Mr. Haldane, speaking at the annual dinner of the 4th
V.B. the Royal Fusiliers in London on Monday, made the interest- ing announcement that in future the office of Deputy- Lieutenant is to be reserved for those who have earned it by military work. No one will be approved by the King who has not served for ten years in one of the King's forces, or has not rendered eminent service in connexion with a County Associa- tion. The position of Deputy-Lieutenant should once more become sought after and honoured. We may add that the military duties under the new Army Act will come very appropriately to Deputy-Lieutenants, who already have their right to the cockade only through holding a military com- mission from the King. It will be remembered that the Deputy-Lieutenants were the officers entrusted with the duty of holding the Militia Ballot when the Ballot was enforced. Speaking at a Unionist banquet at Birmingham on Friday week, Mr. Balfour dwelt on the fruits of the alliance between the two wings of the party, and the national and Imperial need for its perpetuation. Turning to the problem of Ireland, Mr. Balfour condemned the evasive attitude of the Govern- ment towards Home-role. He accepted Mr. Birrell's dis- approval of cattle-driving as sincere, but severely criticised his inadequate methods of dealing with the evil, by which the insignificant instruments were punished, while the ringleaders, instigators, and organisers of outrage were suffered to go free. In conclusion, Mr. Balfour predicted that the Government would repeat in regard to the campaign against the House of Lords the tactics they had adopted towards Home-rule. They had not recanted their heresy, but they had grown frightened of it, and, while ready to use the House of Lords to give flavour to a flat peroration, they would leave it alone as a question of practical politics.
Previous page
