New-York tribune., 1909-07-11
IMPENDING CONFLICT
The Budget and the Paper Duties
Lords and Democracy.
London. June 20.


wisest experts In current politics are already
convinced that 1t Is impending. The clauses
relating to unearned increment, site values and
undeveloped minerals will transform the condi
tions of land ownership. Ministers and their
followers not only affirm the exclusive right Of
the Commons to originate taxing measure OF
this Sort but also contend that the Lords are
without power either to alter to reject it.
To this the response is made that the Lords
cannot consent to an abandonment Of their leg
islative functions. since the government needs
only to put taxing clause into controversial
measure and to connect IT with the budget in
order protect itself against the revising cham
Der. The first section OF the finance bill is
mainly Radical politics engrafted upon the an
nuaI provisions for the regulation OF taxation
1t is introduced not so much for a paltry half
million Of revenue that may be got out OF II for
the first year as for general system OF revalu-
alton Of land for future rating and taxation
The Lords had vetoed legislation for obtaining
revaluation; this is an attempt to pass it over
the veto budget proposal: and II IL be suc-
cessful the supremacy OF the lower house VIII
be established. II Is hardly credible that minis
ters can carry their land reforms as a oudsss
measure without protracted struggle st Wszs-
minister and organized agitation tnro1gncus
the kingdom
The precedent or parallel. which Is generally
ouot.d In this controversy Is that OF the papez
duties in 1860, when Mr. Gladstone was Cnan~
ceIor OF the Exchequer. The Counrnons had
repealed the excise duties on paper IN tne M
terest Of cheap and popular journalism Ths
upper house, under the leadership Of Lord Lyr,d%
hurst rejected the measure. The main arg1-
nent was that while the Lords had abandoned
their claim to amend OF TO alter q nonay oiR
they had not renounced their privileges OF WITH
holding their consent TO the repeal OF taxation.
y-o4r
which the Commons had taken on ME-. GEa6-
stone held that they were claiming equality with
the Commons in taxing power without reference
TO the time honored principle that representation
must 20 with financial legislation The re1o1noeF
was immediately made that while dnanc1ai pro-
nosaIs could not originate In the titled cnanoers
neither could they be enacted W1rnour Ine Ap-
proval Of the Lords. That Is the posluon "Inco
Trn,ontsts are now taking respecting tho presens
-. -hsv are asserting with increasing sno-
phasis that the upper house has the constItn-
.to-aI r4zh, IN strike out the land tax section
--..,zarv as the repeal OF the paper duties was
vetoed
TorA Ivndhurst.s speech the paper dunes
.r,c-,s +ba TynIonfst contention fairly wei. ous
tbs subseouent procedure OF the rival HOUSES -
NOT q, accord with IT The House OF Commons
ar the suggestion OF Lord Palmerston appoinreo
q co,,r,ittee TO report on the precedenrs anu
for imposing or repeating taxes This com
r,,ttsa did not go so far as Nr. Bright In deny
to that the Ic-ds had any constitutional r1snr
20 l.een IN operation tax which the Commons
had repealed but it vtndicated the supremacy
~ the representative chamber in financial leg1s-
Iatfon Resolutions were subsequently aoOpt1U
under Lord Palmerston's Leadership aHlrHhs
that the right Of granting aids and supplies 70
tbs Crown belonged to the Commons exclusively
had ~afac
cia1 bills "by negativing the whole yet Lhs eN-
e-cisa ~ such powers had been tnfrequent and
u,as iustIv regarded with jealousy and Suspicion
-. the representative body. The resolutions
might have been more aggressive IN form. ous
thew served the purpose OF warning tne AolCs
that they were on the wrong track Wnen M
Gladstone carried his resolution for the ren1oVaE
Of the duties on imported paper there was no
resistance from the upper house. 1t was not so
decisive a defeat as the Lords subsequently, SUI
fered when Mr.. Gladstone. by royal warrant
.boisbad army purchase, but II retreat. In
-bicb the Commons were left IN possession ok
the ground.
1-r. hast nolnts for the Untonists IN the Par
Iamentary records Of this struggle over the re-
neal Of the paper duties first, the ADMISSION
of the Commons. Walpole. conlnlrree tna1 =
was NOT actually unconstitutional for the Lords
IN reject the financial bill. and. second ths
nhrasing of the PalmerSCon reSOluuons III "AN-~~N
the exceptionaI exercise Of the right OF the upper
house to throw out the entire budget IS oe-
scribed. The great authority of Lord Lyndnurse
can he cited In support OF the contention thar
the Lords have never renounced the privilege or
rejecting any part OF a financial bill sent 10
them bv the Commons. The resolutions ana re-
mort in Lord Palmerstons time apparently imply
the regularity Of the procedure by which the
budget as a whole can be thrown out when the
revising chamber considers such drastic action
10 he justified by the conditions OF public opin-
ion and diminishing ministerial majorities-. Ths
matorities were not large in the case Of the re-
peal of the paper duties. but unless all signs
fail they will be overwhelming for the presens
highly contentious budget Whether those ma
iorities will accurately represent the viii OF tbs
nation is another matter. II convinced that tha
electorate is misrepresented by them the Lords
NAV decide to take the risks Of intervention-
Yet thev will be more logical and IN closer sc-
cord with precedent If they throw out the entira
budget than if they reject amend any portion
of it.
What will happen If the Lords adopt TINS un-
usual course? A general election is assumed
by Unionists to be inevitable and at snort notiee-
Radicals do not admit this. They assert with
confidence that the government viii not %
forced out of office by unconstitutional pro-
cedure ON the part Of the Lords. but will hide
their time borrow money for immediate uses,
hold the titled legislators responsible FOR the in
convenience caused by shortage OF supplies, and
conduc+ n vigorous canvass against the priv
fIeued classes before appealing to the country on
the democratic principle of financial control by
the representatives of the people There was
-, o,i.a+ior Of this sort in 1860 when the Lords