New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-02
THE CROWN IN POLITICS
Partisan Appeals to Loyalty
Constitutional Reform.
London. April %


week the chairman protested against tn,
t:nwarranted introduction Of the Kings
i.ame into the controversy between tina
two houses. Mr.. Peel. member for the
borough. supported a remonstrancs
against "the attempt OF the govern
ment, for a discreditat4c end. to assaiI
the constitutional position OF the King
and TO destroy the present basis of
the constitution" The resolution waz
carried with fervid enthusiasm. and ths
audience. after singing the national
anthem. cheered Justify for the King.
/ There have been equally significant
demonstrations in other towns, and Tiers
are indications Of an organized effort On
the part of the Unionists to condemn thu
Radical Nationalist coalition for disloy-
atty to the crown These oveTzealous
partisans do not seem TO understand
! that they themselves are dragging the
crown into politics when they raise this
| issue Of loyalty and assume that tho
Prime Minister and his Cabinet ascot
ates are disloyal- The Radicals have
taken the same course in denouncing the
Lords as conspfratoT5 against the soy
ereign and in Justifytng the demand for
guarantees as Il neeesssry measure cf
defence Of royal prerogativs.
Lord Rosebery is not the only on
locker who Is anxious to have TarfH Pa
form temporarily dropped and to hs~s
the constitutional issue emphasized IN
the impending elections There are
many peers who consider ~ necessary
for the moderate Liberals and the stall
wart Conservatives TO rally for the de-
fence Of the throne Prominent men IN
close touch with the court hold this
view and are convinced that loyalty II
the sovereign Is the paramount issue in
the constitutional crisis.
The result Of the next general elections
would not be IN doubt IL there we're 2
straight fight between loyalty and dis
LOYALTY. Monarchy was never stronger
In England than il ia at present for the
King has earned the respect and graft
tude Of his subjects b. his statesman
like diplomacy and his services to tbs
world as It's most useful and pacific
citizen. His personality and Untqus
authority ara the golden links which
bind together the self governing estates
Of the empire. A government even sus-
pectet OF cis1oyalty to the King would
be Inevitably driven our OF power by 4
surs1Hg wave % popular dlsarprovaL
For this reason extreme partisans. Who
did not hesitate to excite national pretu-
dice against Germany in the last gen
eraI election. are now looking about for
a plausible pretext for discrediting the
LIBERAL government as disIoyai 70 rhs
crown I'm seeking guarantees for tive
creation of peers and in raad5ustinz TIE
existing relations of the houses.
The formation Of o COn5titutlOnaitst
PARTY at the present time Is rendered
difficult. If not quite trnDractic1bls. hT
the fact that the necessity for reform ~
conceded on all sides. The British con-
suItutlon, If 10 has not broken down. has
Leen overstrained and put out Of gear
The Lords IN saspendins the budget and
In forcing an appeal to the country dis
turbed the financial precedents OF gen
erations and threw the constitutional
system out OF balance Parliamentary
government can never be the same,
either in principle or in practice as IL
was before this exercise by the Lords II
a suspensige veto on finance and a de-
cisive influence in effecting a dissOlu-
tion Of Parliament.
The system urgently requires recon-
struction. This is proved at once by the
veto resolutions, which have passed the
Commons, and also by the reform res
OIutions, which have been adopted tY
the Lords. Both parties are unequIvo-
caHy committed to constitutional re-
form. Neither Unionists nor Liberals
can undertake 10 pose as constitution
alists unaIterably opposed TO readjust-
ment of existing mechanism OF legfsia-
ton and administration. \ new order
in the relations OF the houses is in
evftabIa and the crown will be more or
less affected by the changes which are
to be worked out
This conclusion is not contested By
partisans on either side; and yet there
IS 2 shriH demand that the sovereign
shall not be drawn into party COntTO-
versies. VIII it be possible TO keep him
out Of these processes of constitutional
revision If the Lords set their hOuss
in order by modifying the hereditary
principle and Introducing an electiTs
basis they viii impair the royal pre-
negative, and Radical ministers viii
alter the relations and responsibilities
Of the crown If they succeed in restrict
ing the veto Of the upper chamber and
In establishing the supremacy Of the
lower house in general legislation How
can these questions be taken up With
cut disturbance OF royal functions AVID
prerogativs2
Parliament STRICTLY, includes Hin=r
Lords and Commons cooperating fer
legislative ends, and the crown 10 tho
head of the executive administration.
with ministers DIS constitutional ddVII~
ers aud dependent with them upon tbs
will of the legislative chambers. TH5
Kings relations to all this complex
are ascertained BIZ preCs-
dents historical events and processes
Of political evolution; and the system
cannot be made over or readjusted 20
new conditions without consideration %
his own sovereign rights as a COnsutu-
lional ruler.
Since the Georgian retgnS there has
been ar orderly sequence of Cunstttu-
tionaI change without menace OF UevOlu-