Show TRADE ONCE MORE AN ISSUE IN ENGLISH POLITICS irish members of parliament pledge their support to the government and thus save it from defeat grain duties defended by hicksbeach hicks beach london june 9 the approach of the first serious parliamentary brush in the free trade protection fight filled eveaj scat in the house of commons thia afternoon ter noon before facing the situation which must largely place them at the mercy of the liberal and irish votes the members of the government attended a cabinet meeting at which all the ministers were pl resent except gerald balfour of the board of trade who was ill henry chaplain SL P former president of the board of agriculture and the malcontent were actively en paged early in the day in and around westminster in rallying the supporters of air chaplains amendment to the budget bill which declares that the removal of the tax on grain involves a needless and injurious disturbance of trade and a serious loss of revenue without substantial relief for the consumer and that if any taxes are removed it should be those levied on tei and other articles of general consumption before the debate opened premier balfour ascertained from john irish leader that the nationalist mem bars of parliament would support oo 00 eminent as against ir chaplain the liberal sir henry camp boli bannerman has already announced that his party would also uphold the proposal of chancellor of the exchequer ritchie to remit the grain tax this practically the government from possible defeat at the hands of its own supporters the curious situation created the keenest interest at the opening of the sitting a lit tie excitement wa caused by john bed mond asking that a committee tee be appointed to inquire whether the arrest 0 1 A mchughs of parliament for sligo on saturday under a warrant for contempt of court mas not a of privilege this the speaker refused to do and william dredmond wound up the discussion by loudly and ironically deploring the fact that mr who is now in the sligo jail would not be able to receive king edward when the latter visited ireland the asking and answering of questions in the houe followed and then sir michael hicks baach formerly chancellor of the exchequer invited the speakers decision as to whether the opportunity could be taken on mr abam er lains amendment for a discussion of the financial policy suggested by mr chamberlain the Colonial secretary nat for present but f pr future adoption the speaker replied that he had very carefully considered he matter and had arrived at the conclusion that it wa not relevant to alii budget bui as tu question of fitial tariff aratea between great britain and her colonies was not in the bill copa of the debate was lius largely curtailed at the outset mr ritchie having formally formal lr moved the the budget bill mr chaplain with cheers arose to myc ha amendment add proceeded warmly to attack the chancellor of to choso whoso inaptitude he owed present for a appeared to have prevailed over mr chamberlain but his triumph would dived mr chaplain blamed the government for yielding to mr kitchie laying the ministers had thrown away a weapon which would have helped them to carry out the new focal policy to which air balfour ana mr chamberlain were committed air chaplain referred to the extraordinary position in which the followers of the government had been placed by the indecision of the nunis fers it was use lesa he added to seek guidance or leadership from them he concluded with formally moving his amendment on which he aid he meant to divide the house the motion was seconded and sir michael hicksbeach hicks bea ch followed le commenced with saying that his view of the general fiscal aal political ioli situation w as quite different from the view held by mr chaplain sir michael hicksbeach hicks beach said hia colleagues were perfectly aware that jhc grain duty wag unpopular when he had inaugurated it but it had been a success and he had heard the proposal to repeal the duty with surprise and he consider eil that the uty was necessary because of the growth of expenditure against which he bad protected it was impossible for a chancellor of the exchequer to reduce expenditure without the hearty and continuous support of the premier mr ritchie who jande a general reply read a carefully prepared the he said thought there be an inquiry into the manner ot preferential duties lie avowed himself to be an out and out free trader ana added that with his present knowledge he could not be a party to a policy whick he would ibe detrimental to the interests of both great britain and her and he believed that the in from which he would not shrink would confirm his present views |