The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-12-15
A POLITICAL CRISIS IN BRITAIN.


Intelligent readers will be inter
asted, we believe land for that rea-
son we refer to it here), in the re-
sent procedure in the British parlia-
ment-the rejection by the House of
Lords of the budget that had been
PASSED by the House of Commons.
The budget" is simply the annual
general appropriation bill for all of
the expenses of the government. In
our congress the upper house, the
Senate, does not hesitate to add to
ar take from a budget passed by our
House of Representatives Indeed,
It has come to pass here that our
Senate is the final arbiter in legisla-
don of Importance. 1t was the Sem
ate, for example, that forced the AL
drich-Payne tariff law on the coun-
cry.
But in Great Britain, without
written constitution, as we have,
precedent is all potent, and in Great
Britain for a long, long time prece-
dent has decreed that when the
House of Commons elected direct
By the people) passes a budget or
any financial measure the House of
Lords accept it, Even the monarch
does not veto such measures, as our
presidents have done.
The crisis in Great Britain between
the House Of Lords and the House Of
Commons is brought about because
of the need of funds to meet the ire
mendous national expense. The cost
Of government has been greatly in
creased within the past few years by
the building of huge warships and
by the granting of Old-age pensions.
To provide revenue to meet the ex-
penses the chancellor, Mr.. Lloyd
George, proposed a budget which in
creased the tax rate generally and
took in new sources of revenue. AS
the budget is proposed by Mr.. Lloyd
1COl sc II lIdhCS llC Jul uCL vi tClA-
alton fall heavily on wealthy class
IS; on large land owners, those with
large incomes and those who have in
herited large estates or incomes. 1t
is considered a aightforward eff
fort to place the burden of taxation
upon those possessing great wealth.
The House of Lords, being repre-
sentative of that class, is resisting
the budget desperately. The count
er-proposition of the lords is that
revenue should be raised by a pro-
tective tariff along the lines of the
system now in effect in the United
States, which would impose the bur-
den of taxation upon the consum-
ers-in other words, upon the mass
Of the people. BY the action of the
House of Lords the question is re-
Eerred to the people in a general cleo
ton, and vigorous campaign is in
prospect
British rule is more direct from
the people than ours. In this coun-
try as long as party or faction con-
trolls the Senate there will be no
relief. But in the old country the
question now raised will go direct
TO the voters for settlement. Elec-
tons for members of the House of
Commons will be ordered, and the
electors will thus say whether they
DO or do not approve of the action
Of the House of Lords. And note
what will ensue: if the verdict of
the voters is against the lords the
latter will at once accept the budget
as the lower house passed it. The
lords are not elected by the people.
They sit in the upper house and
vote, their tenure of office being con-
tinuOus. But they heed the voice
of the people when the latter vote
For members of the House of Com
mons.
1t is predicted that this bold de-
parture from precedent may lead to
a political revolution in Great Brit
ain, lead to the abolition of the
House of Lords. That is possible,
but not probable. The people over
there are conservative, and not prone
to make changes in their form of
government. What is done will be
orderly and according to law. But
the situation that is developed is full
at interest for Britain and the world
The death of three aeronauts
within the mast few weeks goes to