The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-12

form more nearly with the needs or
the times. This action, taken early
in 1908, followed the great Liberal
electoral triumph of 1905.
The Liberal party which came into
power nearly five years ago was a dif-
ferent party. a much more democratic
party than the Liberal party which
had last controlled the British govern
ment under the premiership OF Lord
Roseberry. The House of Lords per-
ceived that the new radical govern
ment was determined TO destroy some.
II not many, OF the special privileges
enjoyed by the aristocratic and pluto
cratic classes represented in the
House of Lords. Peers, who called
themselves Liberals and who, indeed,
were influenced by Whiggish tradi-
tons were inclined TO stave of de-
struction by making concessions. Thus
II was Lord Roseberry. the successor
of Gladstone as the titular head OF the
Liberal party. who first took up the
guage OF battle laid down by the
militant democracy of the Commons.
| The Committee formed under his reso-
luton met. Lord Roseberry was its
c. ,irman, ii made long report, and
that report speedily found its way
| into pigeonhole, never again 10 see
the light of day. The Tory Lords
We're not yet sufficiently frightened 10
| take counsel of their Whiggish breth-
zen.
Then came the dispute between the
! Commons and the Lords with refer
encc Of the land values taxation pro.
! posed in the Lloyd-George budget. The
/ peers rejected the finance bill and
| forced dissolution OF parliament and
| general election in which they were
defeated and the Commons We're sus-
/ tanned Immediately the Prime Min
lister in mis- official capacity as the
head OF the government decided TO
force the lighting by a declaration
| that His Majestys government would
not again proceed with the business
of general legislation until after IL had
obtained assurance that it had some
| reasonable prospect OF enaCting its
will into statutory law
| The peers personally, and the Con
! servatiye-Unionist party collectively.
! had discovered in the election cam
! paign OF January, 1910, that il would
| be utterly impossible to defend be-
! fore the electors of the kingdom the
| hereditary principle as a basis for the
continuation of the upper chamber of
| parliament. Then the Tory peers
burned eagerly toward Lord Roseber-
~ and in everything but name chose
| him to lead their faction. Lord Rose
berry. whilom Liberal premier refused
to unite himself to the Tory party
and described himself as standing
81 oil
theless the Roseberry scheme was
adopted as the basis OF the Tory plan
of reform OF the House of Lords. and
late in the present campaign Lord
Roseberry openly joined the Tory
| ranks.
No one knows in detail what was
proposed on either side in the con-
stitutional conference, but II is &C
cepted on all sides that the opposition
TO the government made a series OF
proposals which were reflected in
principle in the resolutions passed by
the House of Lords just before the
final dissolution OF parliament.
The first set of three resolutions
adopted were fathered by Lord Rose
| berry. The first declared the neces-
sity for continuation Of the two
chamber form OF parliament The
second declared that the second, or
upper, chamber should be provided
for by reforming and reconstithtinS
the present House OF Lords.
The third resolution. although ex-
tremely vague, advanced the general
plan of the proposed reform. II be-
gan with a declaration that in future
no man might sit as a legislator in
| the upper chamber OF parliament sole
" because OF his hereditary right It
was then proposed that in the future
the upper chamber should be called
the Lord of Parliament TO be made
ND OF three classes of members: (a)
Peers chosen by the whole body Of
| hereditary peers from among them
selves and peers nominated from the
whole body OF hereditary peers by the
! Crown; (b) Lord OF Parliament sit
| ting by virtue of office and qualifica-
| ton held by them: (c) Lord of Parlia-
ment chosen from outside
Lord RoseberTy in speaking TO these