The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-01-29
THE BRITISH HOUSE OF LORDS.


1t is we'll known that but for the cp-
position of Queen Victoria and the Brit
ish nobility to Irish home rule the peo-
PIE of the Emerald Isle would have today
a native parliament in College Green.
Gladstone, the grand old man, who is
now vainly seeking health in the balmy
cline of southern France succeeded in
passing a home rule bill for Ireland i'll
the house Of commons, but as soon as 1t
reached the house of lords it was re-
jectcd by the hereditary legislators al
most unanimously. Instead CT appealing
to the electors of Great Britain and Ire
land to intimidate the aristccrats OF the
upper chamber and force them to with
draw their opposition or deprive them of
their Inherited prerogatives, the aged
Statesman soon after resigned the pre-
miership and retired from public life.
Since then Irish home rule has been laid
on the table, and there it is destined to
remain for an indefinite period unless
the democracy CT the British Islands
shall arise in their might and proclaim
in thunderous tones that the aristocracy
must give way and not impede the
march Of progress by denying to Ireland
the rights of nationhcod. Whether The
majority of British voters will ever VOL
UNFAIRLY agree to give Ireland self-gov-
eminent like unto that enjoyed by Ca
70 1;or s.,
doubtful. When the day arrives that
England is in difficulty and the aid Of
Ireland is necessary for her existence the
English may be willing to make resti-
tuition CT her stolen parliament to The
SISTER isle; but it will be too late for
them then to gain the support Of Irish
men, who will rather give aid and COM:
fort to England's enemy and contribute
tyrant for 700 years.
So long as the house of lords remains
as it is constituted at present, it is sheer
folly for Irish Nationalist to hope for
home rule. In no legislative assembly
in the world are there so many mental,
moral and physical wrecks as in the
British house of peers. A British jou.--
nalist faithfully describes them in the
following manner when they gathered in
their seats to defeat Gladstone's home
rule bill:
"rhe number of noble lords who sat in
the magnificent chamber when the d.
vision was called this morning exceed
ed by more than a hundred any previous
gathering of the highest court of the
British empire. To those who looked
down from the galleries the sight can
only be described as appalling. have
seen assemblies that compared with it,
but nowhere outside of jails, aims
houses or hospitals for the insane. The
Issue of the hour, the fCrmalities of The
debate, the impressions made by the bril-
liant setting CT the memorable scene, all
were lost in the shock which the per-
sonality Of the actors made upon the
Observer No one studied the 400 figures
sitting upon the plush benches below
without suffering almost a death blow tn
bis faith in human nature, and without
feeling his admiration of British insti-
buttons thrcttled by newborn con-
tempt. 1t was to be expected that the
fe,eblencss CT age would be prominent
in such house. 1t was not that. 1t was
the scni!ity of youth, the wreck OF mid
die life, the tottering imbeci!ity Of dis
slpate;l age, that stood out all over The
picture. The presence of such intellect
ual giants as Salisbury, Rosabery and
Playfair served but to furnish the con-
trast between hope and despair. The
great majority of the puppets of in
herited greatness would excite no emo
tions beyond pity and disgust if on
countersd anywhere save in such gro
tcslue masquerading as this.
1T is abundantly proved that com
rosite photograph of those members Of
the house of lords who hold their seats
by inheritance, not by appointment,
would be the personification of weakness.
mental. moral and physical self-indul-
gence selishness, bigotry and intoler-
ancc. l have sometimes expressed the
opinion that the English people are too
firmly attached to the existing institu
tions of aristccracy to sweep away the
house Of lords If it opposed the popular
will persistently. I must add the new
conviction that the only safety for the
great prerogatives enjoyed by the 400
peers who rejected the home rule bill
lies in the mysterious seclusion from
which they emerged this week. If their
faces and forms should once be depicted
before the English people their political
doom would be sealed"
If home rule or any other measure for
the material welfare of Ireland depends
upon the decision of such a collection
of human freaks as the members of The
house Of lords, it is safe to say that until