Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-25
LORDS DANGER GRAVE
Rosebery Warns Them to
Avoid Rejecting Budget.
SUGGESTS new POLICY
Object Lesson to People if Allowed
to Become Law.
FOES WOULD CRUSH PEERS
Bent on Single Chamber-Former
Premier's Speech Eloquent and
One of His Best.
FOES WOULD CRUSH PEERS

One of His Best.
LONDON. November 25.-Lord Rose.
berry, former liberal prime minister.
raised the historic struggle between the
lords and house of commons to a new
plane last night by one of the finest
speeches he has ever delivered.
He warned the lords of the grave
risks they will run IL they adopt Lord
budget.
| If possible. still greater interest was
manifested in yesterdays debate. There
was not sufficient room to seat all the
peers attending, while the public gal
| leries were crowded to their utmost ca
! pacity.
| The Duchess of Connaught headed \
| long list of the foremost peeresses,
many of whom were compelled to stand
throughout.
| Lord Salisbury resumed the debate
with a speech supporting Lord Lans-
downe's resolution. after the Archbishop
of Canterbury had said that the bishops
would stand aside from the discussion.
as the occasion was one Of strict party
| character.
Lord Rosebery's Warning!
Lord Rosebery followed in long
speech giving the lords plain warning
treading. He said:
Il am quite dfsassociated from any
party and speak from my sense of the
awful gravity of the situation. This is
the greatest political moment In the
lifetime of any man born since 1882.
Lord Rosebery admitted that, by the
letter Of the law. the house of lords
was competent to reject finance bills.
but since 1882. up to which time the
lords had practical control Of the house
of commons, 1t was not possible that
the commons could send up budget
which the house Of lords should go TO
the length of rejecting.
He considered that the only possible
circumstances justifying the lords In
exercising such a dormant power would
be the direct authority and conformation
Of the nation itself. Such a circum-
presented which lowered the defenses
of the country to a point which the
nation considered dangerous.
He doubted whether the lords were
choosing the best battlefield. They were
playing for too heavy stake and were
risking the very existence of the house
Of lords.
oUUkCL "VUAO DC SOJOSt ASSoVA'
A winning policy, continued tho speaker.
would be to allow the budget bill to pass
and give the country six months expert
ence of its intolerable impositions, loss
Of capital and employment They would
then achieve, when they next approached
the polls. victory that would surprise
themselves.
He looked with considerable apprehen-
sion to the result of an appeal to the
country on an unreformed second cham
Der, mixed up with such other issues as
would be raised.
II do not speak of menaces,' he added.
THE house of lords has lived on menaces
ever since I can remember. and ii Is still
thriving.
But the menaces now used are used
by men bent on having a single chamber.
Their efforts are revolutionary, in es-
sence, II not in fact
Dealing with the question of the re-
form of the house of lords which Lord
Rosebery has long advocated, he ex-
pressed the conviction that no final adj
justment Of the differences between the
two houses could ever be arrived at with
out some form of referendum.
He denounced the budget in the strong
burned into them by bitter experience,
was that there should be no taxation
without representation.
Disregard for that maxim," he said
lost us the United States Of America
We are not likely to offend against 1t
again.
Lords Taxed Without Consent.
Lord Rosebery contended that the
budget taxed the lords freely and album
dainty without their having a word to
say or vote in the matter.
After referring to the budget as having
spread over the country. like fog. want
of confidence and want of credit, the
worst diseases which could affect a COM
mercial nation. he uttered solemn warn
Ing that the pressure Of great ornaments
was seating out the heart and hurrying
Europe toward bankruptcy.
Expressing regret that he could not
sumed his seat, having spoken for fifty
minutes.
His picturesque and growing eloquence
produced tremendous effect, leaving his
hearers somewhat bewildered. There was
an immediate exodus of peers to discuss
the situation in the Hobbies.
Although the debate continued until
midnight, the remainder of the speeches
took rather the form of an anti-climax.
Lord Miners Speech.
Lord Miner spoke of the abnormal
manner in which the budget was driving
capital out Of the country. He declared
that all the proposed new taxes were
bad and unnecessary. All the money
required. he commended, might have been
raised by import duties. not only
without injury to business and employ
ment but with actual benefit to BOTH
Lord Curzon will resume the debate to-
day.
1t is impossible now to Judge the effect
Rosebery's warning will have. 1t is
known already that considerable Sec
ton of the unionist peers have held grave
doubts as to the expediency OF Lord
Lansdowne's course.
There is almost certain to be a large
number OF abstentions when the resolu-
ton comes to a vote.
The pr0lonEation of the debate in the
house of lords into next week is due
to the fact that there is no machinery to
bring a discussion in this chamber to a
close. all peers expressing a desire to
speak having a full right to do so.
1t was announced last night that the
house of commons will adjourn today
until December I. when Mr.. Asquith. the
prime minister, will make an important
statement explaining the policy of the
government in view of the rejection of
the budget. which is anticipated.
Nothing has been learned as to what
the ministers decided at yesterdays coun-
Gil beyond the decision to call party
meeting.