The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-08

tnat IL the Eng.lsn people nau any sense
Of hum5r the legislative House OF Lords
would long since have been abolished
for that reason alone. The ridiculous
Marquis of Ailesoury figuring as a legis-
lltor. whose vote would have had as much
weight as'that of Glaolst ne on. the final
passage of the most momentous bill: the
long array of bankrupt peers, whose
money troubles have come about by the
silliest extravaganza over ballet girls
or through accommodating 100 per cent.
money-lenders the noble gentlemen who
ran away with his trusting friends wife:
the brewers whose party contributions
alone bought their pcerages: the foolish
boys under twenty-five, who never appear
in the silded chamber except when the
six months labor of the really repre-
sentative House of Commons IL to be
nlllhel after three days debate In the
uvpei chamber. I have been collecting
a mass OF such current newspaper ac-
counts to give to some American Gilbert
who will be able to crystalline the grim
hum)r # X all.
There is certainly another side to the
SHIELD. Among these coo nob.emen l have
had the privilege limited as my oppor-
In" most earnest, patriotic. high-minded
and able men | have ever known--seri-
ou.iy concerned for their country's well
fare, and not loss vigorously. and much
more effectively, occupied in studying
the problem of the welfare of the masses
thgn k'cr iiardic himelf. / certainly
could nImo cshty-cight members OF the
| House uC Lords whl would equal in in
! telligCnco, statesmanlike ability and I'M
selfish patriotism man FOR man, the
| eighty-eiSht members OF our own Senate.
But without exception those members
| OF the upper chamber with whom |
| have discussed tho question recognize
AMI depl3rc tho purely hereditary nature
OF the House Of Lords and would remedy
IL effectively II they could sec their way
| 20 do 80, as between the ciamor for Il
| single chamber. without even the re-
strainins power to pass up1n constltu.
tiona( questions that Is lodged IN cur
| Supreme Court, and the stolil resistance
OF the majority of their own class against
any change whatsoever. AS I have
pointed cut in a former letter. there
seems no way OF lending" tho House OF
Lords except by a revolution, and Eng.
land shrinks from that. Soma Trenchmar
has said that England does MOI revoiu.
tlonze; It neutra!izes'-- as L has nci.
tralized the plwcr OF the monarch That
10 most likely what will he done with the
political power OF the House Of Lords
within the next half decade. But wi,
not such quasi abolition, without provid
ing substitute to check hasty legisia
ton of tho popular body, work as much
, IN bn NJ,
; now the purely Tory committee whic.
. the present upper chamber really is?
|
However, there was never a NOR
farcical commentary upon the hereditar,
feature of the House of Lords than tn
case Of TIL" new Lord Colerdge-som
note of which you have doubtless ha,
In your cable dispatches Bernard Cole
ridge had won position at the ba
which had already given hiln a nam
ana lucrative practice in advance O
that of his father, the late Lord Chief
Justice. when raised TO the bench Hi
father left him no adequate fortune {
sustain the dignity of the title, and
is very III ootei question. for whir
there Is no precedent. whether he mus
, not surrender his profession in going t
5 the House of Lords--that body, beside
its hereditary legislative privileges, b.
! ing technically the highest Court of Al
2 peal. Moreover, he Is one of the mos
= prominent among the younger Libera
q leaders in Parliament, and he had ur
{ auestionab!y a brilliant political futur
before him.
But by the law of the land his eleva
ton to the peerage by his fathers deaf
vpcatcs his seat in the House Rnt
willy-rilly, therefore, he must surrende
; profession and political future. 1t
well known that he Is an extreme Rad
cal in politics. does not believe in Il,
Q hereditary rights OF the Lords an
= would not assume his title if he coul
I help himself. But he cannot.
d So the hereditary system, at time
II affects unfaVorably even its own SUI
= posed beneiciaries. There are man
J. OF them, at least, have formally unite
o in the request for the passage of hi
a permitting them to relnquish the
g hereditary legislative privileges and
c retain their right of being elected men
Q bers of the Commons in case their fat
s. ers die. But the chances are that sue
II bill will not be passed. There 81
r. many other important consequences i,
IS volved in it.
: In all this, too. our American GLIDE
e. would have another topic for his sa tir
\" pen. BALLARD SMITH.
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