El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-14

the sense of the resolution of 1873
which stood for nearly three centuries
as an integral part of the British con-
stftution Both Tories and Wings sub
scribed TO and supported this doctrine.
and their successors, the Conservatives
and Liberals. without division agreed
that the commons possessed this undis-
puted constitutional right
Even the leaders of the present
struggle to recoup the lost and abro-
gated powers Of the peers, emphatic
ally expressed themselves on this queS-
ton. Joseph Chamberlain, in 1884.
said: Are the lords to dictate to us.
the people of England? Are you go
ing to be governed by yourselves-or
will you submit to an oligarchy which
is the mere accident of birth? Your an
cestors resisted kings and abated the
pride of monarchs, and 1t Is inconceiv-
able that you should be so careless OF
your great heritage as now to submit
your liberties to this miserable minor
ity OF individuals who rest their
claims upon privilege and upon acct
dent
AS late as October s, 1908. Arthur j.
Balfour. the leader of the Conservative
party, said: TT is the house OF COM
mons, not the house OF lords. which
settles, uncontrolled, our financial sys-
tenn" This was but a reiteration Of
Mr.. Balfour's proudful boast that he
is house of commons man."
But all this was before the house Of
commons ever had escaped from the
leading strings OF the sOcalled govern
ing class" 1t was before the time had
come when the landlords 10 longer
could control legislation in the COM
mons as in the lords. 1t was before
Loyd-George, as the champion of the
average man. had challenged TO NOR
tai combat the panoplied knights OF
the survival of feudalisn.
That doughty Welshman of the blood
of Arthur and OF the kidney OF the
Tudors, first convincing his own po-
litical allies. brought in the first
budget of his administration as chan
cellor OF the exchequer, and in that
budget he proposed a tax on land. For
a year the budget was buffeted about
in the house of commons. finally pass
ing without a division
1t went TO the house of lords And
there the monstrous proposition was
made that even the Sanctity of con-
stitutional precedent should not stand
in the way of defending the privileges
of the Handwriting classes. Messen-
gers went into the bypaths and hedges
and rounded up backwoOds peers who
had not been TO London since the ad-
vent of the era of electric lights. Noble
bucolic earls inquired their way
through the unknown precincts of
Westminster, while decrepit, diseased
and imbecile peers were carried bod
lily into the chamber of the house OF
lords TO vote against the adoption of
the budget
Mr.. Chamberlain, Mr.. Balfour and
other distinguished commoners of the
Conservative stripe at once were forced
into a position Of defending the revo-
lutionary procedure on the part Of the
lords. and in spite of their previous
utterances they did not vote for the
resolution passed by the commons early
last December after the lords had re-
jected the budget That resolution re-
affirmed the ancient rights of the lower
house in these words: That the ac-
ton of the house of lords in refusing
to pass into law the financial provis-
ions made by the house is breach OF
the constitution and a usurpation Of
the rights of the commons"
The whole question was referred TO
the country by the dissolution OF par
lament and general election CAM
paign was begun. The issue in that
campaign ought TO have been the cause
OF the People VS.. the Peers. but it was
fought on the merits Of the budget,
rather than the constitutional rights OF
the commons; upon tariff reform rather
than upon the principles OF taxation;
upon the alleged Objectionable person.
ality Of Mr.. Lloyd-George, rather than
upon the right or wrong Of the po-
litical revolution which he represents.
This one thing is certain-the crisis
OF last year has cast the house OF
lords into the melting pot and that
body must be reformed. IN letter II not
In spirit: or abolished. in effect II not
in fact; before there can be political
peace in Britain