In the House of Commons on Tuesday, on the Motion
for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill, Mr. Asquith, following a well-established precedent, called attention to the present position of the Government. With much humour, he rallied the Prime Minister on the hysteria into which the recent defeat had thrown his party organisation. The Government "relied not so much upon the loyalty as upon the fears of a panic-stricken majority." He went on to review the recent history of the Administration,—the MacDonnell episode, the Butler Committee, the various Fiscal stampedes, and last, but not least, Lord Roberts's declaration as to the state of the Army. On the question of Redistribution, he maintained that the House ought to know what the Government proposed to do during the Recess. He then dealt with the automatic Colonial Conference which is due next year, and asked (1) if invitations were to be issued during the Recess to the self-governing Colonies to attend; (2) if invitations were to be sent to the Government of India and the Crown Colonies ; (3) if the Conference was to be allowed to discuss Preference; and (4) if another Conference would be summoned, supposing the Government were re- turned to power after an Election. He concluded by declaring that the Government were trading on an exhausted mandate, and that they had lost all prestige both with foreign countries and our own Colonies. "Is it not time that this long martyrdom to duty and to dignity should come to an end ?"
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