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The Fight in West Denbighshire…
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The Fight in West Denbighshire Begun. Great Liberal Demonstration at Colwyn Bay. The Issues before the Country: Who Shall Rule?" and « Making the Foreigner Pay Addresses by Sir Herbert Roberts, Mr. Herbert Lewis & Mr. Hemmerde. A great Liberal meeting, regarded as the most successful political demonstration ever witnessed at Colwyn Bay, was held in the Victoria Pavil- ion on Friday night, and was very largely at. tended. The large hall was practically crowded, and intense enthusiasm prevailed throng.1011 the proceedings. Mr John Crompton presided, and the princi- pal speakers were Sir J. Herbert Roberts, Bart., M.P., Mr. Herbert Lewis, M.P., Padiame.ntary c- 1 +-, ,nhp- local' Government Board, and Secretary -0 ™e Member for Mr. E. G. Hemmerde K.C toe ivie^ East Sd toe was a large right of the ,C^™1^,rm which included Mrs and representative p of the Colwyn 53S. Sj. rSSSL" wihom were Mr. Woodall, toe*Mr 0_ Llandudno Liberal Association, Isgoed Jones, J.P., of Llanrwst. COMMERCIAL PROSPERITY. The Chairman was given an enthusias^ ception on rising to speak.. reading letters of regret of The first was from Mr. Joseph s 1x1 rth, J Parciau Colwyn' (a former Mayor of who wrote to say that he- fully supported the Budget, and declared that it was only fair ifeat I millionaires should be taxed moreJ heavily than others and that they ought to consider tne selves lucky to have escaped! so long as they had dTr' upper Colwyn ST wiote :—"Dear Mr. Crompton, —I 'am truly .sorry that I cannot b^P^" sent at you;r_ meeting ton gh of indeed a critical time in rnnnitrv Iin Parliamentary Government m this country. Iin the early days of the present Go^rnment the Conservative majority in the Honse °f after rigorously denouncing the. Trades Uispumes Bill as iniquitous and a higto y measure, passed it on Lansdowne that its ration by woul^ seriously injure the party T act of political cowardice, a. the Peers have rejected the daises,' "because under its land an ff;en(j,s are property in which they and r +1. Siterested, would have to f proposed increased taxation. This u^onsti tiional act was committed to save their Sj-kets (" Shame.") It is clear, therefore, that SLTthei party or their pockets or their class interests are affected, the patriotism of the Peers gTs by the board. Had the Commoners behaved !o, 3 ^ure and swift retribution at the hands of the electors would have followed. With the House of Lords as at present constituted^he elec- tors are helDless. It is inconceivable how any self-respected elector who: believes m the prin- ciple of self-government can possibly uphold the existence of an irresponsible second chamber based upon heredity." (Loud applause.) Proceeding, the Chairman said they were met together at a very grave crisis in the history ot the country. The issues involved in^the election were of vital importance to the future welfare and1 the commercial prosperity of thib ^reat nation. They had been aware tor. some tinv that their opponents had been seeking to dazzle the electors with plaiusiible statements about protected industries, and finding work for ill and all' this had been launched upon the SiTy un dithe ridiculous pretenee ttothe foreigner would have to Pj^ -oiU thev veneer was too thin to hide ^he g^y P y were asked to swalllow. (Applause ) Altboug! Thev allowed that the Tones would not seek- nav dare—to attempt to withdraw the old-age pensions, vet he emphatically declared they would by their Protective policy reduce the pur- chasing power of an old-age pension from 5s to Is 6d. (Hear, hear.) The average wages paid in the cotton industry during the last thre Wb was /25,000,000 per annum and four- ffths of the total goodis manufactured had been ex^tnV V 'r^'him^lf^o^SThe cLttcra 'workers. He SS te>TtoTBColwyn Bay that when he Paid rent, rates, and taxes, and wnen his fel^" worke^ spent their holidays at Colwyn Bay, Tfic ni,+ of every A was furnished them by the in A gentleman thai he travelled with ,told him a few ago that in spite 0& the tariffs he had orders on his I bv CZciSing good workmen having good wages, and the efficiency of cheap £ oods J^d world-famed shdoning sup.rernaey fulleSlt extent. fflear hear.) What they asked for were not fflear hear.) What they asked for were not SSies Sr'bribes, but the and waterways in the colonies, so that the roods oouW get to the homes of their poor brother in India and Africa, and in return* they could, ac- ozTihe produce of his land and garden. (Ap- Sse ) It was his firm conviction tnat the House of Lords, by thenr action m regard to the Budget, were thwarting the will of the oecple. (Applause.) The reforms enumerated in it were the desires of a thinking and sym- pathetic portion of the electors for many years, and he was sure they would resent the action of