The Merthyr Express

The Coal Trade Settlement. DISSATISFACTION AT ABERDARE. As has been previously stated, considerable dissatisfaction with the recent settlement ex- ists throughout the Aberdare distriri. ghiii was sufficiently manifest by the result of the recent ballot, Aberdare being the only district in which a majority was cast against accepting the agreement. This dissatisfaction is not con- fined to the colliers; indeed, it may be stated that the most serious dissatisfaction exists with the hauliers, labourers, timbermen, and other classes outside the coal-cutting class, who de- clare that their special grievances have been completely ignored in the present agreement. The hauliers have freely talked of the advisa- bility of resusitating the old Hauliers' Union, which brought about the fierce, but short-lived, strike of 1898. So far nothing has been done in this matter, beyond talking. On Monday morning, however, a meeting of the timbermen and helpers and night labourers was held at the Royal Exchange Inn, Aberdare, for the pur- poid f reforming the Timbermen's Union, which v.as the last of those independent unions to become affiliated with the Federation some years ago. Indeed, after the Aberdare Timber- inc-ti's Association joined the Aberdare district "f the Miners' Federation it maintained its in- dependence as a Union for a long time, and it was only after great pressure that the Union was dissolved. Then the timbermen, helpers, etc., paid their contributions into the colliery lodges, and became in all respects the same as the other classes in the various collieries. The meeting did not last long, but our corres- pondent learns that very strong expressions of opinion were given utterance to in favour of re- forming the old Association. Ultimately it,was resolved to adjourn the meeting for a week, a ballot to be taken in the mean time among this, class of workmen in the collieries throughout' the Aberdare district for and against the re- formation of the Association.

Four German aeronauts have been killed by lightning in mid-air, the balloon being tojn to ribbons and falling from a great taigal*

All fixtures advertised in the Express" will be included in the diary free of charge. Sunday, APRIL 24. Dr. J. G. James at Market Square, Merthyr. Monday, APRIL 25. Theatre Royal, Merthyr—"At Cripple Creek." Palace, Ebbw Vale—' When it was Dark." Skating Rink, Angel Buildings, Daily. Thursday, APRIL 28. Carnival at Blackwood Rink Pavilion; also Friday, April 29. Monday, MAY 9. Bargoed May Day Show. Thursday, MAY 12, Merthyr May Horee Show and Parade. Whit-Monday, MAY- 16. Fete at Tu<6day. Whit-Tuesday, MAY 17. Athlotio Sports and Horse Competitions, Ponty- pool New Park. Gwent Chair Eisteddfod, Rhymney. Eisteddfod, Cwmaman, Aberdare. TuesssJay, MAY 26. Organ Recital at Horeb Welsh Congregational Church, Penydarren. Monday, JUNE 20. Horse Show and Agricultural Exhibition at Aberaman. Monday. JUNE 27. Horse Show and Parade, Tredegar. Saturday, JULY 16. Eisteddfod at Pontneathvaughan. Monday, JULY 18. Eisteddfod at Pengam. Tuesday, AUGUST 2, Eisteddfod at Maesteg. Eisteddfod at Abertysswg.

Notice to Subscribers. Three editions of the "Merthyr Express" are printed every tueek — one for the Aberdare Val- lell from Hirtcain to Abercynon; one for the Bor. ough of Merthyr Tydfil and East Glamorgan; and one for West Monmouth, inclusive of the Rhymney Valley. Subscribers in one district desirous of obtaining the edition in another district can be supplied with it through their regular agents bu sending a post card to the publisher, Glebelana- street, Merthyr, intimating their wishes and nam- ing the agent.

