New-York tribune., 1909-11-28
THE LORDS VETO
Hrepressible Conflict Bet5eeen
the Houses.
London. November II.


tration OF forces on each side. with long
range artillery fire and manduvring for
advantageous positions.
The Lords. as their tactics are ex-
piainod by Lord Lansdowne's resolution
and by Mr.. Balfours speech at Man
chester. are defending the general cleo
torate as the supreme stronghold Of
power. They will not formally reject the
budget. They will merely withhold their
consent until II has been submitted 20
the judgment Of the country. That they
have a constitutional right 20 DO this
is evident from the terms Of the pre-
amble 10 the finance bill The assent OF
the Lords is requisite. The budget can
not be enacted without H.
Consequently. while the Lords have not
for generations ventured 70 exercise a
suspensive veto on financial legislation,
they have an undisputed right 20 hold UP
the budget. The unusual and indssd un-
precedented effects OF their action are
cleverly minimized when the budget is
referred to the general electorate.
Mr.. Churchill has already forecast the
trend OF Liberal policy in a forcible let
ter TO the Lancashire and Cheshire Lib
eral Federation. The Lords are charged
with forcing a dissolution OF Parliament
by the suspension Of the budget, which is
equivalent TO It's rejection. II this right.
never before exercised. be sustained BY
the general electorate the Lords will
secure control over finance and become
the predominant power ia the Kingdom
Every budget will be at the mercy OF
the Lords; the dissolution of Parliament
can be forced any year by an irrespon-
sible titled group of legislators. and
British institutions viii cease 20 be rep
resentative and democratic. What Mr.
Churchill has written this week every
Liberal and Labor candidate will be
saying during the next two months in
the most rnomentous canvass OF recent
times
The Lords will be held responsible for
the financial difficulties caused by the
suspension of the budget They have al
ready sanctioned expenditures amount
ing To f164 $4,000. If the new budget
ceases TO be operative the old one auto
matieally remains in force. and this can
not yield more than f14s. 39o. 600 With
aggregatiRs fS3. 4On. 900. Lord welby es-
Inmates a deficit Of f49. $4,000 at the
end OF the fiscal year. Ministers will
naturally lay stress upon the confusion
caused at the Treasury by the interven-
ton or the Lords; and the Kings tn
fuence win be powerfully exerted 10 Sc
cure the passage OF temporary measures
for legalizing tea duty. income tax and
other revenues provided BY the sus-
pended budget. There may be a marked
reaction in favor OF the government
when the inconvsnience produced by the
intervention OF the Lords is apparent
and the constitutional issue is taken up
and foreibIy presented from thousands
of Liberal and Labor platforms.
The Lords. by their resolution sus-
pending the budget. bring in roughly
and URseieRtideany the referendum.
The country. after deciding in 1906 in
favor OF Free Trade. win be asked
whether II has not changed its mind
and now prefers tariff reform to new
tangled methods OF socialistic finance
Ii it returns Parliament with a ser
vieeable Unionist majority, the budget
win not be revived, but Mr. BaIfour
viii return to power with a popular
warrant for introducing tariff reform.
Tbs Lords viii then settle down 20 in
action with great access OF political
authority and prestige and with a
precedent for forcing a dissolution of
parliament on the budget whenever a
Liberal government adopts measures or
policies which are distasteful 10 the
privileged class.
What the Cnionists are assertins with
much cogency is that the country ought
10 Dc allowed TO decide between Socialist
hhanee and Tariff Reform. II the bud
get be sanctioned. there will De a large
increase Of direct taxation: and there
IS cumulative evidence that the svs-
tenn has already been carried too far
that capital is going out of the country
and that the middle and Industrial
classes are showing signs Of exhaus-
tion.
Let the people decide before il is too
late"' exclaim the Tari1 Reforners
We have a system fer raising revenues
by indirect taxation. which will heip
70 de1end home markets. 70 multiply
sources of employment and TO unite the
states OF the empire. Let there be a
direct popular ehoiss between these Two
financial systems"
This would be unanswerable II thA
Lords were not playing into the hands
or ministers and complicating the is
sue OF the elections. When The Com
mons adopt the Femonstrance against
the Intervention OF the Lords in hnsnce
the veto power becomes at ouca m,
dominating question. There will not he
clear alternative choice between Frae
Trade Socialism and Tariff Reform.
II cannot be denied that the I.fbara1
oudget Is at once finance bill. a Land
NaIuauon measure and a new and drss-
Tic licensing system. The Lords. after re-
JectIns land values bills anu heensina-
measures. Justly complain that the GOV
ernment is reviving them unSer covAr
OF the budget and attempting 10 force
them through as matters Of high ana ax-
elusive privilege What other resouroa
can Liberal government have vh.n. Nh,
mandate OF the general electorate is
"antonly disresarded. and edueatton
licensing. land ana election hills az
thrown out by the Lords
Manouvres may be cleverlv r,r,,,,.,..