the non-elective Chamber with no uncertain voice (Hear, hear.) The King had always iJen content to ask his faithful Commons for money for the services of the countrv, and so lone as he fulfilled his portion of the bargain they were all willing to pay their fair share. THE RIGHTS OF THE COMMONS. He had now pleasure in moving the following That this meeting- condemns the rejection of the Budget by the House of Lords as a breach of the Constitution and a-a invasion of the rights of the Commons, and believes that the time has now come when the veto of the House of Lords upon legislation should, be offectively restricted, and all interference by them in finance restricted by law, and further declares for the taxation of land values and against the taxing of food, and pledges itself to support the Government with wholehearted de- -termination, in this crisis of British democracy. (Applause.) THE GATHERING STORM. Sir Herbert Roberts, upon. rising to second the resolution, was given a tremendous reception, tha vast audience joining iin For he's a jolly good fellow." He said he had great pleasure in. seconding the resolution. He was sincerely pleased to find himself face to face once again with a Liberal audience in Colwyn Bay, which was the largest and most important centre of his constituency. (Applause.) The storm undoubt- edly was gathering and the bafitHe fla? was being unfurled, and he was glad to see them, to meet them, and to hear their voices, and he felt sure their hearts were beating in unwavering loyalty to the cause which they had come to support. (Applause.) He first of all wished to express his personal appreciation of Mr. Herbert Lewis, who visited Colwyn Bay for .the first time after I receiving his second important appointment in His Majesty's Government. (ILeiar, hear.) And there was his colleague, Mr. Hemmerde, who for the first time visited the constituency, and who, as th-ey all knew, was working day and night for the Liberal cause, and spreading by his eloquence the potency of Liberal principles throughout the Length and breadth of the United Kingdom. (Hear, hear.) He should like to im- press upon that vast audience the gravity of the present situation. There was one question which overshadowed all others. It was the question of the House of Lords. (A voice: Down with them.") At las(c-(I,oud, applause), —at last—'(continued applause),—this was to be the dominant issue of the election, and the settle- ment of all the questions in which they were dieeply interested depended upon, the settlement of the House off Lords. If they had asked him six months ago, whether he thought it was pos- eibile for the House of Lords to reject the Bud- get of Mr Lloyd George—(loud cheering)—he would have answered them frankl v in the nega- tive. He had been in Parliament for close upon eighteen years, and1 from the time he was a boy he had been acquainted with the House of Com- mons, land he had grown up in the idea that the people's House was supreme—supreme in the matters of finance of the country. (Hear, hear.) Everything he had read in history, and what he had had of public life showed that the develop- ment of democracy and the enfranchisement of the people must lead, step by step, to the strengthening of the People's Chamber, and how it came, at the beginning of the twentieth cen- tury, that the House of Lords had dared to do what they had done, passed his comprehension. The deed is done," continued Sir Herbert, and we have to face the consequences." A NEW CHAPTER OPENED. He asked all his supporters throughout the county to realise the gravity of the situation. The rejection of the great Finance Bill meant the beginning of a new chapter in, political his- tory. He had :sat imi the House off Commons day and night supporting each stage of the Bud- get. (Applause.) He believed that the Budget of Mr .Lloyd George was baised upon the prin- ciples of justice, and was designed to place the burden of the additional required taxation of the country upon the shoulders of those best able to pay. (Cheers.) He should like to lay before them the three clear issues of the com- ing contest. First of all, they must vindicate absolutely the right of the House of Commons to control the taxation off the country. (Hear, hear.) If they went down the roadway Off his- tory they would find that almost every great monument of freedom around therm in the soc- ial, civil, and religious life of the nation was based upon the right of the Commons to con- trol the purse Off the nation. (Hear, hear.) The first thing they had to do was to make it per- fectly clear that in future no finance bill passed by the House of Cbmimons should be rejected by the House of Lords. (Loud cheers). But they must go a step further, and they must make it plain, and also must secure, that in future the House of Commons shall be supreme in regard to the legislation of the country. All they wanted