New-York tribune., 1910-06-23
THE ROUND TABLE
,oyaI !nitiative-Peace the Best
Policy.
London, June q:

.ala stage II was hlgn time Tor a con-
oe Superheated partisans had been
.loir1ing in resentful tones that King
I-s,-ard had been harried and worried
=, the grave by Radical politicians, and
&c reckless indictment had been met
q, the countercharge that the Lords
accessories before the fact, since
-. had thrown out the budget in spite
tie warnings. When Tory extremists
- Radical Hotspurs were branding one
cher as political assassins in hasten
-. +he end of a beloved sovereign a
10 was indispensable in the interest
= gaod morals and the amenities of
life.
T. has been proposed by the King As
hed recently passed an hour with Mr.
chamberlain. there are suspicious Radi-
lie who are convinced that there is a.
b+le Birmingham plot II is an easy
.,serence that Mr.. Chamberlain is anx-
&c n have the constitutional contro-
.s-sv disposed Of so that the tariff ques-
a., can become once more the para
-,ount issue Of British politics: but what
-.ssed between him and the King can
-, he revealed. The initiative for a
+zro main parties respecting the future
-s,atjons Of the houses could be from
she King alone. When it came, neither
she Prime Minister nor Mr. Balfour
,,,,ld offer resistance to il.
The King in suggesting a conference
;s following the precedent set by Queen
Victoria in the famous transactions of
1854 over suffrage reform and redistri-
h,7+ion Of seats. The occasion is of
sraver Importance, since the issues
which have arisen between the houses
have been unexampled since the settle
r,ent OF 1855. The Kings desire to have
the constitutional procedure revised in a
concilatory spirit and to avoid an open
conflict between the houses with the
eeneraI electorate as the court of arbi-
ration at once commands loyal respect
and approval Before his wishes were
known the nation may not have con-
sjdered a conference practicable. but in
: moment he has all England behind
him in a policy OF conciliation.
4 conference may be doomed to fail
,,-e hut rival leaders must make an
honest effort To adjust their differences,
fheir King So the processes of con-
Citation are now going forward salts
fsctorilv. and it will not be long before
half a dozen or more negotiators are
seated around a round table.
Their problem will be the readjust-
nent Of the relations Of the houses re-
specting finance and general legislation
without the preposterous menace Of the
creation Of five hundred peers. If a
conference he arranged and be allowed
afres hand in settling actual grievances
e satisfactory revision Of the constitu-
tional usage is not unlikely. The pre-
dominance Of the Commons n finance
ts not seriously contested by the Lords.
What is wanted is a safeguard against
--scking" or embodying controversial
questions in the clauses Of a finance
bill
L ought not 10 be difficult for rival
leaders 70 come 10 an understanding in
conference on this point Either the
Speaker can be armed with discretionary
power in excluding -tacking," or a
finance bin can be defined so explicitly
that the Lords Will not have cause for
tonplaint over smuggling highly con-
tsntious politics into port as privileged
finance The fr1passe respecting gen
erai legislation is more difficult, but GER
tainly a n2odus vivendi is not out Of the
question Surely more rational
method of settlement can be found than
that Of creating FIVE hundred peers after
q general election with mixed and unln-
telligible results.
The Liberal party has q grievance. and
SC long as this is redressed the methods
If reform are inlmateriaL The grieV-
ence is the fact that it is invariably
outvoted hopelessly in the upper house,
while the measures Of q Conservative
government are mechanically registered
ny the Lords. Liberal bills are hung up
OF rejected ruthlessly. although the
Commons may have come in overwhelm-
ing force from the country Popular
government. as the Radicals explain the
situation exists only in name when an
irrespon ible oligarchy can veto meas
ures which it dislikes, without reference
II the democratic majority in the coun-
ry
The ineauitv Of so one-sided an ar
fangement as a permanent Tory second
chamber is a legitimate grievance. IT
sone practical method be found for re
dressing it the fate Of the veto resolu-
tiors will not be Of supreme importance
Various schemes for removing the dock
On Liberal legislation have been pro
Posed and there are other methods or
securing temporarily q government ma
5cr;ty in the Lords There Is also a
definite plan Of referendum on the SWISS
p-an. which may enable the general
electorate 70 arbitrate between the
houses in emergencies Wise and con-
csiiatory must be the six men arouno
the table II SO complex problem OF
Constitutional reconstruction is to be
worked CUT and new and just proceed
Gre established; but who will say tnaI
Il ls an impossible task?
II viii readily become practicable
Undertaking if the party leaders reaily
oesire 70 be conciliatory and 10 effect d
statesmanlike reconstruction of the con-
sutution at the opening Of the ne"
feisn. If they want peace they can
speedily arrange a modus vlvendl. ana
hereby they can offer a memorial tFlo-
&1e more enduring than maToie "i
-farze 10 their iamenteG sovereign, bo-
Es.c the Peacemaker. There are HI