The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-30
FORCES ARRAYED
IN PARLIAMENT
Premier Asquith Sounds Warn
ing to House of Lords
POWER TO BE CUT DOWN
British Leader Says That Lords shall
Have No Part in Financial Legis-
Intion and Other Restric-
lions VIII Follow

London. March 29.-The house of CON-
mons moved up into closer range with
the house of lords today, and a pro-
| foundly significant stage of the fight be-
tween the two houses was commenced.
The lower chamber held an excited
crowd when Premier Asquith moved that
the house go into committee of the whole
to consider the governments resolution
looking to the abolition of the veto
power of the lords, on which the pre-
mier gave notice on March p.
Briefly stated, Mr.. Asauiths three res
olutions provide that the lords shall have
no part in financial legislation; that their
power over other legislation shall con-
sist only in compelling elaboration, but
not beyond the life of a single parlia-
ment; and that the term of parliament
shall be limited to five years, instead of
seven, as at present.
Mr. Asquith traced the course OF events
eliminating with the lords interference
with the budget measure, in the last
parliament, and declared that the subse-
quent general elections had given the
house of commons express authority to
There was both room and need for a
second chamber, he said, but of such
body the present house of lords was only
a caricature.
Mr.. Asquth said he desired to see the
predominance of the house of commons
in legislation. The government believed
that this was the sheet anchor of Great
Britains representative system. proper
second chamber must, he commended, be
relatively small in numbers. and must
rest upon a democratic. and not hered-
itary base-must be a body which, by
virtue of composition and atmosphere.
will not be governed by partisanship, and
must be tempered against panic, but at
the same time responsible to and depend
ent upon the opinion and will of the
nation.
Premier Asquith, continuing his adj
dress in support of the governments
veto resolutions, said that he did not
favor referendum as TO the means of
settling the deadlock of the two houses.
He would like joint session, provided
both chambers had democratic basis. but
he did not think that a joint session was
applicable to Great Britains existing leg
islation. Therefore, he said, the only
means for overcoming the present diff
ficulties was the Limitation of the veto
of the lords, coupled with a shortening
of the duration of parliaments, which he
thought would insure that the popular
will would not be frustrated.
The royal veto was dead as Queen
Anne. he said, and the absolute veto of
the lords must follow before the road is
cleared for the advent of a full-grown
and unfettered democracy.
A. J. Balfour, the leader of the oppo
sition, followed the prime minister, whose
proposal he characterized. as the most
absurd experiment in constitution max
ing upon which any government ever
embarked"
It would be madness, he said, to adopt
the changes, which would remove all
safeguards from the affairs Of finance.
He could not conceive a more inaus-
picious moment for the suggestion that
the lords had exceeded their powers In
rejecting the money bill, than now, when
everybody knew that if the house of
commons voted on the merits of the
budget without regard to Interior mo-
tives like home rule, the financial meas
ures would be rejected. Mr.. Balfour con-
tended that the existence of the house of
lords was more necessary than ever now,
when modern radicalism has revolution
airy ideals and aims upon which the peo-
pie should be consulted before their final
adoption.
Mr. Balfour intimated that IL this
'really grotesque proposal ever became
a law, the conservatives would promptly
remove it from the statute books when
they returned to power.
John E. Redmond, leader Of the ma
tionalists, congratulated Mr.. Asquith upon
the substance of his resolutions, which,
he said, would be supported heartily by
himself and friends.