The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-03-12
GOVERNMENT MUST
FACE THE CRISIS
The British Prime Minister
Cannot Well Ignore
His Pledges.
Forces Are Strengthened BY
Redmonds Notable
Address.
Points Out a Situation Which
Ireland Will Not
Uphold.
The London correspondent Of tA4

The London correspondent Of tho
Freeman" wires:-
The situation disclosed by the debate
on the address in the House Of Com.
mons last (Monday) evening was the
natural sequence OF the inability or un-
Willingness of the prime minister to
fulfil the terms of his Albert Hau
pledge. The vain imaginings Of poll
ticans who hoped that by some miracu-
lous dispensation of Providence. the
realities "' the political position could
be conveniently and completely sllrred
over by soft speeches in the House OF
Commons have been shattered beyond
recall. 1t Is now seen to be fatuous
to pretend there is no crisis, where a
crisis has been raging for the past
fortnight. Now that ministers are up
against the hard, undeniable facts OF
the situation, they may perhaps realize
what it's true needs are. They may vet
relieve the position by bold course.
and the CHEEKY approval given last
Gals to Mr.. Redmond's speech should
easily convince them as to what that
course should be The House dispersed
last evening in a condition of high ex-
| citement and in utter beWilderment as
to how the crisis is likely to develop.
1t was a. bad day for the Liberal party.
The kings speech was a severe dam
per to their hopes at the outset Its
mild an innocuous phrase about the
House of Lords were not the kind Of
thing that Radicals fresh from their
constituencies had expected. Then the
strangely invited, not to say incoher-
ent, jumbe about the veto and the re-
form OF the House Of Lords was dis
agreeable revelation in two respects.
First of all, it seemed to give a sano-
tion to the red-herrlng policy of res
form" advocated by the Peers them.
selves, and their organs in the presA
Everyone saw in all instant that 1t was
an evidence, too, Of serious differ.
ence Of opinion in the Cabinet on the
vital questions of the lords. No ona
could believe that the progressive MEM
bers OF the Cabinet to whom the coun-
try looks for a lead could have volrn-
tarily committed themselves to a for
mula 40 designedly vague and nebulous.
Perhaps it meant that the King had
made his influence felt Perhaps, in
stead Of the assurances expected, he
ing with the lords veto alone. WHAT
ever It meant, 1t meant nothing Of
hopeful augury for the solution of the
| question:, so that the ministerialists
| took their places in a state Of doubt
| and gloom. No one could imagine that
it was victorious majority come to-
execute the mandate Of the country.
| Except in his antagonism to Home
Rule, Mr.. Balfours speech was marked
by feline caution. 1t was evidently not
his purpose at the moment to invoke
the whirlwind. He was content to sit
and look on while the government en-
tangled itself in hopeless and en-S
feebling situation. y
, When tine prime minister rose to res
ply, his reception was far from cordial
from his own party. There was brief
perfunctory cheer. He looked flushed
and nervous; his hair had thinned and
whitened perceptibly. His delivery waal
jerky and mis- sentences rugged. He,
began by defending himself against the
taunts of Mr.. Balfour as to his Home
Rule pledge. He said that the reason
Home Rule did not bulk more promin-s
emily was because, as was admitted by
the Irish party themselves, the veto
was regarded as the condition preced-
ent to Home Rule. This was cheered4
by the Irish party, who, together with
the Liberal party, also cheered his points
that so far as contentious legislationS
for this session was concerned they in-a
tended nothing, and would suggest
nothing, but the veto, and they intend.s
ed to proceed with it to the exclusions
] of all other legislative work. This