In the House of Commons on Thursday Mr. Asquith announced
that there is to be an autumn Session. It does not appear, however, as was first rumoured, that this decision is due to the inability of the Conference to find any common ground. At any rate, Mr. Asquith put it down entirely to the congested state of public business. A review of the work before them showed that they would have to sit to the end of August if there was not an autumn Session. Therefore it was decided that it would be better to take a holiday at the end of July, and meet again for the transaction of necessary business, such as the abolition of the pauper disqualification for old-age pensions and the final stages of the Budget, in the late autumn. No doubt very strong influences are being brought to bear by the Radicals and Nationalists to break up the Conference, but at any rate so far the Prime Minister seems determined to resist them.
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