The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-22
Failure of Asquth's Ministry Is Predicted by All Experts
 in Politics
MOMENTOUS MEETING s :. HELD BY PARLIAMENT
 
King Edward Delivers His Address Parliament and Redmond Throws Bomb by Saying Ills Party Will
 Not Support Asuuith.

London, February 2l.-The players
 the game of politics threw their cards o
 the table in the house of commons todd,
 The government is without the allis
 necessary to carry legislation and ti
 present prospect is that the country wi
 be stirred up by another general electio
 within a few months.
 | Premier Asquith announced that tn .
 financial legislation will be put ahead :
 the proposals to curb the power of Il
 house of lords.
 John E. Redmond, the Irish leader, q
 clared flatly that the nationalsts wou
 not support that programme. | The laborites are holding a meeting :;
 decide their course. They probably W
 follow in the footsteps of the Irish men
 bers.
 The government may be able to ado
 the budget by the grace of the conse
 vatives who possibly will vote for it ]
 order to avert financial chaos and kee
 the wheels of the empire turning. Bu
 the enactment of the budget will, as NJ
 Redmond pointed out, it Is stated, leaN
 the winning cards in the hands of th
 lords, who then will be free to rejec
 the bill for the reforming of their hous
 and force another election. | The meeting of parliament today w
 momentous one. The cabinets polt
 was not revealed to the country until Il
 moment Premier Asquith took the foo Intense Interest Shown. | Soiao,,, +1,o l,te+or,- tba lao,,.
 of commons has it's proceedings bee
 watched with more intense interest by u.
 small and distinguished assemblage c
 spectators who were able to gain admi
 tance and the millions who depend upc..
 tho newspapers for their information. | MT Redmond and his Irish colleague
 controlled the course of events. H
 would not support the prime minist,
 was the sensation of the day, and it aI
 pears to have settled the administration
 fate. It is reported that twenty-five rad
 icals have declared their iSention d.
 supporting MT. Redmond against the gov
 ernment's course, and that great pres
 sure is being brought to bear from tn
 radicals to induce MT. Asquith to resig
 forthwith
 Austin Chamberlain will propose az
 amendment to the kings speech in favo
 of tariff reform and imperial preference
 at the same time, deploring the failure
 of the state of trade and employment. | The kings speeches usually are prosai but one clause in that of today is re
 garded as most significanut. Referrinf
 to the proposed reform of the house O lords, the speech contained the qualify | ing clause: Tn the opinion of my ad visers." which is interpreted as meaning | that the king wants to disassociate him self from such proposals. Prince Henry of Prussia rode in thu royal procession and attended parlia
 ment. He appeared in the uniform o | a British admiral and the crowd gav'
 him a reception less warm than visiting
 members of royal families usually re
 ceive.
 Speech of the King. | The Kings speech, which had bee
 awaited with such profound interesi proved to be unusually brief and mad | plain that the work of the session woul | be confined to the matters of finance an | the question of the house of lords. | His majesty opened with the usual ref | erences to the friendly relations existns with foreign powers and dealt with tn es ta blishment of the union of South Africa
  | of Wales to open the first legislature or the united dominion of South Africa. | The financial estimates for the comlnc | year were next set forth. "rhese," said his majesty. have oee7 l framed with the utmost desire for econ | omy. but the requirements for the maya defense of the empire made 1t necessar, | to propose substantial increase in tho | cost of my navy"
 | Recording the fact that the expenditure | authorized by the last parliament were bt | ing incurred and met by recourse . | temporary borrowing the speech declared Arrangements must be made at tn earliest possible moment to deal with tne | financial situation thus created This was taken as a confirmation Premier Asouith's avowed determination | to revolutionize the present conduct O | financial affairs before attacking tn | house of lords The most importan pronouncement was reserved for the enf | of the speech. which closed with the para graph on the relation between the tWr | houses, as given above.
 Very short Address. The reading of the speech occupied on, | foui minutes, and at its close his ma Jest, retired and the session was suspendet | for two hours.
 | American Ambassador Reid and vii. liam Phillips, secretary of the America' | embassy, were among the diplomats pres ent.
 l During the intermission the speech was the subject of keen analysis in th'
 Hobbies of both houses It was regarde' as evident that the cabinet had decided against the extremists. who desire tho abolition of the upper chamber. and il' anxious only to deprive the house of lord of the power of veto.
 | Parliamentarians are awaiting wit great interest Premier Asquith's interpre | tation of the paragraph in the speech re | ferring to the house of lords. The rathe modern expression, "in the opinion of m. advisers" which the King seemed |, emphasize especially. is a novelty in speech from the throne and 1t is believed the King himself was responsible for tn insertion of the phrase. with the palpabl
 object ot disassociating himself from tn views expressed on behalf of the govern