The San Francisco call., 1909-11-25
WARNED
BY ROSfBERY
TO PASS BILL
Former Liberal Premier Opposes
LansdOwne's Motion to Reject
Governments Tax Plan
Bishops Decide to Stand Aside,
Leaving Political Question
TO Temporal Peers

former liberal prime minister, to-
IL day raised the historic struggle
between the lords and the house of
commons TO a new plane by one Of the
finest speeches he ever has delivered.
He warned the lords Of the grave risks
they were running if they adopted.
Lord Lansdowne's resolution to reject
the budget
Interest in today's debate was in
tense. There was not enough room to
seat all the peers. and the public gal
leries We're crowded. The duchess of
Connaught headed long list of the
foremost peeresses. many of whom
were compelled TO stand throughout the.
debate
Bishops to Stand Aside
Lord Salisbury resumed the debate
with a speech supporting Lord Lans-
downe's resolution, after the arch
bishop Of Canterbury had said that the
bishops would stand aside from the
discussion, as the debate was strictly
Of a party character. Lord Rosebery
followed in long speech. giving the
lords plain warning OF the danger in
the path they were treading. He said:
Il am quite disassociated 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 1892"
Lords Endanger House
Lord Rosebery admitted that. by the
letter Of the law. the house of lords
was competent 10 reject finance bills.
but since the reform Of 1892 it was not
possible that the commons should send
up budget which the house of lords
should go 10 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 of the nation
itself Such q circumstance might
arise If a budget were presented which
lowered the defenses of the country
to a point which the nation considered
dangerous.
He doubted whether the lords are
He doubted wheth the lords were
playing for too heavy stake and were
riskfng the very existence of the house
OF lords
Menace of Revolution
A winning policy, continued Lord
Rosebery, would be to allow the budget
bill to pass and give the country six
months experience of its intolerable
positions. loss Of capital and employ
ment. They would then achieve. when
they next opposed the polls. a victory
that would surprise themselves. He
looked with much apprehension to the
result of an appeal to the country
mixed up with such other issues as
would be raised.
L do not speak of menaces,'' he said.
The house of lords has lived on men
aces ever since 1 can remember. and il
is still thriving But the menaces now
used are used by men bent on having a
single chamber. Their efforts are rev.
olutionary in essence if not in fact"
Rosebery Against Budget
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 ad-
justment Of the differences between the
two houses could ever be arrived at
without some form of referendum.
He denounced the budget in the
strongest terms and said that one
maxim burned into him by bitter expe-
rience was that there should be no
taxation without representation.
Disregard for that maxim" he said.
lost US the United states Of America |