Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-03-04
CURB POWER OF
PEERS IS PLAN
ASQUITH URGES
EXCLUDE HOUSE OF LORDS FROM
DOMAIN OF FINANCE, AN
NOUNCES PREMIER.
GIVES ADDRESS TO COMMONS.
Cabinet and Liberals Will Stake Every
thing Upon the Successful Ac-
compiShment.

LONDON, Feb. 2S.-Financial bust
ness first and the question of the House
IF Lords second was the programme laid
down by Premier Asquith in a statement
made to the House of Commons this aft
ernoon, in moving that government bust
ness have precedence III every sitting up
to March "a
When Parliament reassembled after
the Easter recess, so the premier said,
the government would present resOlu-
lions affirming the necessity of excluding
the upper house altogether from the do
main of finance and restricting to other
legislation the Lords power to veto.
Stake All on Result.
To obtain this, the government, he add
ed, would use all methods that seemed
proper and adequate within the limits of
the constitution, and upon the successful
accomplishment the cabinet and Liberal
party would stake not only the fortunes
Of the ministry, but also existence as II
party.
The premier explained his programme
at some length and the intense interest
with which those in the crowded chamber
listened testified to the Importance at
tached to the plans of the government
The exigencies of the financial situation
were such, the premier declared, that the
vote on the army and navy bills covering
the borrowings, and other urgent de-
mands much occupy the whole time of
the House of Commons up to March "A,
when adjournment would be taken to
March 20.
Curtail Power of Veto.
Immediately when Parliament was re-
assembled. he said, the government
would introduce resolutions excluding the
House of Lords altogether from the do
m n in Of declaring
other legislation the lords power of
veto should remain as at present.
In other legislation the power of veto
as at present possessed by the House of
Lords should be limited so as to secure
a predOminanCe for the House of Com
mons during the lifetime of a single
Parliament.
Continuing, the prime minister said it
would be made plain that these changes
were without prejudice, and that the
government contemplated in the suisse
quent year the substitution in the second
chamber of a democratic for an hered
itary basis. A bill giving in effect the
operative part of the resolutions would
then be introduced, Mr.. Asquith said,
but in order to avoid waste of time and
labor and to bring the matter to an issue
at the earliest possible moment the reSo-
Iutions would be submitted to the House
of Lords.
AT the conclusion OF MS speech MT.
AsQuith was greeted with loud minis
terial cheers, mingled with Unionist cries
of where is the bUdget?"
Balfour Twits Premier
A. j. Balfour, the opposition leader,
twitted the premier on the quick changes
in the government programme and the
abandonment of pledges with regard to
the budget under pressure from those
who had a passionate desire to destroy
the lords, but who did not have a pas
sionate desire to pass the peoples" bud
get The premier's only consideration,
Mr. Balfour said, seemed to be to keep
the cabinet together ..*
John Redmond, the Nationalist leader,
declared that nothing that the prime
minister has said alters my view and
we ought to vote against the resolution"
Mr.. Redmond complained that Premier
Asquith had not made it clear what he
would do if the House of Lords rejected
the resolutions. The Nationalist leader
declared that if Mr.. Asquth would give
a definite promise that in the event of
the House of Lords hanging up the reso-
lutions he would go to the King and
ask for guarantees, and if refused, would
resign, in the meantime suSpending CON
sderation of the budget, the Irish Ma
tionalists would support the resolutions.
Otherwise the Nationalist must vote
against the premier'S motion.