The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-02
Liberal Parry Calls Up)n People
to Rspudiate Peers
MUST STAND FOR RIGHTS
Manifesto Declares That Action OF
Peers In Rejecting Budget Is
Taking Away Rights Won
Dearly BY Forefathers.

London, December 1.-The national lib
eral federation tonight issued a mani-
festo to the country which may K
garded as party rally for the ~ as.
1t concentrates attention entiy ~ the
constitutional struggle betws * q Q House
of Lords and the House. o ions. 1t
says n
"If the present ac> the peers in
not repudiated swiftly the people, the
rights and privileges won so dearly by
our forefathers in the great struggles fot
freedom are all surrendered"
The manifesto declares the peers power
of veto must be restricted so that the
last word on legislation and finance will
rest with the House of Commons. Other
wise no liberal ministry again can assume
the responsibility OF Office
I'm the fight forced upon u.s." the man
ifesto continues, ''the electors will have
to decide whether they wish to govern
themselves or be governed at second hand
because a few hundred hereditary peers,
who have thrown the constitution into the
melting pot In order to shift the burden
of taxation from wealth. land and liquor
to food and the necessaries Of life''
Rosebery's Statement.
Lord Rosebery, in a letter to the press
tonight, repudiates the charge made by
Lord Curzon that he Led an army to the
walls of a fortress and then abandoned
it, Lord Rosebery reiterates that
throughout he has opposed and warned
against the course the lords have taken
as one calculated tnjursously to affect the
House of Lords itself, and enhance what
popularity the budget may possess.
Mr.. Balfour is not we'll and will be un-
able to appear In the House of Commons
tomorrow. The conservatives have de-
cided to meet Premier Asquith's resolution
by direct negative. Austen Chamberlain,
the ex-chancellor of the exchequer. will
take Mr.. Balfour's place, and be the
principal speaker for the opposition, while
the Irish nationalists have decided neither
to vote nor speak on the premier's reso-
luton.
The proceedings in the House of Com
mons tomorrow, therefore. are likely 10
be brief.
Coming Campaign.
Parliament will be prorogued doubtless
until the middle of January, but the
choice of date is mere formality, as
the present house comes to end by
dissolution early in the year The cleo
tion campaign will open In earnest.
In many respects the impending strug-
gle will be the most interesting in the
parliamentary history of England. Some
of the peers have decided to take the un-
usual course of stumping the country to
explain their action In voting against the
budget. This course is believed by many
of the lords to be imperative following
the criticism which fell from the lips
of some of the stanchest unionists dur
;nr dob 70 nra rhr.ro
and other radicals can be depended upon
for fighting speeches In favor of the bud
get and against the lords, while Sir Ed
ward Gray, foreign minister; Richard
Bunton Haldane, minister of war, and
other ministers will support more moder-
ate ammunition and free trade argu-
ments.
The unionsts also, not 50 well equipped
with orators, are determined upon a. stern
campaign. They will leave the lords to
look after themselves, devoting their own
energies to the exposition of tariff reform
and denunciation of socialism, toward
which they will assert that the budget is
the first step.
Suffragettes Are Busy.
The suffragettes, too. who have been
comparatively quiet for a time, have been
only reserving their resources for a
crucial effort.
The laborites. all strong supporters Of
the budget. will meet tomorrow to ar
range their campaign and efforts are
being made already. and with some sue.
cess, to prevent a threc-cornered contest.
AS a part of this programme the labor
ties are Withdrawing, their candidates
from those districts where the liberals
have the better chance of success, while
the liberals are doing a similar service
for the labor party where the latter is
stronger In this way 1t is hoped to OBJ
| tain clear majority irrespective, the
| Irish party in favor of the budget and
with the aid of the Irish get q large ma
| jority against the interference of the
house of lords in matters of finance. The
election in Ireland will be the most in
teresting since 1866. The unionists have
decided to contest most of the national
lists seats, the idea being to deplete the
nationalist treasury.
On Friday David Lloyd George, chan
cellor of the excheQuer, and Winston
Spencer Churchill. president of the board
of trade. who are held chiefly responsi-
BILE for the budget, will deliver speeches.
Lord Lansdo wne and j. Austen Chamber
lain, the most ardent opponents of the
measure. will deliver speeches Friday.
Except durfny brief respite at Christ
mas the speakers named will continue
the fight until election day.
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