for both political parties was an equal' chaiice-(he,ar, hear),—that when the elec- torate of the country constitutionally expressed its opinion upon any great question, the House of Commons should have the right, whichever party was in power, to, carry that measure into law. (Applause.) Another clear issue was the life or 'the dieath of Liberalism. Now he was one of those, for whom Liberalism, and Liberal principles was something more than a political creed. To him Liberalism was the insftruanemt by which all the real progress of the past in the life of the nation had been accomplished. To him Liberalism was the road which led to every kind of freedom, political, social, and re- ligions, and upon the effective strength, of Lib- eral principles depended the settlement of every question d-e-ar to the heart of every one present. He had no time to go into details, but did they want the Education Bill? (Chorus of voices: We do.") Did they want real effective tem- perance reform? (Hear. hear.) Did they want religious equality in Wales? (.Hear, hear.) Did they want just and effective land reform? (Cheers.) They did, and he said that the settle- ment of all those questions. depended u-non the result of the next General; Election. Speaking next in Welsh, the change into the <\ernacular being warmly cheered, Sir Herbert asked: What is Wales?" It was the home of Liberalism, and election after election they had sent up a large majority of Liberals to fight for the rights of the country. (Hear, hear.) FREE TRADE. Again speaking in English, Sir Herbert said there was another great issuie before the elector- ate, and that waisi the maintenance of Free Trade. (Applause.) 'He would only say that he adhered firmly to. Free: Trade as the founda- tion of their commercial prosperity, as a safe- guard of the integrity of their puiblie life. In conclusion, he should like to say that the methods which were being adopted by the Tariff Reform organisations in many parts of the coun- try in order to win their political end, ought to be a grave warning to. them all of what would follow if Tariff Reform ever became substituted for Free Trade. (Hear, hear.) He could not but think that this power of wealth, which was concentrated to-day by certain, great monopolies in the land, and which was being brought to bear upon the public political life of the coun- try, was discreditable to a free country. (Hear, hear.) Those were the issues, and with the .memory of a great and noble past behind them, and with the star of new and brighter hope shininfg upon the horizon of the future, they in Colwyn Bay, anlcfi he would go onward to certain victory. (Loud .and continued cheering.) THE HOUSE OF LORDS. Mr J. Herbert Lewis, M.P.. Parliamentary Secretary off the Local Government Board, was also given, a rousing reception. He said that the Chairman commenced by saying that this was one of the greatest political crises in the history of the country. He was, not quite sure whether they agreed in all things with Lord Roseb,ery-(sho,uts of No, no. "),—but in this respect, Lord Rosebery entirely agreed with the Chairman. (Laughter.) Lord Rosebery said they were in the midst of the greatest political crisis that the country had seen since. 183:2, and so alarmed was he at the probable action of his brother Peers that he, told the House quite plainly that there were only 150 of them at the outside who had any business to be there at all. (Laughter, and applause.) He practically said that the rest ought to be at home shooting pheasants. (Laughter.) And yet it was these backwoodsmen," as they had been rightly ^all,ed, who had come in to; upset the balance of the Constitution and to, reverse the practice
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The Fight in West Denbighshire…
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of Parliaments for the last 250 years—(shame),— to ini-tiate a political revolution, and when, in course of time, these Peers were deprived of their political privileges, it would be remem- bered who it was who initiated the revolution. (Hear, hear.) They had attempted to destroy the Budget, but they had not succeeded yet. (Applause.) He believed that the Budget, which had had a tempoxary sepulture at the hands of the House of Lords, would yet have a glorious resurrection. (Loud cheers.) They would agree with him that the Budget was the fairest as between man and man and as between class and class that had ever been; presented to the House of Lords. It provided for the safety of the country and the comfort of 600,000 poor old people. (Cheers.) It helped them to de- velope and make the most of the land in which they lived. The Budget had been proposed by their own fellow countryman—(applause),—and it had been defended by him with brilliant suc- cess, while assaults had been made upon it for a period of six months. The question was whether the Budget was to be