Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-23
No Actual Change in Parliamentary
Situation, But Opposition Sees Folly
Of Drastic Action and Will Not An
tagonize Ministry Too Strongly.

London, Feb. 22.--Without any ac-
tual change in the parliamentary sit
uation, the outlook tonight was more
hopeful for the government. 1t seems
that certain ministers met the new
Parliament Monday without having
| taken any great care either to seek
the views of the various groups form
| ing the government ma jority or to sat
| isfy their susceptibilities, and the sur
prise with which the Nationalist and
| Laborites learned they had misappre-
hended Premier Asquith's speech with
reference to securing guarantees" for
dealing with the House of Lords was
| in a great measure responsible for the
acute crisis.
Both the Nationalist and Labor par
| ties, however, are aware that they
have little to gain by throwing out the
government, which would lead to dis
solution and to the probable victory
| of the Conservatives at the next gen.
eral elections. Hence. the extremists
today displayed a more conciliatOry
spirit.
The cabinet held a long council to
draft the veto resolutions and to de-
bate the general situation. The result
| of their deliberations was a speech by
| Winston Spencer Churchill, president
| of the Board of Trade, which he deliV-
cred in the House of Commons, an
nouncng the determination of the gov
eminent to stand or fall by the veto
bill. This determination should, to
some degree. satisfy the irreconcila-
bles, who, it should be remembered, in
hn,
| Laborites being as strongly for as the
| Nationalist are against the budget.
| ANY direct cooperation between
these two parties with the express in
tention OF defeating the government
is extremely improbable. In fact, meet
ings of the Labor party have shown
that there is a strong feeling against
any action likely to defeat the ministry,
while the NationaliSts would very UNI
likely go beyond abstaining from vot-
ing for the budget. Indeed, at meet
ing today the Nationalsts decided not
to take any action for the present
which would embarrass the govern
ment.
| NcgOtiatiOnS are now proceeding be-
tween the different parties with view
to averting a crisis until the budget i
adopted and some progress has been
made with the veto resolutions.
| London, Feb. 22-The political at
mosphere continued heavy when Par
lament reassembled this afternoon,
but a ray of hope appeared with the
announcement that the Nationalists at
meeting earlier in the day had de-
cided not to move an amendment t'
the address in reply to the speech from
the throne. The text of the National
| lists resolution follows;
Resolved, that having regard for
| the supreme Importance of the consu-
tutional struggle going on between the
| two houses of Parliament and being
convinced that the primary business
| of this Parliament was to act on the
mandate given in the general election
land proceed, forthwith, to limit the
veto power now exercised by the House
of Lords over all progressive legisla-
| ton, the Irish party decides not to
| complicate that great issue by moving
an amendment to the address or by
balloting for bills and motions during
| the present session"
| HIS utClSlOIl was dCCcDLcu SCHtl
| ly in the Hobbies to mean that although
John Redmond, the Nationalist leader,
had rendered judgment against the
government he and his followers had
| decided to defer the execution of the
sentence and not to throw out the
cabinet over the budget, while abstain
| ing from supporting the financial
measure as they abstained in the last
Parliament Home Rule for Ireland is
the stake for which the Nationalsts
are playing and they realize that it
would cease to be a live issue immedi-
ately upon the resignation or defeat
of the government.
In a speech at a political luncheon
today Arthur j. Balfour. leader of the
opposition in the House of Commons,
| also helped to clear the atmosphere
| by intimating that the Unionists did
not propose to throw any unnecessary
difficulties in the way of the govern
ment in dealing with the impending
problem of finance, the solution of
which was necessary for the carrying
on of the administration, though he
added:
when it comes to larger problems
involving matters of principle con-
corning the House of Lords, there can
be neither compromise nor an ar
rangement."
Upon the resumption of the debate
in the House OF Commons today Geo
| n. Barnes, chairman of the Parlia-
mentary Labor party, aligned the La
borites with the Nationalist and de-
manded further assurances that
| Premier Asquith would not delay deal
| ing with the Lords power of veto. The
Labor members, he said, believed that
| the House of Lords was a useless, ir-
ri5ating barrier to Democrats prog
ress. He wished assurances that if the
veto question was not dealt with i'm
mediately it would be settled before