appealing
to the country. He repeated what had
been said by other ministers-that if he
was returned to power the govern
mont would demand the limitation of
the power of the House of Lords-and
then he went step farther and
pledged the Liberal party to self-gov-
eminent for Ireland.
The meeting was marked by the
greatest of enthusiasm by an audience
which filed the vast hall and which
greeted Mr.. Asquith and the ministers
who accompanied him with round ar
ter round of cheering. The audience
was composed entirely Of men, women
having been denied admission in the
fear that there might be counter-den.
onstrations by Suffragettes. Every cor
ner of the hall had been searched dur
ing 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 interrupted Mr.
Asquith momcntarily with cries of
"Votes for women!'' Then they were
promptly elected.
Mr. Asquith was not alone in giving
to the people their first real touch Of
the campaign, for Arthur ]. Balfour,
the leader of the opposition in the
House of Commons, made a simulta-
neous plea to them in a quiet, digni-
fled election manifesto addressed to the
electors of the city of London, who
have chosen him as their candidate.
Mr.. Asquith in his speech pointed out
that just four years ago Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman, then prime min
lister, outlined in Albert hall the pol
icy of new Liberal government,
which included many reforms. The
Representatives of the people in the
House of Commons had labored faith
fully to carry into law the measures,
but their will had been nullified and as
fitting climax, the supplies which
the House of Commons voted had been
stepped upon by the House of Lords.
Therefore, the House of Commons was
now on the eve of another dissolution
and it had fallen to his lot to take up
tho burden. The last time, he said, the
government reckoned without their
host, but they were not going to make
that mistake again.
II tell you in the name and on be-
half of the Liberal party" Mr.. As
uuith proceeded, 1--WE have at this mo-
ment laid upon us single task-a
task which dominates and transcends
because it embraces and involves every
great and beneficial social and politi
cal change upon which our hearts arc
set. That task is to vindicate and eS>
tablish upon an unshakable foundation
the principles of representative govern
ment."
The franchise law, he said, was still
incumbered with artificial distinction,
and impeachment for which there was
no justification. Upon the topic OF
woman suffrage, Mr.. Asquith said his;
views were well known and he had n"
reason to alter them, despite the sui
cidal excuses of a small section of the
advocates for such change.
After referring to the action of the
House of Lords in regard to the mat
. ter of Welsh religious quality and the
fate of certain Scottish land bills, Mr..
Asuuith turned his attention to Ire
land, which he said had been fortunate
for once. because the measures sent
I'd in her behalf did not come violently
athwart the prejudices of the House
of Lords.
"Speaking last year before my ac-
cession to the premiership" Mr.. AS
ouith continued, II described the Irish
nolicy as the one undeniable failure of
british craftsmanship. T repeat tonight
m hph91f of
colleagues and, believe, on behalf OF
nv party, I reiterate that this is a
problem to be solved only in one way
by policy which. while explicitly
safeguarding the supreme, indivisible
authority of the Imperial Parliament,
can set up in Ireland a system of full
government as regards purely Irish
affairs. There is not and cannot be any
question 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 believe
| 70 have been adequate the present
government was disabled in advance
from proposing any such solution, but
in the new House the Liberal govern
ment at the head of a Liberal majority
will be in this matter entirely free"
Mr. Asquith defended the budget as
necessary to social reform and IN this
respect old age pensions were the first
step. The budget, he continued, had
been thrown out by the House of Lords
after weeks Of debate and the govern
ment as result was confronted with
three constitutional questions:
First, the claim Of the House Of
Lords to control in 1evying taxation;
second, the claim Of the same house to