Domestic history

The domestic political history of the Edward's reign falls into two distinct portions, nearly equally divided by the change of Gov­ernment at the end of 1905 and the general election of January 1906. During the earlier portion, the Conservative or Unionist party was in power; during the later, the combined Liberals, Radicals and Nationalists held sway.

During the parliamentary session of 1901 the attention of the country was so fully concentrated on the war in South Africa that comparatively little of new laws was accepted. The Factory Law was consolidated; an Education Bill was introduced and abandoned; a Factory and Workshops Act, establishing a system of Government inspection, was carried. The population of the United Kingdom had risen to about 41,500,000, and the inhabitants of Scotland were, for the first time, more numerous than those of Ireland.

In July 1902 the serious illness of the King was a cause to postpone his coronation; Edward needed an immediate operation; so the coronation which had been fixed on the 26-th of June, did not take place. The operation was, however, so marvelously successeul, and the king's progress towards recovery so rapid, that within a fortnight he was pronounced out of danger, and soon afterwards it was decided to hold the coronation service on the 9-th of August. The coronation took place on that date in Westminster Abbey amidst great rejoicing. The king spent several weeks in a yachting trip round the coast in recovering his health, and on the 25-th of October he went in procession through the main streets of south London, where he was most enthusiastically received. Next day the king and queen attended St. Paul's cathedral in order to return thanks for his restoration of health. On New Year's Day 1903 the coronation was proclaimed in India at Delih.

The success of king Edward as a promoter of international friendliness attracted universal attention. In his first two years the King had already earned the title of Edward Peacemaker and estab­lished his position as a source of new strength to the state. This reputation was confirmed in the years which followed.

The parliamentary session of 1902 was long and arduous. One of the most important measures was an Education Act, which reorganized primary education throughout the country, and also did something towards placing the secondary schools on a satis­factory footing.

One of the chief measures of 1903 was an Educational Act for London. A great change was also made in university education. The university colleges in certain towns of the north had hitherto been united in a body called the Victoria University. The desire of these colleges for independence led to the abolition of that body, and the creation of separate universities in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield (1903-1905).

Another important measure of 1903 was the Land Purchase Act for Ireland, based upon the resolutions of a conference between representatives of the landlords and the Nationalists, held in Dublin in the previous autumn. After paying their regular rents for about forty years the tenants who buy under the Act will become full owners of their holdings.

But much important event in the domestic history of that year was Mr. Joseph Chamberlain's declaration in favour of tariff re­form. He urged that it was necessary to revise the English free-trade policy and to levy duties on the import of foreign goods, while admitting colonial goods free. He said it was necessary 1) to bind the Empire together by economical ties; and 2) to provide employ­ment for British workmen, who saw themselves deprived of it by the free import of foreign manufacturers, produced more cheaply.

The election of 1906 was fought mainly on the question of tariff reform against free trade, and those of education, temperance, and Chinese labour in Transvaal.

The Irish allies of the Government received attention in the Town Tenants Act for Ireland, which conferred greater security on urban tenements; and a somewhat similar measure, the Agricultural Holdings Act. Another Act was passed for giving meals, at the public expence, to schoolchildren of the poor families.

But the great fight of the session took place over the Education Bill. This large measure aimed at bringing the elementary schools of the country, including those supported by any religious body, under complete public control; and, while retaining rudimentary religious teaching, insisted that the teachers, in any schools receiv­ing aid from the State, should be appointed without the imposition of any test concerning their creed. The Opposition fought hard but vainly to keep "religious teaching". An agreement proved impossi­ble, the Bill was dropped, much to the regret of those who wished to see a settlement of this troublesome question.

During the session of 1908 several important Acts of Parliament were passed. One of these, the Old Age Pensions Act, provided a pension of five shillings a week for all persons, with certain excep­tions, over the age of seventy, who might be in need of such assistance.

Another Act restricted the hours of employment in coal-mines to eight hours. A third solved the difficult university question in Ireland by establishing two universities — one in Dublin, the other in Belfast. But a Bill to provide State employment for the unem­ployed was thrown out by the Commons..

The Licensing Bill aimed at the speedy suppression of one third of the existing public-houses, but failed, in the view of its opponents, to provide adequate compensation for the license hold­ers, and for those who had invested money in such property. The opposition, within and without the Parliament, was such that it embolded the House of Lords to reject the Bill.

During the session Parliament was not infrequently disturbed by the attacks made upon its precincts; and upon individual ministers, by the more ardent — supporters of Female Suffrage, who had al­ready in the previous year adopted new methods to make the Houses hear their demands.

The stormy session of 1909 was almost entirely occupied by the struggle over Budget. Time was, however, found for passing several measures of secondary importance, such as Acts to regulate the planning of towns, and for the development of agricultural districts and means of communications.

NAMES AND EXPRESSIONS

the combined Liberals, Radicals and Nationalists held sway —

властвовали объединившиеся либералы, радикалы и наци­оналисты

in order to return thanks — чтобы воздать благодарность (Богу)

satisfactory footing — достаточно удовлетворительная основа

united in a body — объединены в одно целое

the tenants who buy under the Act — арендаторы, которые покупают (землю) при действии этого закона...

their holdings — свои участки (которые они ранее брали в аренду)

tariff reform — реформа закона о пошлинах

free import — беспошлинный импорт товаров

complete public control —полный общественный контроль (без участия церковных властей)

those of education = reforms of education

without the imposition of any test concerning their creed — без навязывания каких-либо испытаний, касающихся их веры

in the view of — принимая во внимание

supporters of Female Suffrage — сторонники женского изби­рательного права (суфражисты), активное политическое движение в начале XX в.

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