The Detroit times., 1910-01-11
FEAR DEADLOCK IN
BRITISH AFFAIRS
II Liberals Refuse To Assume Con.
troll Unless Lords Are Shorn Chaos
Will Come In--Appeal To People.

LONDON, Jan. ti.-Sixty constitu.
encies In London aud provincial towns
VIII hold elections on Saturday, Jan.
10, and Will aford a sufficient sample
or how the rest of the town constitr-
encies will vote. says VIM. L. Stead,
I'm cable to the New York American
In 1885 the towns voted Conservative
The newly enfranchised county house
holders redresscd the balance. hcw'
ever. There is no reason to expec; =
similar result In 1919. as the constitu-
encies vote on the first day OF the
poll. and SO they will 60 on voting
for a fortnight Ali will be over but
the shouting after Monday. There are
nearly 100000 electors. and II one
half voted one way, the other half the
other, IL would be an even balance OF
parties In the commons.
The critical points In the hrst days
at the polls are London and Lanca-
shire. London was certain TO revert
to some extent To her traditional Tory
ism. Lancashire as the great indus
trial community for which free trade
Is essential. was expected TO stand
Arm In the Liberal paths.
The Unionists' plan OF campaign is
to minimize the significance OF the
action of the peers In refusing supplies
to the crown, while the Liberals every
where make the denunciation OF this
constitutional usurpation their chief
battle cry.
what 10 Likely To Happen.
Supposing the Liberals poll ma
jority aud the ministers come back
with a fresh mandate. what will hap
len? The ministers are pledged not
to resume responsibility until the
power OF the lords to interfere in
finance Is restrained by statute and
their right To vote on legislation ~
destroyed. This can only be done by
an act OF parliament. and no act can
secure royal assent until passed by
the lords But will the house OF lords
consent 20 offer It's throat TO the knife?
The first question that arises ia.
What will be the dimensions OF the
Liberal majority?" Assuming that
the Liberals obtain majority in
England as well as I'm Wales, Scotland
and ireland. and admitting that Eng
land. as in 1906, returns a majority OF
Liberals OF reasonable Dimensions,
will the lords submit?
The answer 10 that they certainly
will not submit We shall then be
deadlocked. The king, and the king
alone, can cut the Gordian knot But
he certainly will refuse TO create 500
new hereditary peers, and II Is hardly
less certain thar he will refuse 10
withhold writs and summonses to any
peer who has been previously sum
n,oned to the lords, although In past
years he constantly treated the royal
summons with contempt What then?
The high flyers OF the Liberal party
are for coercing the crown by refusing
to continue In office until the crown
has obeyed their behests. In that
case Mr.. Baifour viii take ONCE. dis.
solve the newly-eiected parliament and
20 to the country with the cry. "Our
king and our constitution" He might
not win. but he certainly would i'm
prove the position OF his party.
Mapping Out Compromise.
To avoid this hopeless prospect OF
incessant turmoil the lesser heads of
both parties are beginning to think out
some compromise, somewhat on the
following lines:
The king should summon joint con-
ference OF the leaders OF both parties
in both houses, 20 which there should
be submitted a proposal TO terminate
the deadlock by concordat, consist
Ing Of the following principles:
The lords to give up their right 10
Interfere with the finance, which be-
comes the uncontrolled province OF the
Liberals.
The commons to agree to give Sc
curities against the abuse of taxing
by submitting every alleged case Of
taxing to examination by quasi-ju-
dicial body consisting, say. OF the lord
chancellor. the speaker and lord high
srbiter, whose nomination might com
mand the Endorsement Of both houses.
The. lords to consent to reduce the
hereditary element I'm the second
chamber 10 200, and the king to be
empowered to create for the duration
OF each parliament q sufficient number
of lords 10 that parliament only. or
as would sufice to give the ministers
majority In the upper house.
The commons TO give up their claim
% pass any legislation over the veto
u the upper house.
There might be notifications or mu-