The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-03

John Morley. who ranks next to Glad
stone "a the ah.ess leader of the English
I.ibe-al.Hosne Rule party, in his address
tnfore the National Liberal Federation
Congress- at Newcastle on Thursday last,
declared his readiness to renew the agita-
ton for tie extinction of the House OF
Lords whenever that body forced it by fac
tious resistance to the execution of the
viii Of the House of Commons, and the
programme of the Liberal party for the
year via include "the mending or the
ending of the House Of Lords" This
means that If the House of Lords, as q
non-representative, hereditary, privileged
legislative body, ever dares to make good
its present threat of unyielding opposi-
ton TO the will of the representative
chamber, il viii be the signal for the pass
age of measures for its obliteration.
The real government of England since
the revolution Of 1913 has been the House
of Commons; and during the last fifty
years the House of Lords has existed by
suffrance; its safety has resided in its pru-
dent submission to the viii of the House
of Commons. The radical Liberal La
bouchere, editor of London Truth, himself
Of aristocratic blood, recently said: 1.-THE
hereditary legislators have not one dis
interested friend in England, and the issue
of contest Ringing on the propriety of
brooking any longer the existence of such
a body could not for one hour be doubtful.
The Liberals would return to Office on .
tidal wave and the House of Lords would
pass into history"
The function Of the House of Lords in
the scheme Of English government is pc
cuiiar. It was powerful political influ-
ence up to 1882 In 1907 the House Of
Lords threw out the bill to promote COM
mon school education, and three years
later they rejected bill abolishing the
punishment Of death for stealing goods
valued ct Ave shillings.
In 1875 they resisted the Catholic eman-
cipstion bill until civil war was imminent,
and the Bank Of England only few hours
from stoppage. In 1882 they mutilated
and held back parliamentary reform until
the people threw mud at the king in the
streets, withheld payment of taxes, and
were on the brink Of revolution. In the
same year the lords refused to open the
universities to dissenters, and refused the
passage Of tho reform bill until Lord Grey
determined to create peers enough to pass
the bill In the House of Lords, and SO adj
vised King William the Fourth, but the
king refused. Thereupon the ministry re-
signed. and the Duke of Wellington under
took to form new ministry, but he
proved powerless to stem the tide; the
former ministry returned and the king
made his submission in these words:
"The king grants permission to Early Grey
and to his chancellor, Lord Brougham, to
create such number of peers as will be
sufficient to insure the passage of the re-
form BILL" Upon this, rather than be
majority of the opposition absented them
selves from the House of Lords, and the
bill was passed.
Since that day the English House OF
Commons has governed England, and the
House of Lords In every case of serious
conflict has been compelled to register the
decree of the Commons, but their factious
resistance has been able to delay the
march of reform. For a quarter of GEN.
tury following 1883 the House of Lords
denied the civil and political rights which
the Commons tried to confer upon the
Jews. In 1885 Ireland had q population
of 5000, 900. yet the voters numbered but
10000. The lords refused reform, and
prevented it for many years afterward.
As late as 1889 they insisted on retaining
the death penalty for stealing sheep. In
ls45 they refused compensation for ten
ants improvements in Ireland, and per-
sisted in their refusal for thirty-six years.
In 1850 when Gladstone, as chancellor of
the exchequer under Lord Pslmerston.
carried through the House of Commons
the repeal of the duty on paper by q
majority of only nine votes, the House
of Lords, under the lead of Lords Lynd-
hurst and Derby, rejected the bin by a
majority OF 50. Great public meeting,
were held in London and the north,
and much anger was expressed
at the conduct of the House oil
Lords. John Bright pointed out that the
constitution gave the Lords no power to
reimpose q tax the Commons had repealed.
Gladstone denounced their action a. q
gigantic innovation; the Lords grew
alarmed at the public excitement, with.
drew their opposition. and Gladstone's
resolution sbolishing the excise on paper
which pressed severely on journalism, be
came law. but the same year the Lords
refused education to miners children, and
for twelve years these unfortunates were
left In darkness. In 1871 the Lords re-
iected the bill abolishing purchase in the
army. Fonr times between 1878 and 1s7s
they refused TO amend the burial laws
In 1883 they threw out the Sunday CLOSING
bill and maintained trap pigeon shooting
Finally, in 1854, the Lords refused the
franchise TO 100000 county householder
until cowed by the attitude of the country
The legitimate function of the House Of
Lords is TO interpose at some moment oil
emergency and give the House of Com
mons time to reconsider its purpose. The
delaying power. which our president ex.
ercises BY his veto, is almost exactly the