THE POSITION DEFINED. THE statement of the Prime Minister, on Thursday se'nnight, on the Veto resolutions, defined the issue between the House of Commons and the House of Lords with a clearness which should place beyond a shadow of doubt that the revolution foreshadowed in his "Birmingham speech last September, as the direct consequence of a rejection of the Finance Bill, is upon us as a momentous fact. The Government have sternly resolved that the absolute supremacy of the House of Commons in the domain of finance shall be established by statute, and that the limitation of the Lords' veto upon general legislation of every description shall also be established upon the same basis. The life of a Parliament is also to be shortened to five years—which in practice will mean four—in order to ensure that no House of Commons shall outlive the public opinion of the country. The Government have burnt their boats. They are going forward with their programme to the bitter end. This Parliament is fresh from the country, elected upon this particular question as one of the main issues before the electorate, and there is a large majority in favour of the legislation demanded. Therefore, if the House of Lords decline to accept the resolutions and the Bill to be framed upon them the Government will accept the fact as a rejection of their demands, and there- upon seek the King's, intervention to remove the deadlock. They will tender advice to His Majesty, which, if rejected, they will follow by tendering their resignation as no longer able to serve the country effectually. If the King declines to accept advice or resignation, they will then advise a dissolution of Parliament, but only on the condifcipn that they are given assurances that the expressed will of the nation on this question shall then be carried into effect without further delay. THAT is the situation to-day. It means that the Government have put their hands to the plough with no intention to draw back. The revolution begun in November will be made thorough by every available constitutional means, with the greatest dispatch. The Peers and their friends now perceive that they have brought about a very grave condition of affaire for themselves. Great political movements of this nature may be initiated with the thought. lessness of child's play, but once the deep springs of action are set in motion there is no stopping until the thing has run ita natural course. The time may be longer or shorter, according to the chapter of accidents of an unforeseen character, but the movement will persist with the irresistible inertia of fate te its end. That is what the Tories in both Houses and in the Press are beginning to recognise. They were prepared for a long succession of General Elections, in which they would have a sporting chance of coming off sooner or later victorious. They would wear out the House of Commons men by sheer obstfactioa. They have been non-plussed by the ironside courage and inflexibility of the Prime Minister. When Sir Edward Carson declared that Mr. Asquith had something in his mind," the latter rejoined with the laconic I have." The secret has now been let out, and the world knows that as soon as the critical hour arrives the Prime Minister will not hesitate to proceed to the King and tender his advice" as to the proper means of overcoming the deadlock. The gravity of this procedure lies in its in. evitable consequence. The King will be compelled to accept the advice or reject it, and call in Mr. Balfour. Mr. Balfour can do nothing with the present House of Commons, which would refuse him supplies. The King's Government must be carried on, therefore Mr Asquith must again be taken into counsel, and what he will then advise will be a dissolution for a definite purpose, and with an assurance beforehand that the King will use his powers if called upon to do so, in order to ensure the passage of the Veto Bill without any further dissolution. The question of a reconstruction of the House of Lords as a second chamber forms part of the Government scheme; but as an indispensable preliminary to that the absolute Veto must be abolished in order that the House of Commons may be efficiently armed for the defence of its own rights in elaborating this echemd of reform. t < So we are making, most of us, perhaps, with but a feeble consciousness of the fact, hiøtory- and a chapter that will nutfk a new epoch in the records of the nation. Halley's Comet will once again be associated with a tremendous political event, the downfall of the House of Lords as a hereditary, irresponsible branch of the legislature, an ancient survival from medievalism greatly out of touch with modern democracy, and whose life as such has beer prolonged mainly by the exercise of 'wisdom and moderation on the part of a few of its leading members in accepting legislative measures from a majority of their opponents in the House of Commons, and recognising that though the House had giant powers of rejection it could not always use those powers without great peril to itself. In connection with the Budget of last year its leaders lost their heads, and took the irrevocable step which brought the House into fatal conflict with the representative