The Irish standard., 1910-03-19
The Situation in Britain Un-
dergoes Another
Change.
Lord Rosebery, in Singing
Words, Says House
of Lords
Must Be Reformed to Avoid
Contempt of the
World.

But for an unexpected defeat on a
snap division as might well have hap
pened last Monday, peace and quiet
is looked for in the house Of. commons
until after Easter, says a London dis
patch Of March 18th. But once more
the political situation has undergone
a change as result of the most in
senious move the government has
made,
It is simple and obvious piece of
political sabotage which for the mo-
ment at any rate seems to have put
the government in a stronger position
with regard to it's opponents.
BY taking a vote on account Of only
six weeks expenditure. instead, as
usual, five or six months, the money
become desperately acute by the mid
die Of May, when resolutions dealing
with the veto will be sent to the lords.
It is suggested that there be a re-
cess at that time. All power to carry
on the ordinary business Of the coun-
try Is to be brought to an end. There
will be no money to pay the civil serv-
ice or even the old age pensions and
as the money vote for the navy is
postponed there apparently will be no
money to pay the men of the fleet.
Asquith has declared that before
the May recess he will ask the assent
of the commons to the budget of 1909.
Should the house refuse to pass this
Asquith Is going to revenge himself
on the country by leaving it without
the means of carrying on it's business
and without the possibility of get
ting any until after another general
election.
The resolutions against the lords are
to precede the budget. If they are
rejected by the lords the same situa-
ton will arise.
The government, in fact, argues that
the opposition does not dare to put
it in a minority over the budget be-
cause if they do they will be obliged
to take office themselves, a course
which is impossible, as the Liberals
with their allies could Immediately
refuse them supplies.
Similarly, il the lords reject the
veto, the government will be able to
put a screw on them owing to the
financial situation. In any case,
whether the appeal to the country is
forced by the lords refusing the veto
resolutions or the commons rejecting
the budget the government will be
able to go to the electors with the
claim that the lords or Unionists have
made the payment of the old age pen
sions temporarily impossible.
Last Monday, the 14th inst, the
fight on the house of lords began in
it's own chamber, when discussion was
entered into of Lord Rosebery's self
denying ordinance providing for the
radical reform Of the upper branch of
parliament.
In stinging words of scorn Lord
Rosebery held up John Bull as q one
eyed one-legged cripple, searching for
a constitution, while his cousin across
the Atlantic looked on in contempt.
That government reform from without
would make the house of lords a
chamber in which no self-respecting
person would care to. sit was the
warning of Lord Rosebery.
The crowd present indicated tthe
general interest in the subject. Not a
seat in the chamber was vacant when
Lord Rosebery rose to move that the
house resolve itself into committee
of the whole to consider the best
means of reforming the existing or
ganization so as to constitute itself 4
strong and efficient second chamber.
At the same time he presented a
set of resolutions to the effect that
there was necessity Of strong and
efficient second chamber for the well
being of the state; that such a cham
bGr would be best obtainable by the
reform and reconstruction of the house