The Irish standard., 1912-07-20
Bill Abolishing University Rep
resentation and Plural Voting
Meets Little Opposition.
Its Passage Means Gain in Seats
to the Liberals at the Next
General Election.
Session Will End Aug. 3, with Every
thing Ready to Force Home
Rule in Autumn.

In his cable to the Chicago Tribune
under a London date Of July 13 4. p.
OConnor. M. F., shows that the tide
of victory Is still with the liberals
and the Irish party and that the tories
are helpless to check its advance, He
writes as follows:
Though tho three-cornered fight IN
two by-elections and the speeches Of
tho conflicting liberal and labor ad,
vocates produces still some uneasi-
ness in liberal circles this week has
gone very well for the ministry.
The tories express different view,
and talk confidently Of throwing out
the government and forcing a gem
eral election by the spring Of next
year. but there arc no Indications
Whatever Of such a catastrophe.
There will be again some little mis-
haps and some squabbles, but in gem
eral the situation Of the government
is good, and the coalition of their
supporters does not betray the slight
est symptom of relaxing their deter
mination to retain power for three
years yet until the Home Rule bill
Is passed into law.
These three years will see strenu-
GUS fighting for both Sides are full
of keener party spirit than for many
years. and each side puts forth con-
stantly supreme efforts to drag every
single supporter to the House of
Commons
The big fright which the liberals got
fortnight ago from the clever tory
amhuscade. reducing the liberal ma
1ority to twenty-five, was such a
warning that now they ATE prepared,
and have always big maJorities. This
involves great strain on all the
members of parliament and now the
burst Of hercely hot weather in suo-
ccssion to weeks Of Intermittent rains.
and general weariness lowers the po-
liticai activity, and the prospect of
ending the session on Aug. is re.
ceived with relief by everybody.
To Clear Docks for Homo Rule.
The interval will be occupied in get
ting through all of the necessary
financial business, including the bud
get, so as to have the decks COM
pletely cleared for the Home Rule bill
when parliament reassembles in o.
tober and when, with the drastic
closure, two months of parliamentary
time will see the end of the struggle
| In the House Of Commons.
The bill for the reform of the fran
chise abolishing the university rep
| resentation, which gives the tories
nine certain seats and plural votes,
which enables the rich tories to vote
in several different constituencies, is
passing through the House of Com
mons with only semblance Of tory
opposition and sometimes this meas
ure. which would have been called
revolutionary some years ago, does
not get an audience of dozen men,
bers.
The future Of the bill is haunted
by the grim controversy over the fe-
male suffrage proposal which, If pass
ed in moderate form. would add at
least two million and perhaps ten
million new female voters.
This prospect which is fought by
most of the people may compel the
government to abandon that part Of
the bill and conf1ne itself to the aboli-
ton of the plural voter, but even the
reform means gain Of fifty seats to
the liberal party in the next election.
More Shocks for Tories.
The tories, already stunned by tho
loss of their power in the House Of
Lords by Lloyd Georges taxation on
their land and now by the abolition Of
the plural voter. are receiving g. fur
ther shock by the clear announcer
ment that the liberals will put a
large scheme of land reform in the
constituencies for the next election.
This announcement, when two weeks
ago it seemed to be inaugurated un.
der the auspices Of the leaders Of the
. ~ a. q