House, and the penalty has to be paid. Lord Roseberry has had another scream. He and Mr. Joseph Chamberlain will be associated as evil counsellors to the peers in thi? revolution. The former was the ■»!. first to denounce the Budget as Socialism," and a revolution." In the House of Lords he repeated his denunciation, but warned the peers against rejecting it. Yet he had not the consistency to vote against the measure that he stigmatised so fiercely. Mr. Chamberlain, having Tariff Reform in view, with characteristic audacity, boldly called upon the Lords for its rejection. Now Lord Roseberry is fearfully alarmed at the latest declaration of Mr. Asquith, and appeals to Unionists to abandon Tariff Reform and concentrate their efforts upon the defence of the King's prerogative, and the reality of the second chamber. It is a damp squib. Lord Roseberry is an extinct volcano, and no one- has ddhe «o. to extinguish its fires as himseM. He is a :did Laodicean ith.d¡-,Mtty can work, and he counts as a poEtic^lSfbifr "upon neither one side ror the other. THE BUDGET SAFE. THE Budget is safe. The motion allocating the time to be occupied in its passage through the House of Commons was carried on Monday night by a majority of 93. Thus the hopes of the Unionists for precipitating a crisis on the Budget, apart from the Veto Resolutions, were defeated, and they now see that the safety of this great financial measure is the heaviest blow that could have been administered to their Tariff Reform scheme as a means of raising revenue. The greater party of Nationalists, led by Mr. John Redmond, voted for the Bill; the O'Brienites voted against it, and Mr. Tim Healy delivered one of his vitriolic phillipicr. j against the Redmond party, which contained I a sneer at Home Rule of which a great deal is certain to be heard in the future fortunes of that question. According to Mr. Tim Healy t a Parliament in Dublin will be a contemptible 1 sham-atrange words from the one-time right- hand man of Mr. Parnell. Mr. O'Brien had his explanation to offer of the differences between himself and Mr. Lloyd Gegrge, as to the purport of private conversations between them upon the bearing of certain parts of the Budget upon Ireland, and, as <"e surmised last week. the Chancellor had no difficulty 'satisfying the House that he had been consciously or uncon- sciously misrepresented by O'Brien in his Irish .1, on the subject. Of course, the i Unionists allege that there has been a bargain between M- Redmond and Mr. Asquith—that Mr. Redmond has been bought at a price that leaves Mr. Asquith shorn of honour. This is only what might have been expected, though it is utterly unfounded. There may have been the interchanges of opinion, which are common between all Governments and leading men of all parties, but no bargain. If Mr. Redmond comes out with credit for success the Prime Minister emerges from an extremely difficult situation with flying colours. And it is due to nothing so much as to his calculating fore- sight, unruffled calmness when men's passions were raging around him, and unbending resolu- tion to work his way to the goal along the course which his judgment assures him to be the straightest and surest. The Lords will next week give speedy passage to the Bill which their journals declared has been rejected by the nation, and then they will have a month's leisure in which to digest the Veto Resolutions, whilst the Commons are enjoying a well-earned holiday.

GOSSIP. More tall talk was indulged in on Saturday by some of the members of the Merthyr Board of Guardians anent the attitude taken up by the Stipendiary respecting the granting of maintenance orders. For the benefit of new members the position was explained by the Rector of Dowlais, but it seems to me the real point at issue was lost. sight of. What Sir Marchant protested against was the fact that orders made by the Magistrates had been reduced in the board-room, and he was quite right. If the Guardians think an order should be varied the proper course would be to apply to the Magistrates; it was because this was not done that Sir Marchant took the stand he did. Fault was also found with the comments which have appeared in the Almighty Press," but neither the Rector of Dowlais nor anyone else showed that the comments were unfair. On a previous occasion, when the matter came before the Board, I stated that the discussion fizzled out." This seems to have annoyed the Rector of Dowlais, but it was simply a statement of fact, as, after the Clerk had explained the legal position, not a. single member had a word to say. The fact is the Guardians have been in the wrong from the first on this matter, but they do not like to admit it. A scheme of imperial significance is engaging the energies of a special branch of the Church Arvy. It is a broadly-conceived proposal to despatch to Australia 5,000 lads of about the age of 16-8. critical time, as social workers know, for the boy fresh from school—with the object of starting them on useful careers in a fast-developing land. The operation is to be I carried out at the modest cost of £10 a head, t and is thus the total sum required. The profits of the Merthyr Electric Traction Company for last year were