Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-21
SURE TO
REFORM HOUSE
ORGANIZATION OF PEERS Is
PRACTICAL
SPEAKER DEGREES ATTITUDE OF
BRITISH PRESS
Declares Lords, No Matter What Their
Ability, Are Attacked With
out Sufficient War;
rant

LONDON, Feb. 20.-In an interview
with a representative of the Morning
Post one of the most prominent hered-
itary peers of the kingdom outlines
the position of the house of lords as
follows:
That some change in the compost
tion of the house of lords is necessary
and will take place there is now but
little doubt. Whether the change will
be reform in the beneficial sense is
not so sure.
The assembly which is so much
abused and into which admittance is
so eagerly sought after, especially by
the followers of its chief detractors,
is possibly in theory far from perfect,
yet it found favor with Cromwell and
is in practice hard to improve upon.
In debate it will be found that prac-
tically no member of their lordships'
house speaks unless he has, or should
have, special knowledge of the matter
under discussion, though of course a
party, weak in numbers and in de-
batting ability, may be forcel to put
up" supporter whose qualifications
to discourse on subject are not over
whelming. In DIVISIONS, although both
sides on important occasions bring up,
if they can, their reserves, the fledg-
lings and those who seldom attend,
yet what difference do these generally
make beyond swelling the figures on
both sides?
youthful peer, taking a slight or
possibly keen interest in the affairs Of
the nation, Immediately comes under
the lash of the radical scribblers; all
their vituperation is poured out upon
him, and l cannot recall to mind that
the Unionist press often takes his part.
On the other hand, youthful mem
ber of the other house is generally
looked upon as a prodigy, although
his experience of the world is very
likely of the two men the smaller, and
his presence in the house of commons
also very likely due to heredity. OF
the two houses for a young man to
make a name in without influence the
house of lords is undoubtedly the
harder.
For the house of commons, especially
the last house. to set itself on PIN
nacle of righteousness, to maintain
that it is perfect and can do no wrong,
is nothing less than adamantine eff
frontery. The number of members of
the Radical and Labor, or, to use
shorter term, semi Socialist party, who
sat in the last parliament, or who will
sit in the next, who have not used
archaeological inexactitudes about
Chinese slavery, dear food, German
bread, old age pensions or the peers
will not be very large, and although
the upper house may not, be without
its sheep of dusky hue, it's members
who are in the habit of attending its
sittings and serving on committees,
and many who do neither, need have
little fear if comparison is to be
made of the component parts of the
two houses.
Even in this age of lack of venera-
tion of anything, when for purposes
e1-,- 4sr,1x. 30 tac
any inexactitude is indulged in ad
nauseam, a cockshy is made of any
thing and anyone, is it too much to
expect that, for instance, a student
of science should have still some re-
spect for Lord Rayleigh or the late
Lord Kelvin; a subaltern for Lords
Roberts or Woiseley; struggling
journalist for Lords Morley or Mil
ner; a member of the colonial, civil Nor
diplomatic service for Lord Miner
again, Lord Lansdowne, Lord Curzon
or Lord Cromer? Again, a young as
pirant for law honors might even now
hesitate before sneering at the lord
chancellor, the lord chief justice or
Lord Halsbury; bank clerk may
even be expected to have some slight
regard for the opinions of Lords
Rothschild and Revelstoke, any tyro
in finance would atimit that the name
of Rothschild or Barring on a pros
pectus stamps it Immediately as gilt
edged. Even at the opening of par
lament not long ago Lord Lansdowne
chaffed the leader of the house for
having chosen two peers closely con-
nected with the iron and shipbuilding
trades to propose and second the ad-
dress to the throne. Is it possible that
we are. to look to Canada alone for
due appreciation of the services of
Lords Strathcona and Mount Stephen?
1t would be easy to continue in the
same strain and with other striking
examples.