New Britain herald., 1916-01-13
MILITARY SERVICE BILL IS PASSED
No Division in House Of Commons
 Upon Second Reading

London, Jan. 13-Amid scenes of
 uproarious enthusiasm, the House of | Commons, at Il o'clock last night | defeated a motion to reject the mili- tary service bill by a vote of 431 to 39. Immediately afterWard, the House acceded to the premier's request by
 passing the second reading of the
 bill without division.
 The vote was chiefly interesting on
 account of the changed attitude of
 many of the 1O5 members who op-
 posed it on the first reading. The de-
 bate was closed by Arthur Hender
 son, president of the board of educa- tion, in much applauded speech He said it was a great satisfaction to
 him that because of definite assu}'- ances given his friends and himself. by the premier, in the name of the whole cabinet he was able to remain for the present in the coalition min istry. This fact would be regarded at home and abroad as a symbol Of the nations unity. He closed with the Statement:-
 T have the authority of Earl Kitchener and the general staff that we require at once not only the un- married men unrolled under the Derby scheme, not only the married men who are waiting to be called, but also the whole available part of the 650,000 men with whom this measure deals.'
 Opposition CrumpIed.
 The opposition in the House of Commons to the conscription bill crumbled last night to a few con- scientious objectors. A fortnight ago the anti-compulsionists claimed 200 l votes, but on the first reading they were able to muster only 1O5, of 1 whom more than one-half were Irish 1 nationaIists.
 When it came to the second read l ing of the bill tonight the Irish na~ tionalists had withdrawn from the l opposition. Premier Asquith had p1a cated majority of the labor mem bers who had voted mo- on the first reading, and only comparative hand | full remained irreconcilable ..[.
 The result appears to have been l due partly to evidences that the coun- 1 try favors the measure and partly to | MT. Asquith's often displayed facility l at conciliation. Labor Members Stay in Cabinet.
 The premier held conference 1 with the executive committee of the labor party and labor mem mbers of 1 the House of Commons yesterday af ternoon, at which he induced the | three labor memb bers of the ministry. Arthur. Henderson, president of the board of education; William Brace l and George H. Roberts, respectively parliamentary under secretary for home. affairs and lord commissioner or the treasury to withdraw their resignatfons temporarily and appar- ently made a strong impression on the members of the executive com mittee.'
 The labor men asked for assur- ances that the bill should not be used as step towards general con- scription or industrial conscription MI. ,Asquith gave the promise that 1 the bill would be modified to safe guard 1t from any suspicion that it l could be used for such purposes.
 f" Debat Was Tame.
 Yesterdays debate was tame. Sir John Simon, the former home secre- l tary, was proclaimed by the anti-con- scriptionists when he left the cabinet 1 as a brilliant leader, but he has be- come leader almost without follow 1 CTS. He urged the government to l make another trial of the Derby en- I rollnents before putting the acts on l the books.
 Premier Asquith characterize his l speech as academic thoughts on the | evils of compulsion and the superior | lty of the voluntary system, but de- l clare that the country was engaged l in war, in which vital principles were 1 at stake and the bill was a specific, 1 limited measure for the winning of | the war.