The chronicle=news., 1912-12-07
NEWS NOTES.

1.-THE United Kingdom. the task OF
forming the cabinet would fall upon
the shoulders OF Lord Lansdowne and
not upon Bonar Law.
| During the past few months, as all
the fighting has been in the House of
Commons. and attention has been at
House Of Lords. unionists as well as
Liberals have come to regard Bonar
Law as actually. IL not technically.
Header OF his party. as we'll as OF that
Ipart OF IL which sits in the House OF
Lords. Al the conference. however.
liz was Lord Lansdowne. not Mr.. Law.
who was chosen to make the import
policy OF the party. duty which
Invariably falls 10 the leader OF the
|party. Mr.. Law. IL will be remem-
bered. was chosen leader Of the
unionists In the Commons when Mr..
BAlfour retired. but. unlike his pre-
decessor. Mr.. Law was not chosen
leader OF the party. In the Ameri-
can sense he Is simply floor leader In
the Lower House. and he obtained
that position because the Conserva-
tive and Libsral-Unionis elements OF
what Is now known officials as the
Unionist Party could not compose
their differences and elect either OF
their leaders. Austen Chamberlain or
walter LonK. to the place. Bonar
Law has not been great success As
a leader. and therefore tho action OF
the National Convention In making
clear that he was not the leader OF
the party In the country. Mr.. Laws
direct manner picascs and arouscs the
younger clement in his party. The
great bulk OF the oid-line Conscrva-
tives. however. prefer the old quiet
style. of which Mr.. Balfour was the
exempiar. and while they do not
Openly oppose. they privately object
to the somewhat exaggerated views
expressed by Mr.. Law on what will
happen In Ulster II Home Rule Is
passed. for example. or his support OF
who the other evening pelted the
prime Minister with paper and In
|othcr ways acted in n mapner unbe-
looming members OF parliament.
The assumption by Lord Lans-
downc OF the leadership OF the party
also Indicates that his health. which
last summer II was feared had brok-
len down. has since greatly Improved.
II was also rather marked that nj
1.-THE convention no mention was made
|of the referendum that WAS to pre-
cede the Introduction OF tariff re-
form. or tariff for revenue only.
should the unionis,s be returned.
During the last election Mr.. Balfour.
who is not n very tardcnt tariff re-
former. was induced by what Is
known ax the advisory committee Of
the party. consisting OF three Lon
don editors, to say that should the
Unionists succeed In the election the
iquestion Of tariff reform would be
referred to vote OF the people. Bo-
mar Law. who Mt the time was run
ming for u Manchester constituency.
where tariff reform is not popular.
and generally all the leaders and ac-
tive members OF the party. took up
, tho idea and In this way brought
many Unionist free traders back into
, the fold. Joseph Chamberlain. the
chief apostle OF tariff reform. and
his son. Austen Chamberlain. were
the only prominent Un,onists who
repudiated the idea OF a referendum
and declared, no FAR rs their influ-
ence went. the return OF the Union
lists would mean the immediate intro
duction Of 4 measure embodying the
policy for which they had fought.
Now the party In convention has
adopted their view OF the matter.
The other planks OF the party plat
form were thus outlined by Lord
Lansdowne:
Restoration OF the British Consti-
, tuition by which he meant the repeal
Of the Parliament Act. which de-
. lprived the Lords OF their power Of
. veto and the substitution OF meas
lure reforming the Upper House.
The maintenance OF the Union
with Ireland, coupled with the con-
tinuation OF generous policy to
7 Ireland 80 long as she repains part
and parcel OF us.
THE efficiency OF national finance.
"a land policy not based on class
hatred. We desire the cultivation OF
the land to better the lot OF those
cultivate II. noably by increasing he
3 number of those interested in 1t as
, owners of he SOIL