The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-03-27

many persons that the British house OF
lorda IA supreme and can do pretty wen
what II pleases. This, however, Is
miatake. On several notable occasions
their noble lordshIps have been para
lyzed and have got very much me
worst OF Il In stormy arguments WIN
the gentlemen Of the house OF com
mons.
The hFst occasion ON which this hap
pened was when the peers ventured 10
differ with the long parliament, which
was M the time engaged In life ana
death struggle with Charles l. The
commons Oh this occasion wasted no
valuable time In talking, but promptly
abolished the lords altogether and
turned them, archblshops. dukes, belt
"a earls and all the rest OF the gor-
Reous coroneted crowd, into the street.
The gilded chamber was vacant
For half a dozen years or so the
country got on without any house OF
lords.
All the checks the house OF lords
have received have not been OF such
drastic nature as this, Of course.
Various ministries, finding that the
peers were unwilling to pass their pro
posed bills, have resorted TO the threat
20 create enough new peers to swamp
the house Of lords. These new peers
would, Of course, have been pledged
beforehand 70 vote for the ministry
creating them.
In It'll the prime minister Of the
day, the daring and interruptions Wis
count BollnRbroke, was anxious to ter
inmate the desolating and ruinOus war
with France, which had been raging
on and on for twenty years.
To effect this purpose he hed drawn
up the treaty OF Utrecht II was neces-
aaFy at that time that lords and com
mons should agree to a treaty before
q would become valid. The commons
aasented to the treaty, but the lords
declared that they would have none
Of II and that the war must so on,
whoreupon BollngbFoke eOolly but
firmly informed them that, rather than
see himself defled by them. he would
create a whole army OF new peers to
vote for the treaty.
The story goes that he had a regi-
ment OF the Life guards paraded under
the windows Of the house OF lords and
threatened 10 make every trooper into
a noble lord II driven to II. He did
make twelve new peers, and then the
lords gave In.
The Liberal government Of 1884, with
Earl Grey aa prime minister, used thS
haA IN. kha,
Glrst reform bIlL The lords hated this
bin bitterly.
Until then they had been practically
an ollgarchy, with all the real power
IN their hands. The franchise had been
% limited that only rich men, and gen
orally only the nominee OF some great
nobleman. could get into parliament.
The reform bill altered that 1t gave
tho smaller men a chance, The lords
Expressed their deliberate intention OF
wrecking the bill,
Bari Grey retorted by extorting from
King william IV.-who didn't like re-
form bills, but dared not oppose the
wish OF the nation for fear OF a revo'
lution-permlssiOn to call up to the
house Of lords as many new peers "a
ehOuld be necessary TO carry his bin
The mere threat was enough for the
lords They had no wish TO see theil
order made cheap and ridiculous. al
would have been the case had peers
become as plentiful as blackberries,
II used 20 BE- the custom In the Brit
iAh army for all officers commission
20 be purchased That Ii, an officer. IN
stead Of getting into the army b,
means OF a competitive examination
and rising by merit came straigh
from school. without knowing anything
Of the now duties he was about TO ms
sumo. and had commission hough
for him. After that instead Of beinl
promoted as a reward for his services
be- used 20 buy each promotion.
n he had no money hia chances o
being promoted were about a THOUSAND
Co one. The result WAS that otticer
who had grown gray in the service ant
fought In many battles remained sui
ordlnates all their lives. while the s0n
Of wealthy families who had not see
= quarter OF their service jumped owe
their haads by having their way puI
chased mp FOE them to be colonels an
generals.
AIR. Gladstone decided to do ava
with this purchase system. Tue lord
cid not wish II % be abolished Coz