Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-27
LAWSON AND ASQUITH MEET
London Editor to Ask the Prime
Minister Some Questions.
STIRRING TIMES IN PARLIAMENT
Tory Leaders Agree 60 Passage Of
veto Bm and An Delayed Rad
teal LeEislattOn Except
Hone Rale.

LONDON, Feb. S.-(speciai Cablerram.)
Harry Lawson. editor and proprietor OF
the Daily Telegraph. and a tory. the mem
Der OF the house Of commons for Mile
End. intends TO ask Prime Minister
Asquith on Tuesday to state TO the
house the points OF agreement reached
between the liberal and unionists Lead
ers at the constitutional conference which
broke up last November after a six months
session. II can be stated on high authority
that the conference broke up on home rule;
that the tory leaders had agreed to the
passage Of the veto bill with the conse-
auential passage Of all the other delayed
radical legislation with the exception Of
home rule.
Mr.. BalfOur's final offer to Mr. Asuuith,
David LAoyl-George Augustine BirreT and
the Earl Of Crewe the liberal members OF
the conference. was:
You can have your veto bill II you win
INTRODUCES words providing that home rule
for Ireland cannot be passed except by
agreement between the two houses"
WOuld Support Asauith.
Moreover, Mr.. BsIfour offered to support
Mr. Asquith and the radical government
In passing the veto bill under such condi-
lions. and to compensate for any detection
OF nationalists and radicals owing to the
excluding Of home rule from the operation
Of the bill. This apparently was a tremend-
Gus temptation to the liberal cabinet, for Il
insured the passage Of franchise reform,
and in fact, all the radical reforms the
lords have held up for years. But the lib
eral cabinet spurned the temptation and
unanimously refused to accept the veto
bill on such conditions. Then the confer
ence broke up.
Before Mr.. Balfour made his decisive
offer the conference had been discussing
home rule both separately for Ireland and
on federal basis for the United Kingdom.
but could not reach an agreement. Then
Mt Balfour offered the bride Of the veto
bill to the liberal government and It re-
jected it. The secret Of the conference
has been most vigorously guarded and 1t
10 extremely unlikely that Mr.. Asquith
Will afford any enlightenment to Mr. Law
son when he puts his question. as both
sides agreed when the conference sepa-
rated that no announcement should be
made, either as TO the course OF its de-
iberations or the cause OF its ultimate
rupture.
Mr.. Balfour. Lord Lansdowne, Austen
Chamberlain and other unionist leaders,
are playing their game eleverly In the
great trial Of skill AZ Westminster, but
the likelihood OF their winning even a
moral victory is diminishing fast.
Real Crisis This Week.
The real crisis win come next week when
the Lansdowne bill for a reconstruction of
the House of Lords becomes public and
Chamberlain moves the unionist hostile
amendment, declaring Mr.. Asquiths pro-
gram to be one destined. even II not de-
signed, 10 invest the commons with all the
legislative power.
Austen Chamberlain Is regarded by the
Irish with profound distrust. They look
upon him as spokesman Of his fathers
anti-lrish policy. dating back to 1855. But
they are even more antagonistic. because
they see in him the Disqualification Of q
Chamberlain doctrine. of much later origin
the policy Of cutting down Ireland's par
liamentary delegation 20 per cent