El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-26
ENGLAND'S LA WDlAKLNG BODIES
The House Of Lords The House OF Commons
and English Elections
The House Of Lords
VI and WI The English Elections.

ONDON, Eng, Jan. 26.-"Down with
the lords" cried the Liberals and
Laborites during the parliamen-
tary campaign Down with social
ISM" was the retort of the Conserva-
tlyes and Unionists. The Liberals tried
to keep the political battle conferred
upon this one issue-the Conservatives
devoted their energies 10 directing the
public interest TO other problems.
The house OF lords was clearly an
issue in the campaign, however, and I
Is probable that its fate is sealed. One
OF the peculiar features Of this peculiar
campaign has been that each party pos
sessed an issue which seems certain
OF ultimate success, regardless Of the
results now. The Liberal campaign
against the house of lords VIII end,
eventually, in the abolition or reform
of that chamber; and the Conservative
advocacy of tariff reform cannot fail.
eventually, to have its effect upon the
British fiscal system
"Down With the Lords"
Down with the lords:" became the
battle cry of the Liberals when the
house of lords. despite the accepted
theory that the lords had no right to
interfere in financial legislation, reject
ed the Lloyd-GeOrge budget in Noven-
Der by attaching an amendment calling
for dissolution of parliament and
general election Although the lords
made much of this referendum and
pleaded its popular appeal in reply to
all charges OF unconstitutional action,
they and their supporting party tried
to make the election turn on other is
sues
Down with the lo-dsr was shouted
from every stump, was blazoned on
every wall, was preached from many
pulpits, was reiterated in every Liberal
newspaper. But il is still true that an
Englishman dearly loves a lord, and
the campaign did not create onetenfh
the excitement along this line that
might be expected by republican
American.
House of Lords
The house of lords IS an institution
entirely unique in the world, since &C is
the last legislative chamber in which
membership is held by right of hered-
ity. Every other monarchy on earth
has abolished this principle. for, al
though in several European and Asiatic
states there is an upper house COM
posed exclusively OF mobiles, yet the
voting members must be selected with
a view to their personal fitness for the
business Of legislation.
The house of lords has, under the
British form Of government, three dis
tinct theoretical functions. The peers
are first, a council of advice to the
sovereign; second. the supreme court OF
appeal In all legal matters; and. third,
branch of the legislature. Their func-
ton as council of advice to the crown
is a mere fiction, that office having
been usurped centuries ago by the
privy council, which in turn lost its
power, by gradual stages. during the
18th and 18th centuries, to the cabinet
or ministry, which still retains all the
power to advise and control the SOW
ereign.
The Supreme Court.
AS the supreme court Of appeal, the
622 peers Of the house OF lords have
delegated their powers to four law
lords, and, curiously enough these four
are not properly peers at all The 622
lords not having the necessary legal
knowledge, industry or patience TO at
tend to this business, it has become
customary to appoint great lawyers as
life peers, their titles not descending.
court Of the United Kingdom. and have
the same relation TO the Jurisprudence
of England that the supreme court Of
the United States bears 20 that Of Amer
lea.
Yet there is not a case which comes
to this highest court in which any or
all of the 622 peers might not sit II
they were so disposed. All that pre-
vents their packing the supreme court
in this manner Is precedent and a Gus
tom, but 1t is not so old, nor is it con-
sidered so sacred. as that other con-
vention and custom which was disre-
garded when the lords rejected the bud
get.
Princes. ArchDishops, Etc.
The house of lords consists of three
princes of the blood royal, two arch
bishops, % dukes. % marquesses, ia
earls, 40 viscounts. "a bishops. $50
barons. all of England. In addition
there are Is representative Scotch peers
chosen by the whole body OF Scottish
peers: % representative Irish peers.
chosen in the same manner, and the four
legal life peers. This makes q grand
total of 622. OF this number not more
than 100 at the outside. have anything
to do with the business of the house on
ordinary occasions.
The majority OF the peers never visit
the house at all, unless summoned for
some unusual occasion like the coro-
nation of a new sovereign or the re-
lection of a bill sent up from Liberal
house of commons. When the Conser-
!, vative party is in power the lords Go
nothing. The bills from the house pass
without question. When the Liberals
come into power the lords awake to
activity and they have managed. in one
way or another. to block or mutilate
rotary pa lliucer in connection with the