Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-26

quorum OF the House Of Lords and less
than twenty have more than once mega
tived the work Of the commons without
consideration or argument. In one instance
the representatives Of both parties from
Scotland were supporting a bill which APP
piled only to Scotland. II passed the
House Of Commons unanimously and was
unanimously rejected by the House Of
Lords, seventeen peers being present, be-
cause, as one of the leaders said. I'VE had
rather have the word of one Scotch peer
than OF all the people in Scotland"
In 1871 in the reign OF Charles II. and
Immediately after the House OF Lords and
the king had been restored. the commons
passed a resolution claiming absolute con-
troll over the finances of the nation. This
exclusive right was never afterwards SER
iously disputed until the rejection of the
Lloyd-George budget. But until 1892, under
the corrupt elections and rotten borough
system, the peers actually controlled the
House of Since the enactment
Of the reform bill, which was passed
against the terrific opposition of the lords,
the two houses have been growing further
and further apart. But always, until now,
the lords have admitted that the commons
had the exclusive control over the finances
tho sole power of the pursestrings. The
crown has admitted this, the speech from
the throne always addressing the COM
mons separately when discussing revenue
and disbursements Of unds.
That the sudden use of this m~oribund
power was revolutionary is proved by the
fact that it was generally considered an
impossibility. Less than eighteen months
ago in the Commons. Mr.. Balfour, who led
the campaign for the lords, said: I'VE all
know that the power of the House of Lords
is limited by the fact that 1t cannot touch
these money bills which, IL II could deal
with, no doubt It could bring the whole
executive machinery OF the country to a
standstill." The late Lord Salisbury, q
-pre-eminent conservative leader, said In
1891: The House of Lords takes no share
whatever in that which Is the most Inn
portant part Of the annual, constant bust
ness of every legislative body, viz, the
provision of funds by which the public
service is to be carried on, and the de-
termination of the manner in which these
services are to be carried on
William Pitt, in 1866, in speaking against
the American colonies stamp act, said
'"The taxes are n voluntary gift Of the
commons alone. In legislation the three
states Of the realm are alike concerned,
but the concurrence of the peers and the
crown to a tax is only necessary to clothe
1t with the form Of a law. The gift and
grant is of the commons alone" In fact,
this principle OF the constitution never had
been questioned from the time Of Oliver
Cromwell until It was found necessary to
do something to prevent the principle OF
taxation OF land values from becoming a
part Of the British system OF taxation.
In 1898. under the leadership of Mr.. Glad
stone, the m passed a home rule
bill for Ireland. The lords sent out a wild
alarm n many peers who never before
had seen the inside of the hambe at
tended to vote against the bill, which was
rejected by a vote of 419 to A. Since that
time the lords have rejected and amended
many bills sent up from liberal commons
never those from conservative houses.
Then came this much discussed Lloyd
George budget, Another alarm was sounded
ahdsthe "wiId peers, as theytare. called,
trooped in. Many of these backwoodsmar
peers. who hold the right to vote in q
legislative assembly by virtue of birth, had
never before taken their seats, and dozens
Of them did not know how the division, OF
process Of voting, was conducted. The
budget was rejected by a vote of $50 to Is
Even then there were 1877 lords not presen,
or not voting.
While the conservative party attempted tc
place the emphasis upon other questions
1t did not shrink from its task Of defend.
ing the lords, despite the old speeches OF
Mr.. Balfour, Mr.. Chamberlain and Other
leaders which were so widely quoted by
the liberals. One of the leaflets circulated
by the national union of conservative as
sociations said: why not abolish the
House of Commons, because it often vetoei
the legislation Of the House of Lords
The House of Lords has the older standing
the greater intellect. and, above all, the
freedom to consider questions on their owl
merits alone, which the House of Com.
mons, subject as 1t is to electoral caprice
can never have" That hundreds of thou.
sands of copies Of this leaflet were dis.
tributed broadcast throughout the kingdom
is proof sufficient that the Englishmar
still dearly loves a lord. Nevertheless, &
great many Englishmen are thoroughly II
earnest when they cry: Down with thu
Lords!"
ny RREDERIC ]. HASKM,
Tomorrow-The English Elections
vu-Ths House Of Commons.