the highest on record, being £800 more than for the previous year. Bearing in mind the local depression in trade and the unsettled state of things in the coalfield the result was highly satisfactory. The open- ing of Cyfarthfa Park will benefit the Company, especially when the Castle has been converted into a school, and so will the extension of the system to the top of Cefn, which has been made possible by the construction of the new bridge over the river. Double-decker cars have been introduced on the Dowlais section, and this change should result in increased returns. As the electric-lighting department is showing good progress, there is a fair prospect of the coming year being the best in the hlstorv of the Com- pany. • • A large crowd assembled at St. Panoras Station, on Saturday morning, to see the depar- ture for the North of the band of trained men and women workers who are being sent out by the Anti-Socialist Union for the Lancashire and Yorkshire campaign. They will act as speakers, lecturers, and canvassers, and will be kept busy for the next six weeks expounding the fallacies of Socialism among the industrial classes. Many of them will be engaged as teachers in the newly-formed schools for training canvassers which the union has inaugurated in the two counties, and which have already a membership of 600 students. About five years ago a movement was set on foot with the object of providing a memorial to the poet Ceiriog," in the district in which he was born. It is proposed to erect a village institute, and to enable this to be done free of debt the committee who have the matter in hand are making a national appeal for £250. Subscriptions may be forwarded to Mr. Alfred T. Davies, Welsh Club, Whitehall-place, London. S.W, < A few weeks ago reference was made in this column to a circular issued by the N.U.T. calling attention to the fact that the teaching profession was overcrowded, and that many persons who had passed through the training colleges were unable to obtain positions. The Board of Education nOW declares that the reports that the profession is overcrowded are not based upon fact. In a Blue Book just issued the Board states :—Not only is it not the case that the profession is seriously overstocked ;1t present, but the fullest study which the material available has permitted of the whole problem of supply and demand for the teaching. profession, as a national question, has forced the Board to the unwelcome conclusion that there is danger of a serious shortage in a very few years' time in the supply of qualified adult teachers, a shortage which is bound to have a damaging effect on the improvement of elemen- tary schools in England. « < A conference of representatives of the South Wales Branches of the National League of Young Liberals was held at Swansea on Satur- day. It was decided to form a South Wales District Council, having for its object the consolidation of the branches of the League for concerted action on political questions. The Council will consist of three delegates from each branch of the League. Numerical returns of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows—whose century of existence is com- pleted this year—show an aggregate subscribing membership, on Jan. 1 of 1,035,627. The Manchester Unity is the only friendly society with more tton a million subscribing members, The adult lodges in the United Kingdom ad- mitted by initiation during the past year 33,613 new members, while the increase in the Colonial districts was 2,156. The society lost by death 9.879 members, and by secession 25,840, leaving the adult membership at 882,668. The juvenile membership stands at 116,454, a net increase of 1,257. < At the annual meeting of the Lancashire Federation of the National Union of Liberal Clubs, held at the Blackburn Reform Club, on Saturday afternoon, a letter from Mr. Churchill was read, in which he said :—" The part played by Lancashire in the General Election will ever be memorable in the political history of England. We are now labouring unswervingly to give effect to the policy which then received the Support, of such an impressive, majority of Lancashire constituencies. Our fates are not as strong as we had hoped, and our difficulties certainly no less than we had expected. But our course is plain. the Prime Minister we shall march forward squarely on our path, and, so far as lies within us, we shall carry forward both the Budget and the veto proposals anweakened and unmodified ..0 the steps of the Throne." The memorial to the late Judge Gwilym Williams, in the form of a life-size bronze statue, by Mr. Goscombe John, R.A., was unveiled at Cardiff, last Friday, by the Earl of Plymouth. There were over 700 subscribers to the memorial fund, and a sum of £1,250 was raised. The memorial cost £] ,000, and those acquainted with Mr. Goscombe John's work declare the statue to be amongst the best work the eminent sculptor has produced. As a souvenir of the event the comIdlttee presented each subscriber with a photograph of the statue. Among those present at the ceremony were Viscount Tredegar, Lord Aberdare, Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P., Judge Bryn Roberts, Mr. Jestyn Williams and Mr. Rhys