The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-19

The MIDDLE In England.
II Is amazing a. we'll as lamcntablc
that AT "A time when Great Britain Is
called Ia decide upon the most serious
constitutional question that has arisen
since the paS~ag" Of the first reform bill
the leaders III both the parties whose
combined members constitute the bulk
If the House of Commons. perhaps with
IN. exception Of the Marques If LANs-
DOwNE. should have lost their heads a.
well a. their temper~ In their eager
ness for a fight Mr. AsQrITH and Mr..
BALFouR are following the best Irish
tradition by hitting any head In sight,
regardless Of the rules of the game or
any relevant connection. and il was only
with difficulty that Lord LANsDOwNE
procured from the Earl of CREwF in
the House Of Lords. a statement of the
question that admitted of parliamentary
discussion. What is stranger stir. M
news agency or foreign correspondent
has ~ far informed the public about thu.
wording Of the bill on the acceptance
nr the rejection of which Mr.. ASQUIrH
will base his dissolution of Parliament
and his appeal ro IN" nation.
Out of this chaos certain facts emerge
that will have Ia be- borne IN mind when
considering the events Of rh" next few
days. In the tirSt pla," the famous
conference" committee, which has been
meeting for months and on which
~ many hopes of reforms wer" built
that went far beyond it, scope. seems To
have delbcrated very little and 10 have
confined itself 10 reftisals 10 agree from
both sides Its secrets have been kept
because there was no secret To keep.
and the substance of all its meetings
came ont with the statement that 1t
could not agree The I nlonlsts offered
some wholesale reform of the HOUSE Of
Lords. the Liberals demanded that even
after the reform that House should bc
-uhssryient To the will Of the Commons
and on the issue made last spring no
advance had been made when Parila-
menr met IN November. Mr.. ASoU!TH.
apparently, was Ingenious enough to
believe that his opponents would pre-
serve silence. and tried 1" rush through
dissolution Of Parliament with the IN
t-ntIon OF accusing the nIonStS OF Oh
str7I"tIon. and II looks a. though Mr.
BALFOUE had been willing 90 play into
his hands Lord LsNsDowNE. however.
who preserved some rccollectiu ion IF
parliamentary etiquette. checked the
scheme BY asking that the matter in
dispute should be presented IN some
regular form. and Lord ,REwE Wa
compelled 10 admit thai his demand wa.
reasonable and TO acCede To n
OF the purport Of the Government
Parliament bill We hav. n vet no
d"tinlt" information; It undoubtedly
contains provisions limiting IN. right
of ~" yper Hous" tn reject measures
PASSED by the Commons. The Discus
sion has, however enabled Lord LANS-
DOWNF to -ecur" from the Lords n vot"
IN the -o-call"d Rn-abcry resolutions
hy which they accept the principle Of
that ~"lf-d"rving "rdinanc" and ap-
prov" 81 the abolition Il their hereditary
i"EI-lHtIy" privilege. III" somewhat
now Chamber ha- apparently not been
changed, such ~ II j. IN" present HulIs"
e Lords - ready Ia substitute u for
itself b"cirI-" IL l. smaller. NOR" repre-
sentative. and not founded on privilege:
IN IN. question II how long the term II
0t''"" should be- whether for M" or less
they hav" not Vet decided This con
81 A
hnv" made. agreement on tins relative.
rIght- ~ III" new House and the Com
mons would probably h.. easier # the
question wCr" not complicated with
Mr.. AsoriTH's immedlat" political oblI-
cations.
Prom that l-sI" h" il seemingly anx-
ioIs 10 escape IN his address to the
Commons b" almost takes II for granted
that the Lords will not Weld and threat
"ns dissolution on "A stated day IN the
programme he presents 10 Parliament
he touches on everything but tn" q,Ics-
ton b-ior" IN" public. on IN" finance
bill. on III" labor dispute. on old age
PENSIONS. on payment for members 81
Parliament. Mr. BALFOTR Is equally
rng"r TO avoid TN" point. with his talk
OF tarif reform and the old I nionl-l
measures Both leaders should know
that an election on those iss,i.s would
return Houa" Of Commons consti-
lIt'-d substantially lik. m" last with
l"r'hcr Liberals nor Conservatives hold
lug IA working majority. and with Mr.
Esn%n%n and hi- NaiIonalIsis able 10
dIctate TO either. What's contest on