The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-04

hONDON, Jan. f.-TOl1JlCaI ne
velopments of the last few days
have shown conclusively that Eng
land is approaching the most
startling crisis 1t has known in
three quarters of a century.
The existence of the house of
lords is at stake. No such impor-
tant constitutional issue has been
raised in Great Britain since 1889,
when the right of franchise, pre-
viously based strictly on property
qualifications, was made practical
ly universal.
The lords have been attacked be-
fore, but never very seriously It
looks now as If their years, If not
their days, as legislative body
are numbered. Ending the old
English system of hereditary law
making will involve practically re-
construction Of the country's con-
stitution.
Nine out of ten Englishmen have
long regarded the peers as fool
ish anachronism. Bound as the
nation is to precedent, however,
it has been hard to inaugurate a
vigorous movement toward reform.
At last the liberals-the dominant
British political party-.-have de-
clared they will never rest until
some form Of elective upper house
of parliament is substituted for
the present hereditary one. For
three years the liberals have been
in ONCE with an overwhelming
majority in the house of commons.
Allowing for all possible combina-
lions against them, they have ap-
proximately one hundred on any
party issue. But. despite their
numerical superiority, they have
been practically impotent. The
peers have thwarted them at every
turn.
The two houses are far from
bearing toward one another the re-
lation that exists between the two
branches of the United States con-
gress. Only the commons are rep
resentatives of the people. The
lords represent nothing beyond the
narrow intrests of the British aris-
tocracy and moneyed Glass; The
liberals view is that a. body so
constituted should yield to the
plainly expressed wishes of the
masses, even though they may
sometimes be called on to lay
aside their own political, personal
and financial prejudices.
The nobility holds nearly one
tenth OF the total land area of
rural England. 1t is estimated
that these holdings, thrown open
to cultivation. would support Eng
lands hundreds of thousands of
unemployed. Legislation along this
line has been suggested. The lords
only laughed at the idea. They
keep the land strictly preserved"
for hunting purposes. II is abso-
lutely non-productive.
The licensing bill passed the
elective commons by searly 900
majority. Without evef the for
mality Of debate the lords, rejected
the measure in caucus by what
the liberals say is more than a
coincidence, 1870 of the 600 odd
peers own stocks in breweries
There were not enough of them to
constitute a majority, but their in
fiuence was sufficient to control
one. In America either of the
great parties may hope to control
both branches of congress In Eng
land only the conservatives can
control the lawmaking body. The
commons may be conservative or
liberal. The lords are always con-
servatiye.
When the conservatives control
the administration, the peers pass
all their bills without discussion
If a liberal government is in power
they automatically reject every
measure submitted to them. When