passed or not? (Voices: It will." It must.") But even that question, important as it was, was dwarfed by the question, that not only related to this Budget, but to every succeeding Budget that would,. be presented to the House of Com- m.o,as--(shouts of Down, with them ")—during their lifetime, the lifetime of their children and their children's children. (Hear, hear.) He would ask those who might have some disagree- ment with some portion of the Budget, to bear in mind that if the Budget was rejected, then on and for all the Lords would have assumed power, not only over the ordinary legislation of their land, but over the finances of the country as well, for all times hereafter. Mr Balfour was kind enough, the other day, to say that such an exercise of power would only be exceptional— (laughter),—'but he was in no position to give a guarantee as to that. But supposing that the Budget were rejected, and supposing such action were accepted, by the political parties, it would mean that every succeeding Chancellor-of the Exchequer, when he framed his Budget, would have to think, not only what the people's re- presentatives would think of it, but he would have to think how it would present itself to the House of Lords, and if he wanted to impose a suiper tax or tax royalties, he would know per- fectly well that he might as well leave it out of the Budget entirely. (Laughter.) It would affect every succeeding Budget, and that was the reason why the men all over the country, yea, and women, too, felt that this was the supreme issue. (Loud applause.) He could not, and would not, believe that the people of Great Britain would. ever allow the House of Lords to have its own way this one time. His party had appealed over and' over again to the oracle as to' the future financial policy of the country. He would not say that the oracle was dumb —he was extremely loquacious,—but it was pos- sible to say a great deal and convey a very little. (Laughter.) They remembered Silr Henry Camp- bell-Bannerman, so utterly, tired—ifloud ap- plause)—his memory deserved that cheer,—and after one of these harangues in the new Parlia- ment he said No more of this foolery." (Ap- plause.) But they had not got any further since. OLD AGE PENSIONS. How was Tariff Reform going to pay for the pensions of the aged poor. Mr Alexander 13ro —(loud applause)—had conclusively shown that the amount of money required could not be raised by Tariff Reform, and that was why Mr Balfour was so mad with him. {Laughter). What was the difference between Mr Balfour and Mr Lloyd George? Their Chancellor toM them exactly what he meant to do, but Mr Bal- four had done nothing of the kind. Wales had a supreme interest in the question. Oh! Wales had a great account to settle with the House of Lords. (Applause.) The opportunity had come at last. The House of Lords was the greatest enemy of Wales. The speaker went on to refer to the numerous measures off benefit to Wales which had been rejected by the Lords. Everything, he said, that came from Wales was ex-communicated, but now the Lords had ex- communicated themselves. communicated themselves. THE MEMBER. Referring to Sir Herbert Roberts, the speaker said he had seen him at his work in the House of Commons for nearlly eighteen years. Nearly eighteen years ago they walked together into Palace Yard, and ever since then he had seen Sir Herbert daily at his work. It was work that 'dould not be appreciated by even those who knew him best of all in that meeting. But he (the speaker), who had seen him champion, per- haps, an unpopular cause, saw how assiduously be worked in season and out. He could say that no constituency in the United Kingdom ever had a more faithful, a more conscientious or a more high-minded representative than the Member for West Denbighshire. (Loud cheers.) life had taken an interest in some questions that lay outside their ordinary work; but who was there that would grudge him the time that he had devoted to the necessities of their 300,000,000 dumb Indian fellow citizens? (Applause.) They had no representative, in the House of Commons but Sir Herbert had done something to represent them; and they could helievle: hiim that it was much to the people of India that they knew they had friends in the House. It helped to make British rule easier. AlL Sir Herbert's work in connection with temperance he need not speak of, but he would say this, that he had been in London a unifying force in the temperance .movement beyond all calculation or price. (Cheers.) He (the speaker) believed that with such a cause and with such a leader as they had in West Denbighshire, they would go for- ward to the battle feeling a determination to. have am honourable share in the great victory that was coming. (Loud and continued ap- plause.) LAND AND EDUCATION. Mr E. G. Hemmerde, on rising to speak, was accorded a tremendous ovation, and it was some minutes before