The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-02-05
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

England today stands face to face with the
gravest political crisis in its history since 1892
when the Lords rejected the Reform bill sent up by
the House of Commons. This bill aimed at the dis
franchisement of constituencies popularity known as
pocket boroughs," and was entitled an "Act to
amend the representation of the people in England
and Wales" This bill was carried, March 90, 1892
in the House of Commons by majority of 116, and
sent up for approval to the Lords who rejected it by
a majority of thirty-fve. On May the ministry
resigned Great public Indignation, eliminating in
serious rioting in Bristol, England, and to aay
public excitement the King prevailed upon the min
istry to resume Office on the promise of granting
them full power to secure majorities by the crea-
ton of new PEERS The Bill of Reform finally
passed in the House of Lords and received the royal
assent June Z, 1882.
For five hundred years that is, from the reign
of Edward Ill, the legislative power of England
has rested with the King, the Lords and the Com
mons, the three estates of the realm. No law can
be passed England except by the consent of these
three entities, the King the Lords and the members
of the House of Commons, which compose the Par
lament of Great Britain. There is between them
perfect equality; they have as much power the one
the other, except in the matters of finance where
it has long been recognized at all events the Com
mons have long claimed that they have the initia-
tive power-that the Lords have no right whatever
to change or to amend the budget, but must reject
approve its measures just as they are, and that
they can go no further. The rejection of the bill
lately sent to the upper house is without precedent
in the past one hundred years, and promises to
have far-reaching effects to altering the con-
stituton. Until now the Peers have exercised their
right to kill off any legislation of the lower house
which imperiled their interests or threatened their
privileges. Sixteen years ago when Mr.. Gladstone
carried through the House of Commons the Home
Rule bill giving the Irish parliament of their
own, the Lords rejected the bill on the ground of
appropriateness.
In view of the reassembling of Parliament. it
is well to have understanding of the complexion
and form of British legislation.
1t is a mistake to assume, as do some of our
eastern exchanges that the people have always had
voice in selecting their representatives in Parlia
ment. The English members of the House of Lords
inherit their seats with their titles The Irish Peers
elected for life, and the twelve or fourteen rem
resentatives of Scotland are elected for each Per-
lament
The word Parliament as used and understood
in England today did not appear in law till its
mention in the statute of Westminster in 1872 The
first clear account we have of the representatives
of the people forming House of Commons was in
1853 when it settled by the statutes of Oxford
that twelve persons should be chosen to represent
the common people-hence the word Commons or
House of Commons-in the bodies chosen to legis-
late for the people of England. This was the be-
ginning of the British Parliament, The general