El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-08

to vote in general elections to control
through their representative matters Of
legislation, provided, that these same
electors have approved Tory legislation
by electing a majority of Tory mem
bers to the house. But the constitu-
ton, in its present form, does not per-
nit the people to register their will in
statutory law if they approve Of Lib
eral legislation by electing majority
of Liberal members. This difficulty
having lately become so patent that no
man dares to deny the existence of
the fact, the leaders Of both parties
agreed that the house of lords must be
reconstructed. And upon that question
Of the reconstruction of the uppeE.
chamber depends the future Of the Brit
ish constitutions future today in the
hands Of the electors of the united
chamber.
Questions Become Acute.
The questions involved in this great
constitutional controversy first became
acute In 1906, when the Liberal party
carried the country by a tremendous
majority in the house of commons The
commons passed an education bill, pro-
viding for the divorce of church and
state in the management and control of
the common schools-1 This bill was mu-
tilated beyond recognition by the ire
spohsible house of lords licensing
bill, aimed at a restriction of the liquor
traffic, met similar fate bill TO
restrict plural voting on property quail
ification also was rejected by the peers.
Their lordships made it quite plain to
the leaders of the majority in the house
Of commons that no bill Incorporating
the principles of progressive economic
or social philosophy would be toler-
ated
Commons Claims Sole Right.
Nearly thrre centuries ago. under the
leadership of Oliver Cromwell, the COM
mons asserted their exclusive right and
power to control the purse strings Of
the nation. After the restoration of
the monarchy the house of commons
solemnly proclaimed by a series of res
olutions that the commons had the sole
right to levy taxes, to make expendi-
lures on the public account, and TO
have absolute control of all money
bills without let or hindrance in the
house Of lords. For nearly three centu-
ries this claim of the commons was not
questioned The king. in his speech
from the throne, always was careful to
direct his remarks concerning revenues
and expenditures solely to the COM
mons, expressly excluding the lords.
The special interests of aristocracy
and plutocracy represented in the upper
chamber and having no stomach for de-
mocracy, Needed well the lesson of the
Cromweilian revolution and cheerfuily
admitted by noncontention the exclu-
sive control of the commons over the
purse strings. But of course the arts
tocrats and plutocrats were not willing
{ 10 give UP their actual control of the
treasury, so they instituted a system
OF controlling the house of commons by
means of members returned from rot
ton borough and by the most shameless
bribery and corruption. During all that
time the electors went through the
form of sending their representa- tives
to parliament, but the majority of the
members of the house were controlled
by the great lords of privilege and no.
bic birth.
Enactment of Reform Bill.
Finally the people became indignant
threw off their shackles of corruption
and managed. in 1892. to compel the
enactment of the reform bill, which
materially advanced the TNoraI condi-
ton Of British politics. and which
seemed to give to the people the right
to control their own affairs. But there
was no party representing true democ-
racy- There was a Tory aristocracy.
and Wing aristocracy. Whether Con-
sentative Or Liberal every political
leader belonged TO what was known as
the ruling class" and there was not
one who failed to recognize the de-
mands OF caste.
In 1906 the recognized and recon-
structed Liberal party won the election
and the affairs of government were
turned over to ministry in which the
Wing element was overwhelmed by The
modern progressive democratic element.
For the first time the plain people Of
England and not the ruling classes had
majority in parliament. The fate cf
the legislation they initiated has been
outlined. Every measure Jiad in the
house Of lords. But the commons still
had the power of the purse They re-
solved to attack the bulwarks of he
aristocracy by exercising their exclu-
sive power of taxation, realizing to the
full that the power to tax is the power
to destroy. They attacked t!le land
monopoly.
Taxing Land Values
The budget of 1909, introduced BY
David Lloyd-George, chancellor of the
exchequer, provided for the taxation of
land values. The house of lords, made
up Of the owners of mora than three
fourths of all the land in Great Brit
ain, refused to submit their property 10
taxation. They rejected the BUDGET
The controversy was referred to the