he was able to proceeid. In the course of a stirring address, which llasted nearly an hour and a half, he said that the moment they had prayed for had been suddenly thrust upon them by the people who, to do them jus- tice, did not know what they were doing. (iLaruighter, and applause.) In 1906, the Liberal party was returned by an overwhelming major- ity, and having been returned1, anyone might have imagined that the Liberal party would be allowed to rule—at any rate for a few monlt'hs- (laughter),—especially by those who said that they wanted nothing more than to consult the people. They came back to power—or office- (laughter.) For three years previously every town and village had ruing with questions of their national education system,. In that great controversy the people demanded public control of all education, and no religious tests for teachers any more than for any other branch of the Civil Service. Was. there an honest man or woman in the country who would deny that those questions were up for settlement at the last General Election ? The Liberals came into power to, deal with the questions upon that basis, and they brought in a Bill so moderate that many of the extreme Free Church party were grievously affronted by their moderation. It was so moderate in its last phase that it was accepted evelIli by the Irish Roman Catholics in the House of Commons,. 'Coiuld! anyone justify the House: of Lords? (Shouts, of No.") Was there to be a General Election on every Bill? (" It looks like it.") The House of Lords re- ferred them to the: country, and the Liberals said WTe have just been "{—hear, hear),—-and they replied "That was merely a little accident." He ^thought the Liberals might have rejoined Well, you are nice people to talk abont acci- dents Are you not here by accident?' (Loud laughter.) There was bitterness all through the country ibr two or three years, all because these men;, with no mandate from the people, and with no authority to interfere, were prepared to do it, because they thought they might reap some advantage by trying to set the Randan Catholic against the Nonconformists, and the Church of England against both, and by so doing win a majority for Tariff Reform. (Shame.) Did anybody doubt if they had an election at which Tariff Reform was never men- tioned, and then the House of Commons was to bring in Tariff Reform, that the House of Lords would pass it? They had never thwarted the wishes of any Conservative administration, and they never would. He also referred to the ac- tion of the Lords in rejecting the Plural Voting Bill and the Scottish Small Holder's Bill. They agreed to the English Small Holdings Bill. Why was that? Everybody knew of the unwilling- ness of the great landlords to co-operate in this movement. He knew off a case where land was let at a sovereign per acre, but when it was wanted for small holdings it went up a fabulous price. (A shout: "Names.") Someone had asked for the name, but a speaker who gave naimes wasj called vulgar." (Laughter.) He would be called a little Welsh Attorney." Only the previous day the Earli of Pembroke was doing his best to thwart the whole movement on his estate in Wiltshire. There was no reason what- ever why the House of Lords should distinguish between the Scotch and English Bills, other than that the effect of the English Bill was to force up the price off land, and the Scotch BiLl would not do so. The speaker's reference to Lord Charles Beresford produced laughter amongst the audience, and he said that Lord Charles would do no harm in Portsmouth. They had passed the days when a man got to Parliament by hitching his trousers and singing a nautical song. (Loud laughter.) Every Tory member of Parliament for Liverpool was pledged to the taxation of land values, but they all voted against it. He noticed that Mr F. E. Smith, at Birmingham., made some remarks about the breaking of pledges by the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer. There never was a more callous breach of faith than the action of the iory members for Liveipool on the Land va-lues-(hear, hear),c)d which Mr F. E. Smith was the leading particu- lar light. He) described that as a piece of war- rant political humbug, and nothing else. (Ap- plause.) THE POWER OF THE TRADE." The speaker went on to refer to the wrecking of the Licensing Bill, which,, he said, emanated from Lansdowne House. Was there ever any single reform that the House of Lords for- warded? ("No. no.") They dared not. The Tory party was wrapped up in an alliance with the trade." The wljple basis of the appeal of the party to this country was corrupt and wil- fully corrupt. He spoke with no fanaticism on the subject. He did not pretend to be a total abstainer; but every one who was not a hypo- crite, knew that there was too much drinking in the country. Was it part of the duty of the House of Lords, when one was doing a great