New-York tribune., 1906-11-05
DOING THINGS 70 A BILL.

The expectation which was expressed in
these columns some time ago concerning the
action of the House of Lords on Mr.. Birrell s
Education bill is being exactly fulfilled 1t was
pointed out that there were three possible
courses TO accept the bill, TO reject II and
TO amend it, and It was argued that the last
named was by far the most likely TO be
adopted. Current news shows that II Is being
pursued in somewhat strenuous manner. In
our colloQuial parlance, the Lords are doing
things to Mr.. Brrelrs bill. They are amend
ing 1t according TO their own notions and the
chances are that when they send it back to the
Commons it will be unrecognizable save for
the name. There will be chance TO recall one
of TennieTs famous cartoons, THE Changeing -
with Mr.. Birrell as the distressed mother vocf-
Grating. THAT is not my che-i-ldi'
Some time ago the question was. What will
the Lords do with it? That question is now
sufficiently answered. and in its place men are
beginning TO ask, What will the Commons do ?
There is, Of course, talk about abolishing the
House of Lords, and it is intlmated by one
or the ministry, Mr.. LlOyd-George, that the
government will not endure the ''re-editing''
of its measure. But a goody number of Mr..
LlOyd-GeOrge's colleagues in the ministry are
themselves peers. Are they going to move for
the abolition OF the chamber which they adorn
they hold their seats in the Cabinet? It is
commonly understood that the Prime Minister
himself is presently to be raised TO the peer
age. Does he propose to abolish in advance
the chamber which, it is said he is about to
enter?
We doubt it, Nobody ever talked more men,
acingly or mere authoritatively about mend
ing or ending the House OF Lords than did the
late Mr.. Gladstone. But that house defed him
and defeated the great measure on which his
heart was set ana 10 which he gave the chief
energies Of his later years. and still 1t was
neither mended nor ended. Where Mr.. Glad
stone hesitated Mr. Lloyd George might not
hesitate, but where the one failed we can
scarcely, with all due respect TO the Welsh
Radical leader. expect the other to succeed.
The irritation Of the Radicals and Liberals in
the House of Commons at seeing the Con-
servatve peers doing things" TO the Educa-
tiOn bill is easy to understand. But it is one
thing to he irrtated, even exasperated, at the
defeat or postpOnement of a political meas
ure. and it is quite another thing to revolu-
tionize the constitution of an empire
The House Of Lords is acting within its con-
sttutional prerogative. Granted that it has no
right permanently TO veto a measure adopted
by the House of Commons. il must also be
granted that it has the right OF suspensiye
veto, at any rate on any measure not backed
by direct popular mandate and It has the
right, certainly, TO propose amendments to any
measure. In this case 1t is proposing amend
ments TO measure which is now up for the
first time and which is not backed by any d.
rect popular mandate. The House of Commons
will have an equal right to refuse to concur
in the amendments. If it should do so, 1t would
next rest with the peers to withdraw or to
insist upon those amendments. If they insisted
upon them. the House OF Commons might an
peal to the country. and if In the general cleo.
tion consequent upon so doing It was supported
by the electorate there would be mandate
which the peers would doubtless respect. But
that point in the controversy has not yet been
reached AT present there is nothing In the
situation TO cause visions Of revolution.