Williams, sons of the late Judge, and other prominent gentlemen from the Merthyr and Aberdare vallevs. Judge Gwilym Williams, or the Squire of Miskin, as he was affectionately known, took very active part in Welsh national life. He W9 a patron of the Eisteddfod, and was himself a bard, and the son of Alaw Goch, an eminent Welsh litterateur. The Judge also took a leading part in promoting education. Having begun life underground with the intention of equipping himself for a managerial position in his father's collieries in the Aberdare Valley, tie afterwards studied law, and was called to the Bar. Subsequently he became stipendiary magistrate of Pontypridd and Rhondda, and afterwards County Court Judge, first for Mid- Wales, and then for this district, including Merthyr, Aberdare, and Mountain Ash, where his practical acquaintance with colliery life and his profound knowledge of colloquial and literary Welsh proved of inestimable advantage to him in the discharge of his judicial duties. « The Swansea Town Council have authorised the Town Clerk to enter into a provisional agreement for the acquirement of a site at Cefn Coed, near Swansea, for the proposed new Asylum for Merthyr and Swansea. The returns of membership of the Wesleyan Churches show a falling off during last year of 2,267 making a total decrease in four years of 9,869. Last year's decrease was 1,144; that of 1908, 4,424; and that of 1907, 2,034. The total full membership is 488,595. There are 28,050 persons on trial for membership, a decrease of 1,956 on last year. The total loss in all grades of membership for the four years is 23,996. Thirteen districts show increases this year, as against 16 last year; 22 districts have decreases. Only three districts report increases in all three grades of membership. These are Liverpool, Carlisle and Zetland. Liverpool was in this happy position last year, with Exeter and the Isle of Man. The Cardiff and Swansea districts show a total membership of 15,533, being a net increase of 53. For the Rhondda there is a decrease of 71, Ferndale 29, and Pontypridd 21. Against this there are increases of 60 in Cardiff, 34 in Penarth, 26 in Llandrindod, and 19 in Llanelly. The South Wales district shows a net decrease of 12, the total membership being 6,476. <- Boss Croker has made a discovery. When he went to Florida he had a bald spot on his head, but during his stay there it became covered with hair. I tell you," he enthu- siastically remarked to an interviewer, a country that will grow hair on a bald spot is all right. It is the garden spot of the world to me." < A discussion took place at the meeting of the Merthyr Town Council, on Monday, on the question of permitting Sunday evening concerts at Cyfarthfa Castle during May. The Parks Committee recommended that permission be given to the Cyfarthfa and Municipal Band to hold concerts, but several members protested against the proposal, arguing that it would be a desecration of the Sabbath. Other members, however, urged that it would be well if young people were attracted to the Park to hear good music, instead of parading the streets. It was also pointed out that very often rehearsals were held in places of worship on Sunday evenings, in preparation for concerts, the contention being that there would be no more harm in permitting concerts in the Park. Eventually the committee's recommendation was adopted, and concerts will, therefore, be arranged for the month of May. Elsewhere will be found the report of the Home Office Inspectors who investigated the cause of the explosion at Darran Colliery in October last. They state: It is probable that if trained men with rescue apparatus had been early in attendance the loss of the five rescuers would have been prevented, and it is possible that a few more of the victims might have been brought out alive, although it is doubtful whether they would have sur- vived." » « • It is now officially announced that Sir Alfred Thomas, chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Party, will not seek re-election for East Gla- morgan at the next General Election. Several times during the recent election Sir Alfred stated that he was appearing before them for the last time as candidate, and tc that decision he adheres. He has represented the constit- uency for a quarter of a century, and the last victory he won for Liberalism in the scattered division was the most triumphant of the series. At a meeting held at Pontypridd last Thursday, to resuscitate the old Liberal Association, which was dissolved before the last election, Mr. T. C. Thomas, BedHnog, who presided, and others paid glowing tributes to Sir Alfred. Mr. Thomas also remarked that East Glamorgan deserved a representative to follow Sir Alfred of the same unblemished character and polit- ical fuith. He added that neither a Tory nor a Socialist should occupy the seat so honourably held by Sir Alfred for twenty-five years, if Liberals could help it. The old Association was resuscitated, and it was unanimously agreed that prospective candidates should be nominated at a meeting of the General Council, submitted to ballot in order to reduce them to a short list, that these be referred to the Exec- utive to make the necessary