The Detroit times., 1910-12-09
THE ENGLISH ELECTIONS
1.-THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
By FREDERIC ! HASkIN

careful TO direct his remarks con-
corning revenues and expenditures
solely To the commons, expressly ex-
GLIDING the. lords.
The special interests OF aristocracy
and plutocracy represented In the up
per chamber and having no stomach
for democracy, needed we'll the lesson
OF the Cromweliian revolution and
cheerfully admitted by non-contention
the exclusive control OF the commons
over the purse strings. But Of course
the aristocrats and the plutocrats were
not willing TO give mp their control OF
the treasury, SO they instituted a sys-
tenn OF controlling the house OF com
mons by means OF members returned
from rotton boroughs and by the most
shameless bribery and corruption. For
two hundred years this condition OF
affairs obtained During all that time
the electors went through the form OF
sending their representatives to par
lament, but the majority OF the mem.
bers OF the house were controlled by
the great lords of privilege and noble
birth.
Finally the people became indig-
nant, threw of their shacllles of cor.
ruption and managed, In 1882, To com
pei the enactment of the British poll
ties, and which materially advanced
the moral condition OF British politics.
and which seemed 10 give TO the peo-
pie the right to control their own at
fairs. But there was no party repre-
senting true democracy. There was a
Tory aristocracy. and Wing aristoc-
racy. Whether Conservative or Lib
eral. every political leader belonged to
what was known as the ruling class"
and there was not one who failed to
recognize the demands OF caste.
II. 1906 the reorganized and recon-
strlicted Liberal party won the cleo
ton and the affairs OF government
were turned over 10 n ministry in
which the Whig element was over
whelmed by the modern progressive
Democratic element. For the first
time the plain people OF England and
not the ruling classes had a majority
In parliament The fate of the legisla-
ton they initiated has been outlined.
Every measure died In the house OF
lords. But the commons still had the
power OF the purse They resolved to
attack the bulwarks of the aristOcracy
by exercising their exclusive power OF
taxation. realizing to the full that the
power to tax is the power to destroy.
They attacked the land monopoly.
The budget of 1909. introduced by
David Lloyd George. chancellor OF the
exchequer. provided FOR the taxation
of land values. The house of lords
mace up of the owners of more than
three-fourths OF all the land in Great
Britain refused to submit their prop
erty TO taxation. They rejected the
budget. The controversy was refer
red to the people and In January OF this
year, only eleven months ago. the radi-
cal coalition was returned to power
and the Tories were defeated. The
lords bowed TO the win of the people
with respect TO this one measure only
and passed the land taxes. Bit they
were not willing TO abrogate their
power 10 amend and reject legislative
bills other than money bills.s They
acknowledged only that the verdict
of the election confirmed the commons
in their right to claim traditional and
constitutional control over the purse
strings.
The prime minister. Mr.. Asquith. in.
Diii Dui PibNiu-
ing that a measure passed three times
by the house OF commons within two
years should become law even without
the approval OF the house OF lords.
This was known as the veto bill. since
IL abrogated the lords right to veto
legislation approved by the commons.
The only way TO get the house OF
lords to vote itself out of existence
is for the king to create sufficient
OF radical peers to overcome
the Tory majority in the upper house.
AS the king must act on the advice OF
his ministers. IL was expected that Mr..
Asquith would ask the king for guar
antees" TO make the will of the people
effective in this fashion. When the
controversy arrived at that stage the
whole British empire was shocked by
the death of King Edward and the
warning political factions declared q
truce OF God. In November that
truce was ended and the present cleo
tons We're ordered.
Tomorrow-The Constitutional Con.
ference.