The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-08
BA[FOUR''S VOTE
 OF CENSURE FAILS Veto War in House of Com mons Resumes Action ASQUITH WINS EASILY Balfour Makes Vigorous Speech Charging Premier With Taking
 Undue Advantage of Kings
 Inexperience

London August "A vote of censure of the government for having obtained from the King a pledge to create. if necessary, sufficient peers to pass 'he veto bill, was rejected by the house Of commons tonight by a majority of 1la The motion was introduced by Arthur J. Balfour, leader of the opposition and is defeat is regarded as having failed to help the unioni0 cause. The rGravamen of the opposition | charge against the government was that Premier Asquith had taken advantage of the Kings inexperience to bring about ar abuse of the royal prerogative by se- curing the guarantees before the last general election. MT. Asquith easily dis posed Of this charge by showing that the ministers had pursued an entirely properly constitutional course. The re- suit was that after the premiers speech the debare on the unonist side virtually collapsed
 Frederick E. Smith and others of the 'die. fai ds" made brave attempts 10 fan the flames against the government but were compelled to fall back on the we'll worn argument that the members of the government were being driven by their taskmaster John Redmond, and that their whole object was to secure the easy passage of Irish home rule.
 Walter Hume Long, ex-chief secretary for Ireland challenged MT. Asquith to reveal his conversations with King George, but Winston Spencer Churchill the home secretary, who wound up the debeste, declined to consider for a mo- ment such an unusual request. An incident of the session was the sti chs; disapproval shown by the main body of the unonists with the reflec- tions made against the leaderships of Mir. Balfour and Lord Lansdowne by | Ha;sbury revolt.
 The debate was characterized by num- erous interruptions, but there were no disorders.
 | MT. Balfour received an ovation as he rose to present his motion. The former unicnist premier emphasized that he was conscious of the seriousness of the step
 
 l it would be admitted that never in his- tory had there been a more serious case or one which more urgently required the consideration of parliament and the em- phatc condemnation of the ministers. "The ministers" said MT. Balfour, ito get more votes In the struggle. have grossly abused the rights of ad- vising the crown to create new peers and by abusing those rights put them | selves above the constitution" | The unionist leader asserted that the ministry had placed the sovereign in a cruel position.
 l "The King was a fount of honor, but the government had poisoned and corrupted the stream at it's source," he | said. He dubbed the proposed new peers s "supers in this sordid drama " MT. Balfour declared it would be diff | fcult to conceive of any politician play ing more contemptible part. He con- l tended that the question of home rule had not been before the country throughout the controversy and that i ton for the creation of peers to en- able the government to carry It through both houses without reference to the people.
 MT. Balfour concluded with the prophecy that the country would soon let the radicals know that it would not allow a repetition of "the crime | of 1911."
 | Premier Asquith appeared in his best form when he stood up to reply. Jeer- ingly he thanked MT. Balfour for this opportune, through unexpected, motion. This Is the very thing the government wants"
 | The prime minister dispelled the fog by which the circumstances under which he had obtained the peerage guarantees from the King had been | consistently obscured by the opposi- ton.
 Tt was my strong hope and belief he said, that the lords would accept
 the bill and when only that hope was | frustrated as 1t was last month was | his majesty asked and consented, If
 1t was necessary to exercise his pre- | rogative. We took the only course con- sistent with honor and a true regard Tor the dignity of the crown MT. Asquith concluded by maintain ing that the only method of dea line E
 with the situation was through the use or the royal prerogative.
 T hold my office.' he added, mot only by the favor of the crown, but on behalf of the people, and l should be guilty, indeed, of treason, if at the supreme moment of great struggle l were to betray their trust"
 Alter various speakers had echoed | the sentiments of their leader Winston spencer Churchill, the home secretary
 wound up the debate in a slashing speech on behalf of the government | A vote was then taken and the mn | ton to censure the government was l Jafaatad 9e6 ta