, 1893-10-04
THE STRENGTH OF THE LORDS.
Spectator, 9th September.)

Inc speaking turing lne II ne-IuIG uGOtlG
in the House of Lords has been of quite ex-
ceptional weight and power. That, however,
is by no means the most striking feature Of
the discussion by the Peers. By far the most
remarkable part of the debate has been the
evident sense Of the majority Of the Upper
House that on the present occasion they re-
present the country, that they have pubic
opinion with them. and that they have no.
thing whatever to fear from their opposition
to Mr.. Gladstone and his policy. The House
Of Lords has often taken. and sincerely taken,
the position that they have a right to with
stand the wishes of the people IF they think
those wishes unjustifabIe, no matter how
emphatically those wishes may be expressed.
That, however, is not the position that the
House OF Lords takes now. There is no talk
of it being the duty of the Peers to OPP
pose the popular will because it is wrong.
The talk is oil the other way. The Lords feel
that they are being called on by the voice
of the people to stop the preparation OF an
act Of political suicide They are acting, and
they realise that they ere acting, in throwing
out the Home Rule Bill, as the opponents OF
the oountry's desire. This position is doubt
less a novel one for the Lords, but it is none
the less the fact that they are occupying it.
The result on the speeches on both sides is
most curious. Instead of the Gladstonian
4 cCIS 6btbh iuB 90 bhC Aib1AnA 4 NA0 NNA SS
the time Of the Reform Bill, or of the Irish
Church Bill, and telling the Peers, in effect,
that they are on their trial, and that I'll ey will
be swept away if they resist. they have not
ventured except upon the most half-heaIted
and conventional pieces Of admonitory Oratory.
On the other hand, the Unionist Peers, IN
stead OF speaking as men with their backs to
mo wall, conscious of a terrible struggle be-
fore them, and doubtful of the end ia spite
of their determination not to surrender, have
spoken throughout the debates in the vein
of mon who aIe conscious of q popular man
date, and Of having behind them the support
Of a majority Of the electors. In a word,
there has been little or move of You nay lords
may defeat this BIZ, but your triumph will
be short-lived The people who, &c, &c, be
cause every one feels it would he an utter ab-
surdity toindulge in such talk. The truth 10 that
the democracy, even if it wishes to see Home
rule ultimately granted to Ireland (Which in
the face of the evidence that is accommodating
on all sides, strikes us as an altogether prepos-
ferrous prop0sition), is not in the least annoy
ed at the Lords squabbling with the Com
mons. After all, why should it? a master
has two servants. One tells the other to do
something, and that other refuses, unless he
has a spec ifc order to do so from the master
On the ground hat it is most unlikely that
I6 ever gave 50 dDSulQ q COLuLLltIO. > ~
likely that the master viii very deeply re-
sent the matter being referred back TO him ?
OF course be will not. No master ever yet
was really annoyed at an appeal to him for q
final order.
In yet another respect is the House Of Lords
far stronger than it has ever been before.
Formerly, the Peers could be threatened with
abolition if they did not yield to the House
Of Commons. Circumstances have, however,
so altered, that this threat is no longer of any
avail. The House of Lords has become, un-
der ordinary circumstances, little better than
q gilded cage, and the threat Of abolition has no
terrors now for its members. To the political
leaders it would mean a longed-for release
from imprisonment; anti even to the rank
and file of the Peers, it would involve 10 loss
of personal dignity or consequences. Many of
them, indeed, perceive that it would add to
their social prestige. 1t would be impossible
for a democracy to 80 on ere ting tltuiar
Peers, and hence the existing holders of titles
would feel that their names were enrolled on
a golden book which was closed forever. The
knowledge that the risk of being swamped
from below was over would enormously IN
crease the value Of peerages in the eyes Of