The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-14
Cues on i q ding
"A General E lection
May Cause Rupture
Only Thing That May Disturb
Present Good Feelings in
British Parliament.

Correspondence of Associated Press.l
LONDON, Feb. t3.--Ehe only com
troverHy likely to,tdistnrbs the era of
good feeling now existing between the.
government and the opposition will
be the question of holding general
election, which, under the parliament
tary act of 1911, is due this year I'm
der the former act q government
which could hold its majority was en-
titled to retain Office for seven years,
but few survived that long and In last
ing the five years now permitted by
the new act the present government
has come near establishing a record
+ Since the present government came
into power in 1910 it has lost seven
teen seats, giving the Conservatives
an actual majority over the Liberals,
but the coalition of the latter with
the Labor party enables them to keep
the reins. With the beginning Of the
war the two parties entered into an
agreement whereby any vacancy oc-
curing In the membership Of the
House Of Commons should be filled
by a member OF the same party as the
retiring holder Of the seat. Such a
proceeding for a general election
would make the proceedings a farcical
and costly Formally. X
1t Ia an open secret that the gov
eminent does not desire a general
election, nor that any fear is express
ed OF defeat, but because 1t does not
believe that anything in the nature OF
domestic controversy should be al
lowed to interfere with the all alb
sorbing task Of defeating the empires
foes. Thus far the opposition slas
shown a pattfo tism equal to that
Of the governing party and 1t Is not
believed that the responsible leaders
Of the party will permit this reputa-
ton to be jeopardized by the rasher
members, who might put the pos
, sfble sweets OF victory above every
thing else.
II q formal general election is held
with the present members or men Of
the same party returned funopposed, II
is likely that it willgonly be done unf
der, agreement with the opposition
that a real contested election shall be
held Immediately after the war is
over. But the most likely way out Of
| the dilemma will be provided in all
probability by short act OF parlia-
ment extending the life OF the exist
ing body until the war is over. There
| is no British constitution besides the
acts of parliament and the power
which under the act Of 1911 provided
for an existence OF Ave years clearly
has the right to extend this period.
As the law nov stands, during the
present year, to be more exact, some
time before next December, the first
lQuinouennial arliarnent will come to
an end unless It DEGREES its own fur
ither existence. Under ordinary con.
1ditions this election would probably
Ibe held early In the year as the Lab
erai party had praGt icaily finished III
loriginal program and would probably
have been ready to- 20 before the
country on some new issues. But ttht
WAR hassciianged everything and moth.
ling more. than parliament and party
4 politics. Political strife Isl stiiled, an
J, cient battle cries are silenced and
,lpartyaspirit is in entire subsection. In
the long Shistory OF. British parIia-
Iments precedent for the proposed new
Iiiease OF life. will not be found lacking
land In England precedent coupled
with need provides an irresistible lev,
Iers sst
r. - - = ~