Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-11

lament was disabled In advance from
| proposing any such solution, but in the
house the Liberal government at the
head of liberal ma aJority, Will be, In
this matter. entirely free"
BUDGET DEFENDED.
Mr. Asquith defended the budget as
| necessary TO social reform and IN this
| respect old-age pensions we're the first
| step The budget he continued. has
been thrown out by the house of lords
after weeks OF debate and the govern"
ment, as u result. was confronted With
three constitutional innovations. flrst.
| the claim OF the house OF lords to con-
! troll In 1eyying taxation; second, tho
| claim of the same house to the right
| to compel dissolution of the popular
chamber. and third, the assertion of the
| house of lords OF their power to make
and unnnkc the executive government
OF the crown.
What has been done" declared Mr..
Asquith. may be done again. 1t be-
comes our first duty to make its recur-
renee impossible. We shall, therefore.
demand authority from the electorate
to translate an ancient. unwritten us-
age into an act of parliament. and to
place upon tho statute book recog-
milton, explicit and complete OF the set
tied doctrine OF our constitution that II
Is beyond the province of the house OF
lords to meddle with any law to any
degree or for any purpose of national
finance"
The premier ssid that neither he nor
any other Liberal minister supported by
u majority in the house of commons
was going to submit again to the re-
buffs and humiliations OF the last four
wears They undoubtedly would not
enter office unless they could secure
safeguards that experience has shown
TO be necessary for the legislative unity
and honor OF their party.
HOUSE OF LORDS.
The Liberal party, MI Asquith de-
clared was not promoting the abolition
OF the house OF lords or the setting up
OF a single chamber. but 1t asked OF the
electorate that the house OF lords be
confined to its proper functions, ana
that the absolute vote must 60
He personally did not underestimate
the odds against which he had TO cor
tend. but the government was unani-
nous In demanding the absolute con.
troll of the finances by the house oil
commons, the maintenance of free trade
and an effective curtailment oil tne
power OF the house of lords.
The meeting carried a resolution de-
cloring unabated confidence in Mr.. AS
uuith's leadership. David Lloyd
Georpe. chancellor of the exchequer,
who framed the budget rejected by the
house of lords, moved vote or tnanks
to the chairman of the meeting. he
received an ov n
Mr. Asauith not alone in giving
to the peopIe their first real touch OF
the campaign, for Arthur j. Balfour,
leader of the opposition in the house
OF commons made a simultaneous plea
TO them, in a quiet, dignihed election
manifesto. addressed to the directors Oh
the city of London, who have chosen
him as their candidate.
BALFOUR'S MANIFESTO.
Mr. Balfour's manifesto will be diS-
appointing to an enormous section Oh
his political followers inasmuch as IL
briefly dismisses tariff reforms as the
,6rst plan" In the Unionist platform.
Mr.. BaIfour makes no attempt to de-
flne tariff reform, but concentrates his
attack In an accusation that the LiC-
oral government Is engaging In con-
spiracy to destroy the constitution Dy
substituting a single chamber govern
ment, like that of Greece.
The manifesto is exceedingly long. 1t
reviews the history OF the crisis. and
declares that the government claim Is
the country, even In the most extreme
case.
He cites the United States. where
the fundamental principle of the Con-
stitution is that every class or prop
erty should be taxed. and says no such
measure as the British budget could be
adopted there without two thirds ma
jority in both houses or become law
without a national mandate from the
still stronger majority of the country.
while, even II the house of represen-
tatives imposed special taxation, 1t
could be rejected or vetoed by the
president.
IT am not so immoderate." says Mr.
Balfour, "as to demand such security
for the British citizen. but only that.
IL exceptional taxation Is imposed at
a. caprice OF a minister, he should not
be deprived OF the only means known
to the constitution by which an appeal
to his fellow countrymen may be OBJ
tained'
Mr.. BaIfour charges the government
with having for four years engaged In
a conspiracy to secure a single cham
Der system, as in Greece. He admits
that the house OF lords Is open to re-
form, but says that the question Is only
remotely connected with the present
issue.
After a brief criticism OF the budget.
the manifesto refers at length to the
problem OF unemployment as the ono
extreme difficulty which II is lmpos-
sible to remedy by the government
proposals 1t then proceeds to stale
that Mr. Balfour anticipates great re-
suits from tariff reform