Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06
TRUCE IS WELCOMED
Parliament Gets Breathing
Spell Until After Easter.
HAVE FAITH IN ROSEBERY
British Peers Hope He Will Intro
duce Plan That Uniouists
Will Support.

Special Cablegram to The star
LONDON, March 6.-The truce which
will give a breathing spell to parliament
until after Easter Is welcome to all con-
cerned and to the country at large.
The government now is committed to a
single chamber policy. despite the con-
trary opinion Of several members OF the
cabinet The dissenters' objections have
been sienced for the present, at all
events, by the life or death threats OF
their Irish and radical allies.
Meantime the unionists will bring for
ward, at the earliest possible moment, a
genuine scheme for the reconstruction OF
the house OF lords The majority OF the
peers earnestly hope that Lord Roseoery'
plan. which he is to introduce on March
IA, will be such that the unionists Will
be able to give 1t whole-hearted support.
semi-Democratic House.
Nothing is known yet as to any Of the
details OF Lord Roseberys scheme but II
is assumed that 1t will provide for at
least a semi-democratic house and none
will be entitled to sit by hereditary claim
alone. 1t is said there will be some pro-
Vision in regard to the life OF the peers
and that about half the members OF the
second chamber shall be elected either py
direct vote or by local boards. such as
county councils. the membership to con-
tinue for twelve years. These proposals
have no authoritative origin. They SIM
ply represent roughly what the present
house of lords perhaps is Wiling 10 con
cede and what the country at large plop-
ably would accept as an adequate eot-
cession to the universal demand ior re-
form of the upper house.
It REQUIRES little political wisdom TO JUS
tify the assertion that II the Asqu t
government persists In It's demand iof
the destruction of the lords veto, leaving
that house as at present constituted
while the unionists bring forward poncy
similar to the one outlined above. the
country will give its support overwheiln-
ingly to Lord LansdoWne ana MT. bdi,
four. the unionist leaders, and Lord
Rosebery.
1 Budget Is Dead.
II still remains true that no change of
anv sort in the functions Of the upper
house can be made effective by the
present parliament. There is still talk
by John Redmond, the leader Of the Irish
party. about demanding guarantees from
the throne when the house OF lords
throws out the anti-veto resolutions. 1t
is a matter. Of common knowledge that
the king win peremptorily refuse any
such demand IL made. Premier Asquth
never will make such a request of King
Edward, if for no other reason than be-
cause his majesty is so popular that the
knowledge of his refusal would in itself
defeat the government when it appealed
to the polls.
The budget, meantime, Is dead In all but
name. 1t would be possible for the gov
eminent to provide the main revenue
within a week by passing resolution au-
thorizing the collection of an income tax,
but it prefers to borrow money at heavy
expense In order to give plausibility to
the allegation that the lords are respon-
sible for the financial embarrassment and
the extra cost by refusing to pass the
budget Of last December.