New-York tribune., 1907-08-26
RECORD OF PARLIAMENT
Much Useful LegislatiOn-Some I'M
pOrtant Bills Not Passed.

London. Aug. 25.-Of the many measures
promised in the Kings speech at the opening of
the present session Of Parliament. which will be
prorogued next Wednesday, few have reached
the statute books. Like the education bill ana
the plural voting bill, the most prominent meas
ures of the last session which were thrown out
by the House of Lords, the Irish Council DILL
which was TO have been the most important
piece of legislation at this session. met with
early defeat, but in different way.
The education and plural voting bills gave the
Liberals an opening for a campaign against 'he
House of Lords which, as indicated in the
speeches of Herbert H. Asquth, ex-Home Sec
retary: Richard B. Hadane, Secretary of State
for War; Mr. BirreIl Chief Secretary for Ireland,
and Winston Churchill at various meetings
throughout the country Saturday night. is to be
carried vigorously during the recess.
A licensing bill, the object of which was 10
have been to diminish the evils of drink-another
question on which the two houses promised TO
clash and which thea Kings speech intimated
would come up during the session-was put OH
on account of the pressure of work; but the gov
ernment found in the Scotch small land holdings
bill which Lord Rosebery made his reappear-
ance to attack a substitute which the House Of
Commons passed by A large majority. but which
was Withdrawn by the government on account
toward it and the opposition that was shown In
Scotland and throughout the Kingdom by the
Labor party This action of the House of Lords
will also be attacked in the campaign for the
reform of the upper chamber.
The Irish universities bill, which was nen-
toned in the Kings speech, was not introduced.
but there have been compensa tions for this. one
of the peculiarities of the session being that as
the ministers dropped one bill they took UP two
in its place Among the bills which thus came
up the Irish evicted tenants bill. which the
House of Lords so radically amended that there
is little likelihood of the House of Commons
finally accepting it in its altered condition.
Despite these differences between the two
houses much useful legislation has been passed.
among the most notable changes in the statutes
being that brought about by the deceased
wife's sisters bill. which was introduced at the
behest of the Nonconformsts and accepted by
both houses in opposition to the wishes of the
bishops and their followers.
One of the most notable measures of the ses-
sion. and one of great interest to American
meat packers, is the. Burns food bill. which both
houses passed unanimously.
In addition bills have been passed creating n
court Of criminal appeal rather radical re-
form in the criminal laws of England; amend
ing the merchant shipping act: changing the
patent act; thoroughly reforming the army sys-
TEN, and enactng a system of small holdings IN
England. The army bill and the English small
holdings bill were subjects which might have In
tensiied the differences between the two houses
had 1t not been for the tact of Lord Lansdowne
As the leader Of the House OF Lords. his per-
sonal authority has been recognized during the
session, and he succeeded in avoiding as far as
possible any unnecessary conflicts which would
strengthen the hands of the Liberals In their
efforts to curtail the power Of the upper cham
ber.
The Labor members of the House Of Commons
have not been insistent for legislation In
favor of the masses. expressing themselves as
sontent to assist the government to deal with
the land question. which IN their opinion. is the
root of the evils from which the workers suffer.
They therefore have another grudge against the
House of Lords for compelling the withdrawal
of the Scottish small land holdings bill. and.
while their platform calls for the abolition Of the
upper house. they will support less radical Lib
eral proposals.
Joseph Chamberlain has been greatly missed
by the Opposition during the session. many OF
the big questions that up being OF n kind
on which he is considered first authority, ana
on which his advice would have been useful not
only to his own party but to the whole House