The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-12-02
REFUSE THE BUDGET
The House of Lords Fail To
Pass Enslands Revenue
Bill.
SITUATION IS UNPRECEDENTED

SITUATION IS UNPRECEDENTED
| Their Refusal Co Assent Refers the
Measure 60 the Country to 10 vot-
ed Upoa-In Theory. it is Now IL
legal TO Collect Taxes In England
With Which 60 Carry on the Kings
Business-May Cause q Change In
the Constitution.
London, Nov. 3o.-In the sedate.
detached manner characteristic pro-
eeedings In the gilded chamber and
In direct disregard Of the advice Of
some of It's ablest and oldest mem
bers. such as Rosebery. Morley. Lord
James of Hereford. Lord cromer.
Lord Balfour OF Burleigh. the Earl
of Lytton. Lord Courtney and the
archbishops OF Canterbury. and York.
the House Of Lords to-day created a
situation unprecedented In English
history a. least in three hundred
years by refusing formal assent TO
the budget bill and referring Il 10
the country itself for judgment.
thereby. in theory. making II Illegal
to collect taxes and carry on the
Kings government.
After six days debate. notable for
the high standard OF the oratory. as
we'll as for the able and convincing
arguments arrayed on both sides for
and against the budget. and placing
| In every possible light the aspects OF
the great constitutional questions In
volved. the Housa OF Lords declared
for division at 1880 o'clock tonight.
The scene was impressive. but In no
sense exciting. None would have
supposed that the event proceeding
was destined not only TO prove men,
orabie in the annals of British his
tory. but possibly also involving far
reaching changes In the British con-
stitution.
There certainly was unusual ami
nation in the public galleries. which
were crowded with peeresses. mem
bers OF the House Of Common. am
bassadors and others. but In the
House Itself complete calm prevailed,
The vote was on Lord Lansdowne's
amendment that the House was not
justified In giving its consent TO the
bill until II had been submitted to
the Judgment OF the country.
When the vote was announced Just
before midnight, as $50 TO Is in ia
vor Of the amendment, a few mixed
cheers were heard. The Earl OF
Crewe Immediately moved an ad-
journment and the House rose.
The Archbishop OF York strongly
opposed Lord Lansdowne's resolu-
ton, declaring that It would be an
precedented for the Lords to reject a
finance bill passed by the House OF
Commons with such a majority.
Lord Curzon was plainly suffering
from his recent indisposition, but In
spite of physical weakness. he spoke
with all his accustomed vigor, and
he maintained that the Lords had an
| absolute right TO reject the finance
bill.
Earl Cawdor, former first lord of
admiralty, who wound up the de-
bate for the opposition. maintained
that there had been an attempt to
evade the Lords ancient right TO re-
ject such tax by placing all taxes on
one bill, 1t was idle to pretend. he
said. that such q change Of procedure
by the House OF Commons could af-
feet one iota the responsibilities and
duties of the second chamber.
Referring to the tacking on OF IL
cense proposals and land valuations
to the budget. he said that as both OF
these had previously been rejected by
the House of Lords Il would destroy
all the power of the Upper House IL
the Lords were unable to Seto the
| finance bill, in which these were now
| included. He asserted that the bud
get had already drawn capital from
the country to an alarming extent.
had stunned the building trade and
increased unemployment.
They were told that the rejection
of the bill would be the cause OF f.
nancial chaos. but Lord Lansdowne's
offer of assistance In order TO avoid
inconvenience had not been cordially
received by the Government. There
fore, he said. IL chaos came, the re-
sponsibility would rest upon the min
istry.
The Earl Of Crewe. Secretary OF
State for the Colonies. and Lord
Privyzeal for the Colonies. and Lord
Lansdowne's amendment, was the ns-
CATION of all precedent and houted
all usage. All agreed that II was
necessary this year 70 raise large
amount OF extra money by taxation.
necessitated by the claims of nation
al defense and the adoption of old
age pensions. The sum total Of the
long debate, he declared. was that
the opposition considered the Govern
ment's method Of raising money IL
lusory, and that justified revolution.