El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-10
\ EFoRM of the house of lords hs

n EFORM of the house of lords has
X been discussed in a desultory
- fashion, both IN and out OF that
body, for many years past. No posi-
tive action looking toward the adoption
of a practical reform scheme was taken
until about three years ago, when lord
Roseberry secured the adoption or
resolution providing for committee to
consider ways and means of changing
the constitution of the upper chamber
of the British legislature to conform
more nearly with the needs Of the
times. This action, taken early in
1908, followed the-great Liberal cleo
toral triumph of 1906.
New Liberal Party Very Different.
The new Liberal party, which came
into power nearly five years ago, was
different party, much more demo-
cratic party, than the Liberal party
which had last controlled the British
government under the premiership OF
lord Roseberry. The house Of lords
perceived that the new radical govern
ment was determined TO destroy some
if not many, OF the special privileges
enjoyed by the aristocratic and pluto
cratic classes represented in the house
of lords. Peers who called themselves
Liberals, and who, indeed, were influ-
enced by Whiggish traditions. were in
clined to Stave off destruction by max
ing concessions. Thus it was lord Rose
berry, the successor of Gladstone as the
titular head of the Liberal party, who
first took up the guage Of battle laid
down by the militant Democracy Of the
commons. The committee formed I'M
der his resolution met, lord Roseberry
was its chairman, it made long re-
port, and that report speedily found
it's way into a pigeonhole never again
to see the light Of day. The Tory lords
were not yet sufficiently frightened to
take counsel of their WhiggiSh breth-
rem.
Commons and Lords Wrangle.
Then came the dispute between the
commons and lords with reference to
the land values taxation proposed in
the Lloyd-George budget. The peers
rejected the finance bill and forced a
dissolution of parliament and general
election in which they were defeated
and the commons were sustained. I'M
mediately the prime minister in his Of
fetal capacity as the head of the gov
eminent decided 70 force the fighting
by a declara ton that his majesty s
government would not again proceed
with the business or general legislation
until after it had obtained assurance
that it had some reasonable prospect Of
The peers personally. and the Con-
servative-UniOnist party collectively,
had discovered in the election campaign
of January, 1910, that it would be ut
terly impossible to defend before the
electors of the kingdom the hereditary
principle as a basis for the continual
ton of the upper chamber of parlia-
ment Then the Tory peers turned ca
gerly toward lord Roseberry and in
everything but name chose him to lead
their faction. Lord Roseberry. whilom
Liberal premier, refused to unite him
self to the Tory party and described
himself as standing aloof from all par
ty politics" Nevertheless the Roseber-
ry scheme was adopted as the basis of
the Tory plan of reform of the house Of
lords, and late in the present campaign
lord Roseberry openly Joined the Tory
ranks.
No one knows in detail what was
proposed on either side in the conStitu-
tional conferences. but it is accepted on
all sides that the opposition to the
government made a series of proposals