The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-26
THE RELUCTANT LORDS.

The speech Of Lord Roscbcry 10 the
peers Of England in tho House of Lords
stirred up n tremendous sensation in
that conservative, lothargic and hide
bound body. As no pointed ont. the
very existence Of the House Of Lords
is at stake in ease they reject the reve-
nuc bin put mp 70 the Lords by the
Commons. The privileges and immuni-
tics enjoyed from time immcmorial by
the peers Of England, without cost in
taxation, and without sharing in the
burdens which tho people at large and
the general property interests of the
kingdom are called up 70 bear, arc as
sailed extensively in this new revenue
bill. There is no reason, however, why
they should not be assailed. because in
the matter Of taxation and providing
revenue for tho government defense for
the country, for the navy, for the colon
ial governments the crown provinces
and everything Of that kind. there is
not only no reason why the Lords
should escape their proper share Of
taxation. but there are special reasons
why they should paw even more than
their share for they get the moss
benefits ont Of all the positions that are
created for public service in all these
departments They officer the army
and the navy. they provide the Cover
nors of all tho colonies, the officers Of
tho colonial armies and the administra-
tive force generally throughout the
kingdom and the colonies
Enjoying so much at the cost Of 9th
crs and the increased value of their
properties by the growth OF popula
tion and spread of cities have made
the Lords Of England tremendously
wealthy. II is natural that they should
desire the continuance of their priyil-
cges and immunitics which they have
enjoyed from Of old. the people, and
the property of others paying the bills
But, rs Lord Roscbery pointed out,
10 won't do for them to resist the de-
mands of the House of Commons, for
if they do and the Commons are sus-
tanned by the country. as they newt
ably would be on this bill. then there
would be an end TO the House Of Lords
The existence Of that body has been
threatened many times Upon It's
slaughter of bills of the House of Com
mons in the past there have been made
enough new peers to overcome adverse
maioriticS in that lordlv house This
time, however, the Commons would not
be satisfied with enough new peers
10 carry their bill The demand would
inevitably be for the abolition of the
House of Lords altogether, and that is
precisely what Lord Roscbcry put up
TO the peers in plain and emphatic Ian
guage.
A subtle suggestion was made
by Lord Rosebcry that the Lords
should agree to the bill and then make
as much trouble to the country as
they could by Withdrawing capital,
stopping industries and creating a state
of paralysis throughout England that
would induce The people to return a
House Of Commons that would be hos
tile to that kind of legislation and that
would repeal or materially modify this
revenue bill in the interests Of the land
holding and grabbing peers That
would. in fact. be the most clfecually
diabolical move that the Lords could
make. But it would be unpatriotic and
mean in the last degree. and it is al.
together likely that the people would
see through it and be more determined
than ever that the Lords should pay
their share of the public revenue.
SO. after all. doubtless the best
thing that the Lords can do, If they
want TO save their house from extinc-
ton. is to agree to this revenue bill,
lest worse come upon ;hcm.