Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-20
TO BE THREE CONFERENCES
Question Will Be Referred to the Con-
stituencies.
Parliament Life Is Too Long-House
Of Commons to Exist But
Four Years.


LONDON, July o. 1907.
The prime minister's scheme for dealing
with the house of lords has been received
with general satisfaction by his followers.
If there is any criticism at all 1t is that the
government has dealt too mildly and ten
derby with the upper house. The lords are
to have three chances. There are to be
three conferences If an agreement cannot
be reached on the first or second, and after
the third conference, should it also fail, the
bill under consideration becomes law over
the house of lords. The general opinion
on the liberal side is that two conferences
and two opportunities of falling In with the
view of the house of commons are quite
sufficient. and probably when the scheme
appears In bill year or more hence the
chahceS OF the house of lords will be re-
duced to two. The feature of the scheme
Is the Limitation Of the lords veto. The
number of opportunities that are to be
given to the lords Of sUrrendering is a mat
ter or comparatv ely minor importance.
The great thing is that If in the end the
peers remain obdurate the bill becomes law
over their heads. Liberal opinion is on the
whole. satisfied with the scheme 1t will
probably be modified in some particulars
before 1t reaches the form of bill. There
Is not. of course. the slightest hope that
the house Of lords will! in the first instance
accept 1t. In the autumn Of 1908 or In the
summer of 1909 the question will be re-
ferred to the constituencies, and only a
decisive liberal majority will bring the
house of lords to its knees
An interesting and important feature Of
the government plan is the establishment
or qu1nquennial parliaments beyond Ave
years, while tory parliaments often last six
and sometimes little longer, In these days
six or seven years Is too long life for a
parliament, and the tate of the last house
proved that 1t had got utterly out of touch
with the country. though it had only ex-
listed somewhat over five years In effect.
Quinquennial parliaments will mean almost
quadrennial parliaments Under the new
system a house OF commons would rarely
exist for the full five years. and would
generally be brought to an end soon after
four years of life. The change will keep
the lower house much more closely In con-
tact with popular opinion.
OF course. there many radicals and
labor men on the government side who are
disappointed with the scheme. It. after
all. leaves the house of lords with all its
anomalies untouched. and many certainly
expected some fireworks on this subject
The radical who Is burning to 40 away
with the lords declares. therefore, that
there will not be very much enthusiasm for
the scheme in the country. But moderate
liberals, who support the prncipl, of a
second chamber as a safeguard against
rash legislation, maintain that the rejection
of bill by the joint conference will act
as great check on the government of the
day, and they predict that the arrange
ment will work exceedingly we'll as a mod
crate influence in legislation. while It will
prevent liberal legislation from being
blocked by the lords
The bill embodying the scheme will be
brought forward in the session of 1909. and
it will form the main plank for the next
general election. but not few liberals fear
that If the measure is held over till 1903,
and the lords proceed to massacre liberal
legislation this and next session, the gov
eminent will be made to look ridiculous
no. a "a a hn ntrx
What is the use of talking about the lords
If when the peers throw out liberal legis-
latiOD q liberal government takes 1t lying
down, and what is the use of remaining
in power blowing the sands or filling up the
cup. as the phrase goes? For If during
these two years no bills Of any importance
are passed the dissolution might just as
we'll come at once.
There is another theory about the lords
which is almost equally alarming to lib
erals? that the lords being clever tacticians
instead of hitting out blindly will astonish
the country by letting through an excep-'
tional amount Of liberal legislation. The
result would be to make the government
look even more foolish. for the country
would naturally say what Is the good of
making such an outcry against the lords
If they are so willing to let liberal legis.a-
ton pass? And the resolution would fall
SO fiat that 1t would be no use attempting
to trick 1t up for the next general election.
-
The London education committee made
a new departure this week in deciding on
an experiment on the lines of the German
forest schools. The decision Is to conduct
out-of-doOr sessions during the summer
The enterprise Is due in the first instance
to the generosity of the Royal Arsenal Co
operative Society, who have placed at the
disposal of the committee twenty acres of
woods and recreation grounds at Bostall,
Plumstead. not far out Of London. The
assistant educational adviser to the COM
mittee is DR.. Rose. who has had much
experience in Germany 1t is proposed that
the school should be for a hundred childr IN
who are anaemic or otherwise unhealthy
and who In the opinion of the medical Off
Ger to the committee would benefit from
attendance at an open-air school. Indeed
1 am tod that the difficulty raised as to
whether the council has power to estab-
fish such school will be surmounted by
the doctor certifying the children as de
fectiYe,' so that they may be cared for
as under the defective and epileptic children
act.
The school will be open from am. to
pm. all the week except Saturday, when
the hours will be from am. to pm The
children will be conveyed to and from the
school on the councils trans from Dept
ford. Greenwich. WOolwich and Plumstead,
the tram terminus being about twelve min
utes' walk from the estate There is a
large shed on the estate. which will be used
ou wet OdyS- L lie COmILlIlee eStlmate the
expense of conducting the school for the
three months-July. August and Septem-
ber-at nearly f4OO. This. however does
not include provision for food and boots to
be provided by voluntary subscriptions
which are now being collected Little Lon
doners have SO few opportunities Of seeing
the country and above all a forest that the
scheme will be boon to them. If the ex-
pertinent Is successful 1t will be carried out
on large scale next year. and 1t Is hoped
that it will grow into a regular feature of
London school life to the very great bene-
fit of the poorer scholars.
The Union Jack Club. which the king |
opened last Monday. gives house warm |
Ing tonight and will be ready for its club |
members on Monday next. The building. |
which will cost f64.OO0. will be club of
which everyone in the British army and
navy will be member. The soldier or
sailor will be able to drop in for a drink, |
or meal or a smoke. or a lounge. or a |