Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-30
Necessary Before Lords
Will Yield Privileges,
BaIf0ur Declares Il Madness
To Adopt Proposed Changes.
Says Conservatives Will Remove
Them on Return to Power.

London. March 29.-The first days
| debate in the House of Commons on
Premier Asquiths resolutions dealing
| with the veto power of the House of
Lords proved conclusively that the
Lords will not yield their privileges
without a great struggle. A. j. Bal
four, the opposition leader in the Com
mons. declared plainly that it was the
intention of his party to take the first
opportunity to repeal any measure re-
stricting the House of Lords power to
veto.
on the other hand. Premier Asquiths
speech seems to have put fresh heart
| into his conglomerate party, and the
speeches of John e. Redmond, for the
| Irish party and George Nicoll Barnes.
for the Laborites, as well as those OF
the representatives. OF the WEIGH con-
sttuencies all breathed defiance to the
Lords The only dissatisfaction ex-
pressed was that the premier's pro-
posals were not drastice enough, but
they promised full support to the reso-
ldtions nevertheless.
The debate will be continued
throughout the week and division will
be taken Monday. Mr. Redmond has
summoned meeting of his party for
further consideration of the situation.
London, March 29.-The House of
Commons held an excited crowd today
when Premier Asquith rose to move
that the popular body go into commit
tee of the whole to consider the gov
ernment's resolutions looking to the
abolition of the veto power of the lords.
There was both room and need for a
second chamber. he said, but of such a
body the present House of Lords was
only a travesty and caricature.
Premier Asquith continuing his address
in support of the governments veto reso-
luton said that he did not favor ref
erendum as the means of settling the
deadlock Of the two houses. lie would
like a Joint session provided both cham
bers had democratic basis, but he did not
think that joint session was applicable
to Great Britain's existing constitution.
Therefore the only means for overcoming
the present difficulties was tie limitation
of the veto of the Lords coupled with a
shortening of the duration of Parlia-
ments. which he thought would insure
that the popular will would not be frus-
trated. The royal veto was dead as
Queen Ann he added and the absolute
veto of the Lords must follow before tho
road could be cleared for advent of u
full grown democracy. A. J. Balfour, tho
leader of the opposition, followed the
prime minister whose proposal he char
| acterized as the most absurd experiment
in constitution making upon which any
government ever embarked
1T would he madness, he said, to adopt
| the changes which would remove all safe
guards from the affairs OF finance. He
could not conceive a more inauspicious
moment for the suggestion that the Lords
| had exceeded their powers in rejecting
the money bill tnan now when everybody
knew that if the House of Commons vot-
| ed on the merits of the budget without
regard to Interior issues like home rule,
the financial measure would be rejected.
Mr.. Balfour contended that the existence
of the House of Lords was more neces-
| sary than even now when modern rad
icaism has revolutionary ideals and aims
upon which the people should be con-
| suited before their final adoption"
Mr. Balfour intimated that II this
really grotesque proposal ever became
| a law. the Conservatives would promptly
remove it from the statute books when
| they returned to power
| John f.. Redmond, leader Of the Ma
tionalists, congratulated Mr. Asquth
| upon the substance of his resolutions.
which he said would be supported heartily
by himself and his friends. He was glad
| that all reference to a reform OF the
| House Of Lords had been dropped for IL
| the government had proposed any plan
of reform the Nationalist could not havo
supported it.