moral work, to check it, and say they were doing something unpopular and that they must go to the country? He would say that it was not the duty of the Second Chamber, nor the duty of English gentlemen.. (Hear, hear.) They had said true they might be pledged to tax land values, but they should not do it) and true the Liberals had defeated them on, the Licensing question, but they should not tax public houses. The Liberals might as well propose to tax the committee rooms of the Conservatives at the next election. If any man thought they did not interfere, let him walk round and see the work done, even in Wales. (" Shame.") There would be no attempt to fight clean in this elec- tion. The appeal of the drink trade to; the House of Lords meant that if the House of Lords would lessen the drink trade, the "trade" would do less on election day. Let them watch it if anybodv disbelieved what he said. Do not think that the Budget was to be thrown out because they were going to. ask Lord Rothsclrld what he earned. (A shout: The golden calf," laughter.) The speaker went on tü refer at length to the super tax and the death duties, and all- he had to say about the latter wasm the words of a Lancashire friend of his, "If the Lords only paid as much attention to. life duties as they did to death duties, it would be a better world." He went on to refer to the increment tax, and took the case of Lord Mostyn, in Llan- dudno. He said that police buildings were wanted in Llandudno, last year, which would give employment to the unemployed, and al- though the land only contributed 2s. per annum to the local rates, it was offered for sale at the rate of ^'2,680 per acre. (" Shame.") And when he (the speaker) pointed that out, Lord Mostyn's agent wrote indignantly and said that the land was worth it, and he wrote back saying that that was exactly what he said, only it seemed to have escaped the attention of the rate collector. (Laughter.) Up and down the coun- try it was the same. (Shouts; of Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on-Sea.") Concluding, he said this last act of the Lords was not a question of Liberals and Conserva- tives or Labour. It was a question as to whether they had confidence in themselves to rule themselves. Mr Chamberlain denounced the Lords as no living man had done, but di- rectly they were prepared to do' his bidding, ,fhere was a different story. What a mean atti- tude. They now intended breaking down that barrier of ignorance and self-interest with the aid of the people. He trusted they would go forward at the next election in the spirit of free people—(applaube),—.dieter-mined to say that the spirit of their fathers was in them, and that they intended to go and remember the wor-ds of the great writer: There comes one day in the lives of every citizen and democratic state when each feels greater than King, and that is the day when he goes to the ballot box to pass his judg- ment upon the acts of Kings." Let them all go in that spirit which had won the rights of Great Britain, and, believe him, they would not only show that they had inherited the spirit of a free people, but they would hold this little country ollloe more and for ever an example to the world. (Loud and continued cheers.) A TONIC AND A STIMULUS. Mr. S. Glynne Jones, B.A., in a spirited ad- dress, proposed a vote of thanks to. the speakers, and said that this fight would be a tonic and a stimulus to Liberalism in the constiuencj. (Ap- plause.) Mr. Pearson, of Abergele, who is a prominent Churchman, but has come forward to champion the rights, of the people as against the tyranny of the Peers, seconded, and declared that the party which arrogates to itself the title of Constitutional has done the most un- constitutional thing in living memory." (Cheers.) I call," he added, upon all Con- servatives to vote for the Liberal party in order that they may set right that which has been so foully set wrong." (Cheers.) There was another demonstration of enthusi- asm when the vote was put to the meeting and carried. Lady Roberts, who was welcomed in a most cordial manner, the cheering audience rising to their feet, made a charming speech in respond- ing on behalf of the gentlemen, urging the women of the country to throw themselves into the battle on behalf of the people's rights. While, said her ladyship, there was a noble minority in the House of Lords, the great maj- ority of the Peers cared very little for the nress- iing needs of the poor. (Applause.) I hope," was her concluding charge, that you will do. your utmost, not for the sake of party or per- sons, but for the sake of the great principles of liberty and self-government." (Cheers.) The Rev. J. Wesley Hughes, who spoke with much power, proposed the vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was* seconded by Mr. Hem- merde, and the memorable meeting closed with the singing of the two National Anthems.