The sun., 1909-12-02

The size OF the majority for the
amendment proposed by Lord LANs-
DowNE Il. important chiefly because It
proves that in the House Of Lords at
least he has his whole party with him.
Lord RosxnERYs speech In the debate
showed that the discontented Liberals
would not support him; tho speeches Of
Lord CRosdER and Of Lord JAMES OF
Hereford announced that the Liberal
Unionist peers would vote against the
measure or would abstain from voting.
The next question was whether all OF
the Conservative peers even would dare
I 10 follow Lord LANsDowNE's lead. They
have supported him, and tho innovation
In parliamentary procedure, or the
change in tho Constitution, goes to tho
country as a purely Conservative party
mxasure. This is TO be regretted, but
allreforms In British history have taken
tho form Of party questions, and IL has
geherslly been the fate of the Conserva-
tives to put through tho reforms which
the Liberals have fought for.
That there will be any serious disturb
ance in England, save on the platform
and in the newspapers. over the issue
a that has been raised, nobody, We fancy,
anticipates, not even the radical orators
whose warnings found an echo in the
Liberal peers. Far more vital questions
have been settled peacefully at the polls
& IN Great Britain and in the United States,
the only countries where representative
government is a natural growth. A
(. vote Of the people will decide the con-
test between Lords and Commons, as it
has decided other matters in the past.
and a LIBERAL majority at the coming
election, if the country so wishes, will be
an answer which no one doubts win be
respected by Lord LANsDowNE and his
followers, no matter how great their
numerical preponderance may be.
Should the Conservatives win, how
ever; another desired change will be in
volved with the addition Of power to the
upper house, This Lord LANsDowNE
understands, and this was declared by
Lord CURZoN Of Kedleston in the de-
bates. The House Of Lords must be
transformed radically 80 that it shall
represent something besides hereditary
tenure and wealth, and in the reforma-
tion some method must be devised that
viii minimize such conflicts as have
marked the present Parliament and have
made the Liberal Government, with all
its great majority in the Commons, pow
eriess for three years to put through its
projected reforms. A second chamber
has proved useful in all parliamentary
Governments, and there seems to be no
reason why the House Of Lords should
not hold that place for Great Britain IL
the historical excrescences that have
justified the resistance of the Commons
are removed.
{ The question set TO the country by
Lord LANsDowNE and his party is clear
for the moment: "Shall the Lords have
ths power TO reject bills Of supply, tho
Comsnons' right to dispose OF which
nobody disputes. when such bills are
made TO contain legislation already re-
jected by the Lords on matters about
which their right to reject is uncon-
tested?' 1t win doubtless be obscured
during the course of the campaign, and
may even not be taken up with like
courage and distinctness by Mr.. BAL
FoUn and the Conservative candidates
for the House of Commons. IL is a
question that has threatened to arise
often before, but in the past Britain has
had statesmen who had the ability and
dexterity to avoidsor to ward of con-
ficts between the two houses. 1t is
additional evidence Of the incapacity Of
the Liberal Government and its lack of
leadership that there is an open con-
fiict now.