New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-02
PLY To THE PREMIER.

,o,dor March When Mr.. Gladstone entered
-, House Of Commons at $3.50 o'clock this after
- ba was greeted with a storm of cheers
- lasted several minutes. lie walked d.
...l,. :, his usual seat and held a whispered
o,,e,l,atjon with John Morley. Chief Secretary
f,r Ireland ana Sir William Harcourt' Chan-
l,,or of the EXchequer who sat on either side
g hin, most Of his conversation being addressed
- ,bs latter Lord Rosebery, who is looked
,,,,, as the coming Premier, occupied a scat in
the press gallery
.,,o,ts of the House of Lords 10 the Local Gov
or,,,rar, bill be considered. when Mr.. Gladstone
or,sa and addressed the House in what IN many
rosnects was the most remarkable speech he
has delivered for many years. lie showed no
s,qn Of waning power except for an occasional
eight buslliness Mr. Gladstone began by saying
chat the Government had reached the conclusion
that the time fo. passing bills back and forth
from one House 10 another had ended and mad
decided upon a definite course.
Laughter and cheers interrupted the Premier,
vbo when he was able to resume, spoke as fol-
lows;
.7o continue the process would be loss Of dignity
70 both Houses. and the Government has decided
- ston the operation and take a decided course.
1I'usa of Lords amendments and abandoning
bono If passing the bill. or Of accepting them
,,nder protest with the hope Of soon reversing
them. The Government adopted the second
choice. (Cheers)
LEGISLATION WRECKED BY THE PEERS.
"rho action Of the House Of Lords regarding
the hills Of this session has raised a question Of
the gravsst character. Two Of those bills-the
Home Rule bill ana the Employers Liability bill
occupied the attention Of the House Of Com
mons 1O) days They involved vast labors
Members Of the House Of Commons have worked
through this session almost double the length Of
time Of any session on record and with an un-
equalled amount Of intensity. This labor was Tor
the purpose of enac,ing beneficial legislation
The House Of Lords. without giving 1t much
consideration, wrecked that legislation" (Cheers)
Mr. Gladstone. continuing said he remembered
book published in 1850, called Fifty Years Of
the House Of Lords" The contents Of the book
left upon the mind Of every Liberal painful
but firm. conviction that the action Of the House
Of Lords during those fifty years had been grey
ously unsatisfactory. CheersD
After further reviewing the action Of the Lords
in the past on various vital questions. the
Premier said:
I'VE have now come TO more acute stage
House Of Lords is not only to modify but to
annhlats the whole work Of the House Of
Commons" Continued cheering)
"The Government has not been anxious to
precipitate or unduly accentuate crisis. II has
been anxious rather to save something from the
wreck We are, therefore, compelled to ac-
company our acceptance Of the amendments of
the House Of Lords TO the present bill with the
declaration that the difference between the two
Houses cannot continue cloud and prolonged
Without using any hard words or without
presuming 10 judge motives. We feel it our duty
TO state the indisputable fact that the issue Is
raised between a deliberative assembly elected
by the votes Of 100000 men ana a different kind
Of an assembly, though il was occupied by some
men Of virtue and talent Tha, controversy
once raised. mus 60 forward 10 its issue loud
Mr. Gladstone said he was rejoiced that this
issue had been postponed in many cases. partly
owing 10 discretion. crcumspecton ana reserve
In the use o. the enormous privileges when the
House OF Lords had on various occasions shown
he was afraid that the epoch Of that reserve
discretion and crcumspectOn had ended other
wise the members Of the Opposition must feel
that in some way other the solution had been
found for the tremendous cOntrarety and inces-
SAINT conflict on matters Of high principle and
profound importance.
THE NATION THE FINAL JUDGE.
Between the representatives. Of the people and
those filling the non-elecuve chamber. he ad-
mitted that the Fouse of Commons could not
take it upon itself 10 pass judgment the mat
ter or BE- the final Judge Of its own case There
was higher authority than the House Of Com
mons. There was the authority Of the Nation
CHEERS and counter cheers, which must in the
last resort decide the crisis at once. The Gov
ernment would regard the decision as absolutely
final The time had come. Mr. GladstOn" went
on TO invite this decision OF the people. The
circumstances under which the decision would
be invited constituted question Of the gravest
character. His own duty for the present terini-
mated with calling attention % the fact that, IN
considering the amendments of the House Of
Lords the House of Commons dealt with an in
separable part Of the question.
The amending Of the Parish Councils biz.
viewed I'm this light, had become a profoundly
acute issue which would demand and receive
settlement a. an early date from the highest
authority. II the Government should ask the
House to accept the mu,ilated bill, the advice
sDonsibility. The Government We're properly
unwilling 10 % unnecessarily anything which
would stimulate the sharpness Of the present
crisis. They hestated therefore, to consign to
destruction the only portion remaining from the
arduOus work of the expiring session. OIOud
Liberal and Radical chcers)
CONSERVATIVES READY FOR THE FIGHT.
Arthur j. Balfour leader Of the Unionsls was
cheered by the Opposition as he rose 20 reply TO
Mr.. Gladstone He did not speak at great length.
The speech just made by t1e Prime Minister ne
said. amounted to a declaration Of war upon the
House Of Lords He did not fear the Prime
Minister'S covert threats II the Government
would appeal To- the country, the Conservatives
would welcome the attempt 10 make public
opinion Of the House Of Lords the issue
Lord Randolph Churchill spoke next for the
Conservatives. If the Government should choose
10 begin az once the battlc-rOyal on the Con-
stitutiOn, they never would get 10 the Newcastle
programme or the budget, or even the Queen
speech. This declaration of war on the spur of
the moment was founded on a slender basis If
the House Of Lords had not amended the Parish
Councils and Employers Liability bills, the Prime
Minister would not have proposed or even sug-
gested their destruction. Apparently the Prime
Minister had not cared 10 destroy the Upper
House on account Of the rejection OF the Home
Rule bill CheersD 1t absurd 10 denOunce
the Peers and proclaim a prOtracted agitation
throughout the country for the abolition Of them
merely because the two houses disagreed over a
few amendments. There was no Justification FOR
thus holding up the House Of Lords for the exc
Grafton OF the people. The Liberals would find
l,a 10 fat al fo7ic %