New-York tribune., 1911-02-05
EVE HENDRED NEW PEERS.

The statement which has been inn
sDOndent by q member OF the British
Cabinet concerning the attitude of the
King toward the proposed anti-veto leg
iSlation is of the highest interest. Brief
ly, il is TO the effect that the King, act
ing upon the advice Of Lord knOllys. has
withdrawn his former refusal and has
given Mr.. Asquith guarantees that If il
shall he necessary five hundred new
peers will be created in order 10 secure
the adoption Of the governments bill
depriving the House Of Lords Of its
present veto power To what extent
this announcement is made with the
authority of the King and the Prime
Minister who. Of course. must he the
sole responsible parties to such com
pact or is the personal utterance Of a
single member Of the Cabinet with
whom the wish may he father 10 the
statement. is yet TO he disclosed. If
the latter should prove to ne the case We
should doubtless sec before long an in
tra-ministcrial controversy which might
he more diverting to outsiders than to
participants. with perhaps some mate
rial effect upon the general political sit
uation.
Assuming tho announcement tO be
fully authentic. however, il IS obvious
that il marks the imminence Of one Of
the most extraordinary revolutions In
the history of the kingdom. Nothing Of
the kind has ever been attempted be-
fore. The threat to pack the House Of
Lords i'm favor Of the reform bill was
not comparable with II. partly because
il did not involve the creation Of any
thing like so many peers and still more
because the purpose was so radically diff
fcrent. In that case the new peers
would have continued to exercise all the
powers and privileges Of their house.
and would merely have voted 10 permit
the other house 10 reform itself But
in this case the new peers would be
created for the purpose of Immediately
reducing the powers and privileges OF
their own house-that is. Of reducing
themselves toward the status of legiSla-
tive nonentities. That would be re-
markabe thing to do. II is proverbial
that EngliShmen cOvet peerages. but IT
would he interesting 10 read the mind
and scan the emotions of an active,
fOrceful. ambitious member Of the House
If Commons who was invited 10 give up
his place there in order to become a
member Of mere debating society Of
elegant social composition but with no
ultimate political authority And. OF
course. the men who would be asked TO
do this are the very men 10 whom such
step would he most repugnant The
new peers would he the men who are
most hostile 10 and contcmptuous Of the
House Of Lords,
The effect upon the House Of Com
mons. particularly upon the Liberal side
Of it, would he serious II Is incon-
ceivable that either the King or the
Prime Minister would think If elevating
crowd of nobodies to the pccrage.
Social If not patriotic considerations
would forbid that. The five hundred
new peers would have to he men Of
ability and standing. If only one-fifth
Of them were drawn from the Com
mons the Liberal party there would he
gravely depleted. 4 large number Of its
most useful men would he practically
withdrawn from efficient legislative life,
and il would not be easy 10 nil their
places. II these new peers were simply
intended "a cqunlize the balance of
parties in house of unimpaircd legis-
Iatiye authority. as was the case In re