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Show BALFOUR WILL NOT APPEAL TO COUNTRY LONDON, Feb. 17. H. H. Asquith s amendment to the reply of the speech from the throne was defeated in the House of Commons last night by a vote of 311 to 248. This amendment, which declacd "that the various aspects of the flsv-al question have bcn fully discussed in the country for nearly two yesrs. and that th. time has come for submitting the question to the people without further deity." whs debated throughout the session of the Houwe of Common. No particular interest was aroused until an hour for the time f the division. whn Sir Henry Campbi-il-Lnniwrman spoke at some length, attu. kins I reniier Balfour, and charging that he was afraid to lace the country or tiie House of Commons with a definite ironinim t. The speaker challenged Mr. Balfour to npi-al to thi-country, thi-country, and taunted tb- Government'wlth filibustering In order to gain time anJ delay- Inevitable dtfi-at. Mr. Balfour rrjll?d. but did not afford the opposition th.? satisfaction of tny lengthy explanation of his opinion of Mr. Chamberlain's policy. v He added that discussion, dis-cussion, if prolong!!., might possibly dispel dis-pel some fallacies concerning his views, and certainly dlsrussion of the Government's Govern-ment's right to negoilate is already l.uving an effect on the attltudo of other nations. During the last houts of the debate the galleries were crowded, and as division time approached the Interest Increased, as this was regarded as a suprem-? test of the Government's strength and a standard isy which could be measured tlx-? probable duration du-ration of the iresejt Parliament. |