The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-27
LIBERALS DEFY PEERS

L|btRA[S .utH PttRS
AsQUETH PARTY CONFIDENT SINCE
BUDGET WAS ACCEPTED
REVOLUTION IMMINENT.
London, April 27.-Last week the
English Liberals were almost In de-
spair; this week they are almost abb
surdedly confident
Last week they were ruefully anti
Ecipating that the ministry would be
defeated and Monday night the mo-
ton was made to take the time Of
the house for discussion Of the bud
get; this week they are full of ex-
ultation. for the budget has been ac-
cepted. The Irish-Liberal-Laborf fore
es are once more in line. and with
solid majority Of 100 are pressing
on with q united front to challenge
the authority of the peers.
Last week the cabinet nearly went
to pieces. Some ministers entertain
ed and expressed with freedom their
objection to the proposal made by
Mr.. Asquith Il ultimately carried
out. that if/ ST. ,rds rejected the
crown and bring Asx heel. The
only method Of doines OH .rtained
by the cabinet is that or&oW the
crown to create 500 new Me<.. =
override the obstructive heridity>. r.
AsQuith did not in set terms decl>
his intention to give this advice, but
his Language was Interpreted immedi-
ately to have that meaning by Bal
four and was enthusiastically accept
ed in that sense by the Liberal rank
and file.
Puts 1t Up to King
Asqutth's words were guarded. His
first step after the lords had rejected
the veto bill would be to inform his
majesty what the king knows very
well already-that If the veto is to
be abolished in this parliament he
must ask the crown to create new
peers. He will not, however, advise
such a step being taken until after
another election. He will neither re-
sign nor ask the king to dissolve
parliament.
II the latter alternative is taken
he will warn his majesty in advance
that II he should come back with q
majority he will refuse to continue
in Office until the king is willing to
be. advised to make 500 new peers.
The king will not be asked to pledge
himself in advance to assent to the
advice. Asquith. will give 1t a. .
contingency contemplated. He will.
however, be informed Of the only
condition on which the Liberals will
be content to serve him in future, and
the general election will be fought
out on the clear understanding that
every vote cast for the Liberals is a
vote cast for creating 500 Liberal
peers by the prerogative of the crown,
Revolution Seems Imminent.
II the issue should be thus forced.
both parties will be playing double or
quits. 1t the Liberals win, the Con-
servatives declare the result will be
the establishment of single cham
Der OF the government; If the Liberals
lose, England passes for an indefinite
time under the rule Of the lords, and
half the nation will be reduced to a
condition of political helots. Out Of
this political servitude they will only
be able to escape by a more or less
violent revolution.
NO one knows how the constitu-
encies would vote. The Liberals pre-
fer that IL secure of a majority of
one. they will insist upon the right to
advice. which is the constitutional
1argon for a command to the king to
create the requisite number Of new
peers. "
Ihere are no legal difficulties in the
way OF creating peers by prerogatiye:
but such wholesale creation would
be unprecedented and unconstitution-
al, and would be resisted by the
hereditary peers to the last sasp. In
tnat case the exercise Of the royal
prerogative would only have precipi-
tated FAR more dangerous collision
between the two houses than what
1t was intended to prevent.
Only Chance a Compromise
1t is hoped that at the last moment
the king may persuade or compel the
party leaders to agree upon some
compromise that will give the Liber-
ais sporting chance of obtaining a
majority in the house Of lordg The
only way this can be done will be by
giving the crown at the beginning Of
each parliament the right to nominate
members Of the upper house on the
advice of his ministers on the under
standing that the political complex
ion Of a majority Of the lords must
correspond with the political COM
plexion Of majority of the nation as
registered at the polls.
A compromise today or a revolution
at some near future date is the alter
native. The question of the hour is
whether the king will be wise or
strong enough to compel the Tory
party to make concession, which
alone will evert a revolution.