We must now take in . order the events of
the debate which led to the fall of Mr. Baldwin's Government on Monday night. On Thursday, January 17th, the debate was chiefly remarkable for Mr. Asquith's speech, although the amendment to the Address was moved on behalf of Labour by Mr. Clynes. If any lingering hope had remained that Mr. Asquith might withhold his co-opera- tion from Labour, it was shattwed by the first sentence of his speeeh : " I say at once that I propose myself to vote, and to advise all my friends to vote, in favour of the amendment." He then went on to make it plain that in spite of this he had no idea of giving a free letter of licence to the Labour Government to do what they liked with the institutions of the country. He considered it his duty to help to turn the Govern- ment out because their record was one of " confusion, vacillation and impotence, both at home-and abroad."
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