Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-06
LIBERALS FAVOR
EARLY FIGHT ON
VETO OF LORDS
Victorious British Party Is
Anxious to Wage War
Against Peers
IRISH SUPPORT PLAN
Upper House of Parliament
Faces Prospect of Bit
ter Battle
ASSOCIATED Pressl

7 ONDON, Feb. 5.-Of even greater
interest than possible changes in
- the cabinet is the course the gov
ernment is likely to pursue on tho re
assembling of parliament.
Premier Asquith has kept his own
counsel and the views of the Liberals
vary.
Extreme Liberals strongly favor an
immediate attack upon the veto power
of the house of lords, leaving the bud
get and all other legislation until the
party has settled its accounts with the
peers.
The Irish members, too, are believed
to support this view.
More moderate Liberals are urging
the government first to introduce the
budget. which the lords, accepting the
result Of the election as an indorse-
ment of the governments financial
policy, are already pledged to pass.
On the question of the future status
of the house of lords opinions differ al
most as widely. LaboriteS and ex-
tremist Radicals are for the absolute
abolition of the upper chamber, which
hardly comes within the realm of prac-
tical politics.
View of Moderates
Another section Of the ministerial
lists demands the abolition of the lords
right of veto on financial legislation
and the curtailment of their veto In
other legislation.
Views of the moderates are thus ex-
pressed by Sir Edward Grey, secretary
of state for foreign affairs.
Gov ~ I1n hnIIGn lords
be a real reform unless 1t provides for
the abolition of the hereditary peers
and the substitution Of popular elec-
tions."
The Spectator follows this up with a
suggestion that the upper house be
modelled after the American senate,
the house to consist of 200 members
chosen under a system of proportional
representation from equal electoral
areas.
Meanwhile the Unionists, with the
exception of a few peers who under
no circumstances would get a place
in the reformed chamber are practical
ly unanimous for a change in the con-
stitution of the house of lords.
Many schemes are being put forward,
the most popular probably being that
embodied in the report of the Rosebery
committee, which provides for the
election by the hereditary peers OF zoo
of their own number, together with
1870 peers qualified by service to the
nation, 10 bishops, 5 judges and 40 life
peers.
Strength of Faction
Premier Asquith can count on a ma
jority for the curtailment of the house
of lords veto, for in this the Nation
alists and doubtless the independent
Nationalists, too, will be with the gov
ernment.
On the budget. however the attitude
of the Nationalists is still uncertain.
Many members of the party strongly
oppose the clauses imposing whisky
duties.
William O'Brien, who heads the in
dependent Irish members, has made
his intended attitude clear in q letter,
saying:
'yrhere is no doubt that the Irish
party contemplates the blackest trea-
son perpetrated against Ireland since
the act of union. The Nationallsts
propose to assist the government in
passing the budget, which will impose
on Ireland $1OOO0,O0O in taxation per
annum."
Next week will see a clearing of the
atmosphere. Premier Asquith and
Chancellor Lloyd-George and other
members of the cabinet who went to
the country and the continent after
the campaign are now on their way to
London.
The first formal meeting of the min
istry will take place on February 10.
and the changes in the cabinet, the
wording of the kings speech for the
opening of parliament and the course
of business for the commons will be
decided.
The king will then be away, to pre-
vent a suspicion of siding in the con-
troVerSy.