inquiries res- pecting the candidates, and a final ballot be taken at a subsequent meeting of the General Council. A committee has been appointed by the Merthyr Town Council to consider the advisa- bility of promoting a scheme of afforestation within the Borough. This is a wise step. There are many bare and ugly places that might be beautified, and if this be done, it will be bound to have an influence for good on the people no one can dwell amid pleasant surroundings without being affected. Beauti- ful surroundings beget a love for the beautiful. If the bare hills were planted with trees the appearance of the district would be greatly improved, and if the scheme resulted in brighter homes it would be worth all the cost. The initial expenditure would have to be met out of the rates, but in the course of time an affor- estation scheme would probably yield a profit to the Corporation. < w Mr. Edward Humphreys, ironmonger, High- street, Merthyr, on Wednesday morning received the following letter with a postal order enclosed —" Please accept this 5s. order in payment for hatchet which I stole 13 years ago at 6 o'clock in the morning which you forgot to take in overnight trusting you will find it in your heart to forgive the same I remain yours very truly." The order had been taken out at Merthyr Post Office, and the letter was posted at Merthyr on Tuesday. There was no signature to the letter. The value of the hatchet would be about 5s., but Mr. Humphreys says he does not remember one having been stolen. A notice has been put in the window stating that Mr. Humphreys forgives the person who stole the hatchet, and thanking him for the order. As previously announced, arrangements are being made for a fete to be held at Cyfarthfa Park, on June 30th next, for the benefit of the Cyfarthfa and Municipal Band. An attractive programme will be provided. One of the special attractions will be a competition for choirs composed of school children, for which it is propoe4 to oifer prizes amounting to i35, Other competitions will include tent-pegging, Victoria Cross race, lemon cutting, cleaving the I Turk's head, tug-of-war, Marathan race, swim- ming, water polo, tub and barrel racing, and I coracle race. The committee also propose to give prizes for boy scouts, and scout masters are requested to communicate with the secretary, Mr. A. T. Smith, 4, Castle-street, Merthyr. An inquiry was held, at Merthyr, on- Wednes- day, by an Inspector of the Loeal Government Board, into an application by the Corporation for sanction to borrow £3,000 for the construc-. tion of footpaths and carrying out other alter- ations at Cyfarthfa Park. There was no opposition, but the Inspector expressed astonish- ment when informed that a portion of the estate was let for grazing purposes. It was pointed out that this was only a temporary arrangement, and also that. some of the land would probably be utilised Jor building purposes. The was re-introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday, and the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer disclosed a wonderful triumph for Free Trade. I. Despite the financial chaos caused by the rejection of the Budget by the Lords, and the 1 huge actual deficit of £26,248,000 thus brought about at the end of the financial year, Mr. Lloyd George estimates that when the arrears of taxes are collected, and allowing for "wastage" there will be a surplus for last year of £ 2,963.000( But for the rejection of the Finance Bill, said the Chancellor, in conclusion, we, too, should have had £350,000 more in income tax, £600,000 more in stamps, and we should hava saved £350,000 in interest. So that instead ot being merely £2,900,000 to the good, as we f expect to be, we should be £4,200,000 to the good. I don't believe there is any country in the world could have done it, and I am certain looking at what has been achieved in other countries, there is no other fiscal system which could have emerged to triumphantly out of afe. severe a strain as was put upon it." In the course of his speech Mr. Lloyd Georgfc stated that the diminution in spirit drinking of from 20 to 25 per cent. was due to the new taxation. Including death duties, amounting to £1,380,000, retained by parties till the Budget controversy was settled, the original estimate of £21,450,000 was actually surpassed I by £1,696,000. If the Budget had passed a* first, instead of a £150,000 deficit on stampe there would have been a surplus of £ 450,00& Land taxes and inhabited house duty would be realised to a penny, though there were at present arrears of £ 1,940,000. But for th* j rejection of the Budget the income tax estimate would have been collected almost to a penny* They had received £ 13,295,000, and hoped to collect another £ 23,455,000, a total only £350,000 short of the estimate. The Post Office exceeded expectations, as did all the taxes which were a fair test of the prosperity of that country. The estimate was £22,400,000, and the actual receipts £23,030,000. The General Election, the Chancellor said, was disappointing to the Post Office, for it only brought in £ 40,00& A feature of the Budget has been the rermarkable general accuracy of the Chancellor's estimatwt of a year ago.

