Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-22
in order that the way should be made
more clear for home rule.

DitIl dI the VI tiAC 6OfNtA
ment which assumed the right to make
such proposals on the strength of the
recent elections, in which they OBJ
tanned a majority only be relying on
parties which did not participate in
their councils.
"You think" he continued, "this a
sufficient mandate for pulling the con-
stitution of this country to pieces, Tor
breaking up the union and setting up
single chamber of government! l use
the last expression advisedly, because
If the words of his majesty's speech
have any meaning at all that is what
they mean"
In the house of commons Premier
Asuuith made an early bid for the
Irish vote by reiterating the assertion
that the removal of the lords rights
of veto was a necessary preliminary to
the discussion of home rule.
To Consider Budget First
Premier Asquith announced the
financial legislation would be put
ahead of the proposals to curb the
power of the house of lords.
John T. Redmond the Irish leader,
declared fatty that the Nationalist
would not support that program.
The Laborites are holding a meeting
to decide their course. They probably
will follow in the footsteps of the Irish
members.
The government may be able to
adopt the budget by the grace of the
Conservatives, who possibly will vote
for it in order to avert financial chaos
and keep the wheels of the empire
turning.
The enactment of the budget will, as
Mr.. Redmond pointed out, leave the
winning cards in the hands OF the
lords. who then will be free to reject
the bill for the reforming of their
house and force another election.
The meeting of parliament today
was a momentous one, for the cabinets S
policy was not revealed to the country
until Premier Asquith took the floor.
Mr. Redmond and his Irish colleagues
controlled the course of events.
His pronouncement that the Irish
members would not support the prime
minister was the sensation of the day,
and it appears to have settled the ad-
ministration's fate. 1t is reported that
twenty-five Radicals have declared
their intention of supporting Mr.. Red
mond against the governments course
and that great pressure is being
brought to bear from the Radicals TO
induce Mr., Asquith to resign forth
with.
20 AHlGnQ INluS SPSNSH
Austen Chamberlain will propose an
amendment to the kings speech in
favor of tariff reform and imperial
preference, at the same time depiorlng
the failure of the ministers to recog-
nize in the speech the nature and
gravity of the state of trade and en-
ployment.
The kings speeches usually are pro-
sale, but one clause in his speech today
is regarded as most significant Refer
ring to the proposed reform of the
house of lords, the speech contained
the qualifying clause: In the opln-
ion of my advisers"
This is interpreted as meaning that
the king wants to dissociate himself
from such proposals.
Prince Henry of Prussia rode in the
royal procession and attended parlia-
ment. He appeared in the uniform of
a British admiral, and the crowd gave
him a reception less warm than Wis
iting members of royalty usually re-
ceive.
BaIfour Criticises Edward
In the debate of the kings speech
Arthur ]. Balfour spoke for the oppo-
sition. He criticised the kings speech
for its ambiguity, particularly on the
naval question. He had hoped, he said,
for a declaration that the government
was prepared to face the situation and
provide anything necessary for the
defense of the empire. The general
election had been primarily on the
budget, he said, and he was not quite
sure what the country had pronounced.
when the budget" said Mr.. Balfour,
'has received cold and chilly, but nu-
merically adequate support in this
10
I believe a majority of the constitu-
encies in Great Britain are prepared
to support the budget but can it be
pretended that ireland favors it? If
ireland abstains from opposing the bud
get it will be because the irish members
think the interests of home rule over
ride those of finance, and I hold that
If the budget were isalated from all
other questions it would be rejected.
"If the prime minister's home rule
declaration, made just before the cleo
ton, had been taken seriously in Eng
land, as it was in Ireland, the other
questions would all have been
dwarfed."
Continuing, Mr. Balfour said he had
149 speeches of cabinet members exam
ined and only one contained volun-
tary reference to home rule.
Country in Ignorance
Looking under the surface, how could
the government say that they knew
what was the opinion of the country on
any one of the great issues before
them?
Mr.. Asquith, in rising to reply, was
loudly cheered. He supposed that the
kings speech was the shortest on rec
ord. Apart from the financial pro-
visions, the only question on which
the government announced legislation
was the relations between the two
houses. Nothing more would be intro
duced at this session.
1.-THE house of lords" said the pre-
mier, 'last year rejected the budget
a glaring breach of the unwritten con-
ventions of the constitution that was
the climax of a series of acts by which
the lords claimed an overriding right
of the decisions of the popular cham
ber and the government appeal to the
country was primarily an appeal to
give them authority to put an end to
that state of affairs.
Il have said that we must have legis-
lative safeguards, but some OF my
friends say I talked about guarantees
of the exercise of the royal prerogative.
If 1 had said such a thing I would not
now be standing in this box I re-
ceived no such guarantees; / asked for
no such guarantees. 1t is the duty of
a responsible minister, as far as pos
sible, to keep the name of the sover-
eign and the prerogative of the crown
outside the domain of party politics."