The morning call., 1893-09-17
THE CRISIS IN ENGLAND.

Sixty years have passed since England
passed through such crisis as the present
one. In 1872 the British people were so
worked up On the question of Parliamen-
tary reform that civil war would have
broken out had the House of Lords perse-
vered In rejecting the reform bill; the
King consented to the creation Of peers
simply beca the peace was endangered 4;
the Lords, under the lead of the Duke of
Wellington, bowed to the nevltab e, be-
cause, in the Dukes words, anything was
better than month OF civil war The
situation is now different. Now. as then.
the lords set themselves against the na-
ton, but Lord SaIisbury-wisely OF un-
wisely as the event will demonstrate
has made a move which renders the
swamping Of his house impraeticable. He
insisted on every peer in England being
present at the division, and 419 peers cast
their votes against home rule. To over
come that vote Mr.. Gladstone would have
TO create 500 new peers. which would be
reducing the thing to an absurdity. That
Salisbury was bent on placing the contro-
Versy In this shape Is evident from the
fact that the recent vote was the heaviest
ever polled in the House Of Lords.
The belief in England is that the Queen
desires an immediate dissolution Of Par
lament in order to give the people an
opportunity Of indOrsing or Tepudiaiing
Mr.. Gladstone, and that Mr. Gladstone,
who wishes TO pass some miEOr reform
bills for the benefit Of the laboring classes,
has replied that her Majesty may exercise
her prerogative, dismiss her Ministers
and appeal to the country If she chooses.
but the step will have 10 be taken on her
own responsibility. He will not resign so
long as he has majority Of the House Of
Commons at his back. here is where the
danger of the present crisis comes IN. A
dissolution sooner or later is inevitable.
And when Gladstone appeals to the
country the question Of home rule will
subside into the background TO make place
for the issue whether the House of Lords
Is or is not an obstruction to wholesome
legislation. II the Queen keeps hands off
this issue may be fought out to finish
without bringing her into il. But if she
exercises her prerogative and dismisses
Gladstone, as William the Fourth dis
missed Lord Melbourne, she will pro baby
be dragged in. and the issue will not be
the people against the Lords, but the
people against Queen and Lords. The
crown as well as the House of Peers will
tremble in the balance.
II is the misfortune Of the Queen that
her old personal cOunselors who guided
her safely through crisis in the past
Prince Albert and the Duke of Yelling
ton-are not now by her side. and among
those whom she now consults ii is feared
that there is no one whose judgment can
be trusted. Public opinion does not credit
the Prince Of Wales with political sagacity
Still, the Queen herself is woman OF
large experience and may see the danger Of
meddiing in a fight which at this stage is
not hers. If she refuses to interfere the
coming death struggle of the Lords may
end without danger to the throne.
GOing'to the people on the simple cues
ton whether the House of Lords should
be suffered.to 0bstruct legislation for self
ish purposes, Mr.. Gladstone can hardly
fail to come ous victorious. Englishmen
may differ on the question Of home rule
for Ireland, but they are likely 10 be agreed
on the question that hereditary noblemen
must not be allo wed to dominate the rem
resentatives of the people. Strengthened
by an increased majority in Parliament.
Mr.. Gladstone will again pass his home
rule bill Lord Salisbury will then be con-
fronted with the alternative of stultifying
himself by directing the Lords to pass the
bill which they have just rejected by a
vote Of nearly ten TO one or OF taking the
consequences. Those consequences would
N materialize in a resolution which Pariia-
ment would pass TO the effect that il is not
for the interest of England that the House
Of Lords should continue to be branch of
the Legislature, and that if a second mouse
Is necessary it should consist Of elective
peers. The passage Of such resolution
would appeal powerfully TO many classes,
and it might be followed by results revo-
lutionary or otherwise, which no one can
now forespp