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. BY EDGAR R. JONES. M.P. TRIUMPH OF GOOD LEADERSHIP^ Those who accepted the Prime Minister's advice to wait and see" have now beea amply rewarded. I am glad to have lived to witness within the walls of the historic House of Commons one of its great rare epoch-making events. The Prime Minister's declaration of policy was very precise and very brief. He delivered it in short crisp phrases, with full strident tonG and extra heavy emphasis. As soon as its meaning was guessed, all the democratic forces of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England cheered with unbounded enthusiasm. Then came the stirring episode. The Prime Minister, according to the custom of the House, went down to the Bar to bring in the Bill, and as he strode with head thrown back, with shoulders square, and with a jaunty step up the floor to the table, the great mass of Liberal and Labour members rose to their feet, waved their hats and handkerchiefs, and shouted themselves hoarse. Such a demonstration is common enough outside, but for it to happen in the House of Commons one has to wait for gener. ations. Old Liberal members assured me that Gladstone never had a more demonstrative reception within the House. It was the cry of battle, a joyful cry, because at last we were .straight in front of the enemy. What does the declaration mean ? It means, first of all, that the Lords are to have a reasonable time to consider the Resolutions. If they do not actually pass them within that time the Prime Minister will "tender advice to the Crown as to the steps which will have to be taken if that policy is to receive statutory effect in this Parliament." Now the exact meaning of that is rather doubtful. If tender advice" means that Mr. Asquith will tell the King to create peers, then the King is constitutionally bound to accept the advice of his ministers. If the King refuses to act on the advice of his ministers, then Mr Asquith will be put in the position to be charged by the Tories for forcing the King to act unconstitutionally. A conflict with the King would be bad for the monarchy, and bad for the cause of democracy, because of the sentimental popular attachment to Uin Majesty. Mr. Asquith will probably, therefore* proceed cautiously. He will find out how far the King might be prepared to go, and ü, for instance, the King says Well, this is a great revolutionary change, and I should like to have further proof that the country really wishee me to bring it about. If your Bill, after the country has considered it, receives a majority of supporters, then I will give you the neces- sary steps to make your Bill the law of the land." Then Mr. Asquith says he will advise a dissolution. If, however, the King is un- willing to go even so far as that, he will not advise a dissolution, but will resign, and win leave Mr. Balfour in the position of being unable to raise money for carrying on the services of state. I have written the above to shew my readers that the Prime Minister has many difficulties to deal with but they are not so great as those since last January. The man who, by his grip on the tiller, and by his steady look-out, has piloted us through every shallow into the open waters inside the House of Commons will be worth trusting for the difficulties ahead. Wait and see" is the maxim that can be inscribed on our portals a little longer. The confidence of the past few months has not been misplaced- The Budget is to pass. This is the fruit at patience. This is the triumph of good leader- ship. It is not the result of any bargains" with the Irish. It is the same Budget. It it substantially last year's Budget, without the alteration of a comma." Everybody assumes now—I don't know why—that the Lords will swallow it. If they do, they admit that they were wrong that the cost of a General Election —about three millions of money—was unjusti. fied; that the dislocation of trade and loss ol revenue by the delay, and many other evila were caused by their action. If this Budget is forced upon the unwilling landlords, brewers^ and Rothschilds; then, whatever may happen to the veto resolutions, it will have been estab- lished for another couple of centuries that the House of Lords must not. reject a Budget. It is the People's Budget. It makes a new start in the economic system under which we live* For South Wales it means possibilities of develop- ment for the future that have been impossible in the past. Having got the Budget I am not afraid of a General Election, even in England. If we had to go to the voters empty-handed we might have suftered; but we can now go to them and say: We bring you the Budget; give us the power and we will get you the other reforms to establish a free people on a free land." Such I an appeal will, I think, evoke an answer that will be the final knell of feudalism. But we do not know yet whether an election must be forced on us. We most, yet awhile, wail and see."

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