The Detroit times., 1910-12-09
THE ENGLISH ELECTIONS
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
Nv FREDERIC ! HA SKIN

! careful TO direct his remarks con-
corning revenues and expenditures
solely to the commons, expressly eN-
GLIDING the lords.
The special interests OF aristocracy
and plutocTacy represented in the up
per chamber and having no stomach
! for democracy, needed well the lesson
of the Cromweliian revolution and
cheerfully admitted by nOn-contention
the exclusive control OF the commons
over the purse strings. But of course
the aristocrats and the plutocrats were
! not willing 10 give up their control ot
the treasury. so they instituted sys-
tenn of controlling the house OF com
mons by means OF members returned
from rotton boroughs and by the most
shameless bribery and corruption. For
two hundred years this condition oil
affairs obtained. During all that time
| the electors went through the form or
sending their representatives 10 par
/ lament. but the majority OF The mem
bers OF the house were controlled by
the great lords OF privilege and noble
birth.
Finally the people became indig-
nant. threw of their shackles OF cor
ruption and managed, in 1882. 10 com
pei the enactment OF the British poll
tics, and which materially advanced
the moral condition OF British politics,
and which seemed 10 give TO the peo-
ple the right TO control their own ar
fairs. But there was no party repre-
senting true democracy. There was
Tory aristocracy. and a Wing aristo-
cracy Whether Conservative or LILO
eral every political leader belonged 10
what was known as the ruling class.
and there was not one who rallied 10
recognize the demands OF caste.
In 1906 the reorganiZed and recon
structed Liberal party won the cleo
ton and the affairs OF government
were turned over 20 a ministry in
which the Whig element was over
whelmed by the modern progressive
Democratic element For the first
time the plain people OF England and
not the ruling classes had majority
In parliament. The fate of the legisla-
ton they initiated has been outlined.
Every measure died in the house OF
lords. But tn commons still had the
power of the purse. They resolved to
attack the bulwarks of the aristocracy
by exercising their exclusive power OF
taxation, realizing 70 the full that the
power To tax is the power TO destroy
They attacked the land monopoly.
The budget of 1909. introduced by
David Lloyd-George. chancellor of the
exchequer. provided for the taxation
OF land values. The house OF lords.
made up of the owners OF more than
three-fourths OF all the land in Great
Britain, refused TO submit their prop
erty to taxation. They rejected the
budget The controversy was refer
red 10 the pople and in January OF this
var, only eleven months ago. the radl-
cal coalition was returned 10 power
and the Tories were defeated. The
lords bowed TO the will OF the people
with respect to this one measure only
and passed the land taxes. But they
were not willing 10 abrogate their
power 10 amend and reject Legislative
bills other than money bills. They
acknowledged only that the verdict
Of the election confirmed the commons
, in their right to claim traditional and
constitutional control over the purse
strings.
The prime minister. Mr.. Asquith, in
troduced a bill in, parliament provid-
ing that measure passed three times
by the house OF commons within two
wears should become law even without
the approval OF the house OF lords.
This was known as the veto bill, since
II abrogated the lords right TO veto
legislation approved by the commons.
The only way TO get the house OF
lords TO vote itself out of existence
is for the king TO create a sufficient
number OF radical peers to overcome
the Tory majority in the upper house.
AS the king must act on the advice OF
his ministers. II was expected that Mr..
Asuuith would ask the king for guar
antees" TO make the will Of the people
effective in this fashion. When the
controversy arrived at the stage the
whole British empire was shocked by
the death OF King Edward and the
warning political factions declared a
truce OF God In November that
truce was ended and the present cleo
lions were ordered