The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-15
English Liberals and the House of Lords.

The manifesto issued by the National
Liberal Federation Is an important pOllt-
ical event. 1t could not have been put forth
without the knowledge and consent Of Mr..
GLADSTONE. and it follows that his power
full influence will honceforth BIO given to
q movement for the abolition or radical
transformation Of the House OF Lords. The
body OF hereditary Legislators has long been
detested and derided by British Radicals;
but this is tho first time that it has been
made the object OF attack on the part OF a
political organization.
The moment public attention is concen-
trated on the matter. the absurdity OF
permitting the will Of the peoples rep
resentatives to be thwarted by a chamber
constructed on the hereditary principle Is
certain to be recognized. 1t does not follow
that a second chamber of some kind will
not be held desirable. Such q check upon
hasty legislation would seem peculiarly
useful in u country which has no written
Constitution. and in which the veto power
formerly possessed by the sovereign is
supposed to have been extinguished by
disuse. The only country in the world
puportng to enjoy parliamentary govern
ment. which has a legislature consisting Of
a single chamber. is Greece. But Greece
has a written Constitution which cannot be
modified by the process applicable to ordi-
nary laws. In England. on the other hand.
there Is no distinction between a consttu-
tional amendment and an ordinary law.
Every BILL the moment 1t becomes an
act OF Parliament. is thereby incor-
porated in the Constitution. In such
circumstances there are strong argu-
ments for securing the deliberate ex-
animation OF important measures by means
either Of the referendum or Of q second
chamber. 1t is true that second chamber
seems to work best in country like the
United States, organized on the federal
system. where the Senate represents not
the people as whole. but the constituent
States. 1t is for a similar reason that the
Federal Council in Switzerland and the
Bundesrath in the German empire exercise
powers equal. II not superior. to those Of
the popular branch Of the legislature. In
centralized country like France. on the
other hand. it has proved hitherto impossi-
bic to give the Senate as much weight and
authority as belong to the Chamber OF
Deputies. Even in France. however. the
Senate serves the purpose OF averting hasty
changes in the Constitution. though In
ordinary legislation it seldom rejects the
proposals of the popular assembly whom
these are firmly pressed.
There Is as yet no agreement among Eng
fish Radicals as to the method OF constitut-
ing the second chamber. which. no doubt.
will eventually supersede the House of
Lords. Some have suggested that the
members should be appointed by the Crown
for life. or for term Of years. The objec-
ton to this proposal is that the appointing
power would be exercised ON the advice OF
the Prime Minister for the time being. and
that thus all the appointees might be con-
nected with one political party. The alter
native is election; but then the question
arises whether the two chambers shall have
the same constituencies. or whether the
upper House should DO chosen by u
narrower electorate. based upon property
qualification. The latter mode Of choice
would have the effect OF arraying a class
against the masses. which Is one Of the OBJ
jections to the present House Of Lords.
The most expedient course would be to i'm
itate the method OF choosing the State
Senate adopted in the State OF New York
That is to say. the constituencies repre-
scented in the upper House would DO the
same as those represented In the House OF
Commons as regards the conditions OF the
franchise; only they would be much larger.
A number OF Parliamentary districts would
be thrown together to form one Senate dis
trict. The term OF service in the upper cham
Der might also be made somewhat longer.
as in the State Senate of New York.
IL IL CD hot ha
the various systems OF government which
have been tried in France since 1880. should
have confined their attention to our Fed
eral Constitution. which Is not adapted to
highly centralized country. and should
have overlooked the Constitution OF the
State of New York. The present French
Senate. for instance. would play a much
more efficient part IT, like tho State Senate
Of New York. y were chosen directly by
the same electors as those who designate