The Detroit times., 1910-12-09

hangs in the bal ,v<
ance. No political -
party In Great Bril-
tain publicly champions the continued
existence of the house OF lords IN us
present form. The Ministerialist par
my. composed of a coalition or Liberals
Il Irish Nationalist Laborites and 30
cialists, is fighting as unit uhder tue
radical ensign 10 end the existence oi
the house of lords as coordinate
branch of the British legislature. Inc
opposition party. technically an aIli-
anca az conservatives and the Liberal
\ IJnionists and having the support OF
n few disaffected Liberals and malcon-
tent Irishmen, is lighting as unit
under the Tory banner to mend the
) house OF lords.
w But whether IL be ended by the radi-
4 Gals. or mended by the Tories, 1t is
a certain that the house Of lords as
q Legislative body basing its powers
solely on the hereditary prlncipie-
the accident OF oirth--cannot longer
endure. II is the only purely hereul'
tary legislative assembiage now exist
I ing in any first-class nation. IL Is an
anachronism an dthe time has come
when II must fall before the advance
of democracy.
Everybody in England, at least as
far as public utterances are concern
ed. is In favor of the democratizins
the house of lords. Everybody Is
agreed that the hereditary principle
no longer shall be the controlling fa'-
tor I'm making up the personnel or the
second and upper chamber OF the ma
tional and imperial legislature. RI one
could take the stump speeches or all
the candidates together and cut out
the details he would find that every
body was committed to the same prin-
ciples with respect to the chief issue
those principles being an acknowiedg'
ment OF the necessity OF second
chamber. a reputation OF the heredi-
tary principle in the constitution or
that chamber, and the necessity or
hrineing the members OF the upper
house into more direct contact with
the people,
/ The proverbial man from Mars
might find IL difficult TO determine
why, when everybody is agreed In
principle, there should be such ire
mendous battle about the details OF
the legislation intended to make those
principles effective. a matter OF
fact. the details are all-important and
the principles. simply as principles,
amount to nothing.
The house of lords now is composed
of something more than six hundred
hereditary peers of whom all but
about three score are Tories-Tories
In politics, Tories in religion and Tor
ha
Great Britain are pleased to elect
parliament having a Conservative ma
jority. the Tory ministry formed un-
der, and responsible to, that parlla'
ment has no difficulty whatever In
making up a legislative program, Sc
cure In the certain knowledge that the
government proposals. as passed by
the house of commons, will be ap-
proved by the house OF lords.
On the other hand. when the Liberal
PARTY has carried the country. when
there is a Liberal majority In the
house OF commons and liberal min
istry Is advising the crown, then the
government never is sure that any
one of its measures has even a re-
mote chance of being enactd into law.
In the past fifty years the house or
lords has rejected or multilated no.
less than fifty important government
measures whj~h had been duly passed
by the cornmcns. In the same period
OF time the lords have never rejected,
nor have they amended In important
detail, any measures sent up by Tory
majority in the lower chamber.
In other words, the British consti'
tuition now permits the people quail
fed to vote I'm general elections TO
control through their representative
matters of legislation, provided, that
these same electors have approved
Tory legislation by electing a major
ity of Tory members to the house. But
the constitution, In its present form.
does not permit the people to register
their will in statutory law II they APP
prove OF Liberal legislation by elect
ing q majority OF Liberal members. |
This difficulty having lately become |
20 patent that no man dares TO deny |
the existence Of the fact, the leaders !
~ both narties agreed that the house |
% LORDS must be Reconstructed. And
Upon that question Of the reconstiti-
ton OF the upper chamber depends the
future OF the British constitution
ID.
united chamber.
The questions involved In this great
constitutional controversy first be-
came acute in 1906 when the Liberal
party carried the country by a ire
mendous majority in the house OF
commons The commons passed AN
education bill providing for the d.
vorce OF church and state in the man
arement and control OF the common
schools This bill was mutilated be-
yond recognition by the Irresponsible
house OF lords. A licensing bin. aimed
az restriction OF the liquor traffic
met similar fate. A bill TO restrict
plural voting on property qualification
also was rejected by the peers Their
,ordships made IL quite plain TO the
lenders OF the majority In the house oi
.fcmmons that no bill Incorporating
the principles OF progressive economic
fnf social philosophy would be toler
ofcd.
Nearly three centuries ago under
the leadership Of Oliver Cromwell the
commons asserted their exclusive right
and power 10 control the purse strings
~ the natior After the restoration o
the monarchy the house OF common.
eoicmniy proclaimed nv a series NJ
!. rnsolufions that the commons had the
solo RIGHT 40 levy taxes. 10 make ex
nendifnres on the nubiic account. and
20, have absolute control OF all money
hills without let or hpdrance in the
honse ~ lords For nearly three cen