Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-17
LORDS START FIGHT
LansdoWne Announces Pur-
pose to Reject Budget.
CHALLENGE TO COMMONS
Right to Control Nations Finances
Denied After zoo Years.
PREMIER WILL STRIKE BACK
Attempt to Force Dissolution to Be
Resisted-Action Of Peers Called
Unconstitutional.
CHALLENGE TO COMMONS
PREMIER WILL STRIKE BACK

LONDON. November lin the house
of lords yesterday Lord Lansdowne. lead
er of the opposition. gave the formal ane
expected notice of his intention to move
for the rejection Of the budget bill wher
1t comes up next Monday.
His motion. he said, would be express
ed thus:
Il move that this house is not Justified
in giving its consent to this bill until II
has been submitted to the judgment OF
the country"
As the unionist peers hold the same
commanding position In the upper mouse
as do the radicals in the house OF com
mons. Lord Lansdownes motion undoubt'
edIv seals the fate of the financial bill
and assures a general election In Janu'
airy.
Result Is Assured.
The terms of Lord Lansdowne's motion
to reject the budget. of which he gave
formal notice in the house OF lords yes
terday. were communicated to Premier
Asouith at an early hour, and discussed
nv the cabinet council during the course
of the day. The unionists anticipate that
300 peers will support Lord Lansdowne
while the supporters or the government
i'm the house of lords number only forty.
On the rejection of the budget Dill II Is
expected that the premier will move in
the house of commons a resolution
strongly condemning the peers action. al
frmine the sole right of tire mouse OF
commons to deal with matters OF taxation
and declaring the peers attempt 10 force
a dissolution to be unconstitutional.
II is unlikely that the cabinet will re-
sign unless the government Is defeated al
the elections Some measures are neces-
sary to meet the financial difncUty IN
voIyed in the rejection OF the budget. and
to this end 1t is suggested that a CONFER
ence of party leaders should be held ia
devise means.
Balfour to Outline Issues.
Mr. Balfour, the leader of the opposi-
ton in the house of commons, Is under
engagement to deliver a speech at Man.
chester tonight which probably will out
line the unionist party's election mani
festo.
In the meantime Winston Spencer
Churchill is first in the field with mani
festo from the liberal standpoint.
In a letter on the situation he says that
the power to force dissolution is the pre-
rogative Of the crown, and that finance
is the exclusive privilege OF the house OF
commons. Therefore. he argues. the re-
lection of the budget is a double invasion
by the lords, both of the royal preroga-
tive and Of the commons privilege, and
that. further. IL the lords establish at
the general election their right to con-
troll the country's finances they will make
themselves the predominant power in the
state by their ability to destroy the
budget, stop the kings revenue and force
the dissolution OF parliament every year.
The election campaign which has been
afoot already with the greatest activity
will now be carried on with redoubled
energy. The chief liberal whip tonight
issued an urgent appeal to the labor
party. inviting friendly agreement with
the object Of avoiding triangular contests.
which already have lost several seats for
the liberals.
Lords Course "Act Of War;"
LONDON. November 1.-THE liberal
newspapers this morning describe Lord
Lansdowne's motion as an act Of war.
I The Daily Chronicle. I'm an editorial. de-
clares that not since the revolution of
16sS has the right Of the commons to con-
troll the finances of the country been chal-
lenged.
THE lords" says the paper. have
chosen the way of destruction. II is as
though some malign influence has been at
work to bring the house OF lords before
the peoples gaze with all its imperfections
on its head.
Bold and unashamed 1t is standing
forth as the selfish defender of privileges
i'm land and liquor and the champion of
taxation on food. A more shameful con-
spiracy against the commonwealth has
never been unmasked.
Rosebery Feared Revolution.
In the speech TO deliver which Lord
Rosebery left his retirement at Glasgow
September 10 he declared that the Brit
ish budget was "a revolution which puts