The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-27
House of Lords is Con- ducting a Hard Fight For Retention of Old Principles

be an opportunity to vary the repre- sentative element in both Houses with equal frequency, This arrangement does not touch the preprogative of the Grown to creat hereditary peerages. 1t merely reduces the number of here- ditary peers entitled to legislate, and throws upon each peer the burden of proving himself in one way or another worthy to bear the higher title of Lord of Parliament. Then there is long list of qualifications enabling peers to sit as of right without cleo ton. They may be summarized as in- tended to open a wide door to personal merit or distinction in the public ser vice, The two Archbishops are to sit by right during their tenure of their sees. but the rest of the eqiscopate are to choose eight of their. number to represent them. Finally there are to be life peers, not. exceeding forty in number. not more than four to be created in any one year. Their erea- tion gives, the opportunity to bring to the service of the country men of ability who do not meet the conditions of admission to the House previously indicated, The committee desire to add official representatives of the Great Dominions of tho Crown to the House, but trefer to leave mainly to the Gov ernments to these countries themselves the. manner in which any arrangement | should be carried out.
 House of Lords.
 It is computed that under this | scheme the House of Lords would con sfst of something under 40 members, made up thus:-Three peers of the blood royal, 200 representative peers ! elected for one Parliament. I30 quali- 1 fled hereditary peers, 10 spiritual peers. , Lords of Appeal in ordinary, and life ] peers gradually broughmt up to, but not exceeding, 40 The House of Lords would thus be reduced to about two thirds of its present nominal strength. ! Only one-half of 1t would represent the hereditary principle pure and sim pie. and that half would be placed und- CT conditions tending to stimulate re- | fiance upon Sowethlng more than hereditary right. The other half of | the House would represent personal merit character. distinction or enin ent public services whether in an of- tieial or non-oficial capacity. The committee belive that in this way not only would the best mon in the cou,i- try be brought together to give their attention to legislat, but that at ! the same time there would be a great equaliZing of party influence. The committee do not aim at any mechan- ical adjustment of the majority in the
 House of Lords to correspond with tHAl III NHe A6use or Commons, buf | they desiTs that the Government of the day should always have a substantial l following in the House of Lords | Friction would probably be greatly re- ! duced by the cumulative effect of the changes proposed. The committee were tempted to go further and seek a mode If solving the difficulty of a possible deadlock bY referendum or other. wise. but they were So equally divid. ed upon that point that they agreed tc regard it as beyond the limits imposed by their order of reference.
 From the foregoing 1t may be seer that the question of the reform of thi, House of Lords has now reached ( stage at which serious action has be
 come possible.
 ShiphuildiMR Scheme.
 The partnership shipbuildinf
 scheme which Sir Christopher Furnea
 has initiated on the North-East Coas
 of England is adversely criticized ii
 the December issue of the Amalgamat
 CT Engineers Journal It is objeetal