Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-22
Practically Shorn Of All
Governing Power.
Notice Served Thai King viii
See The Veto Bill Passed,
VIII Only Possess Power Of Veto,
With a 2.year Limit.

accomplished fact. Great Britain in
the future will he governed practical
| ly by the House of Commons, with
its hereditary upper House possessing
only a veto with a time limit of two
years The Peers find their one
CLEAN of hope in the predictions that
the next Conservative government
will overturn Asquiths revolution
. and restore the old conditions, but
the Radicals are confident that in
such matters the hands of the clock
| will never turn back.
The future career of the veto bill
was apparent II all politicians yes
tcrday and its eventual acceptance
by the House of Lords was not
doubted. Premier Asquith dispelled
all clouds today by communicating
informally to Mr.. Balfour, leader of
the opposition in the House of COM
mons. the substance of an announce
ment which he will make in that
| House en- Monday. His letter which
Mr.. Balfour communicated to the
meetings of the Lords this afternoon.
was brief and to the point. The
| prime minister said that the King
/ mad agreed to take such measures
| as were necessary to secure the pass
age of the bill and this dashed the
lingering hope a few peers had cher
ished that the Crown would refuse to
lend its authority to weakening the
| prestige of the nobility which stands
between the Crown and the people.
The premier.s letter was as follows
| Dear Mr.. Balfour-I think it is
courteous and right. before any public
| m OF
know how we regard the political sit
uation. When the Parliament bill in
the form which it has now assumed re-
turns to the House of Commons we
shall be compelled to ask that House
to disagree with the Lords amend
ments. In the circumstances. should
! the necessity arise. the government
| will advise the King to exercise his
pretogative to secure the passing into
law of the bill in substantially the
same form in which it left the House
of Commons and His Majesty has been
pleased to signify that he will consider
| it his duty to accept and act on that
advice.
| yours Sincerely.
| H. r. ASQUITH."
| This was a day of caucuses. Three
4
uation. The cabinet assembled early
with full attendance and sat for two
hours Later the Conservative leaders
of both houses met at Mr. Balfour's
residence. The Marquis of Lansdowne.
Lord Curzon of Kedlestone. the Mar
quis of Londonderry. the Earl of Sell
berne, Austen Chamberlain, the Right
Hon. Henry Chaplin. the Earl of Halls
AT Of "a
| were the principal figures in the con-
ference.
The last and most impressive gathering
was at Lansdowne House. which has been
the scene of many important political
meetings but none as historic as this.
More than 200 peers. among them almost
all the greatest names of their order as
sembled and listened to the reading of
the prime minister's letter and practically
decided that they must accept the inev-
| table with the bestsgrace they can.
| Lord Lansdowne Lord Haisbury. the
Duke of Norfolk. the Duke of Devon
shire, the Duke of Bedford. Lord Sails
bury, the Duke of Somerset. Lord Curzon.
Lord Selborne and several lesser lights
made speeches, after which statement
was given out that the peers reserved
decision as to their course until Premier
| Asduith's announcement of the policy OF
the government on Monday Apparently
| this was mere temporizing. The lords are
not anxious TO emphasize their surrender,
but. speaking privately. few failed to say
that they no longer consider themselves.
| In Lord Transformers words. free agents
and will yield to the governments threat
to invoke the prerogative of the crown.
of Jo1c 20
the Extremists, strobe out of the
grounds with fire in his eye.
While his compeers admire his stand
for the prestige of the upper chamber
most of them regard him as an an
archronist.
What is going to happen?" was
asked by one lord.
Government by a cabinet controll
ed by rank Socialists" was the tart re-
ply.
Consideration for the King was Civ
en- by many as the chief reason for
debating this policy. What the Kings
feelings are cannot be known. but it is
generally believed that he is anxious
to avoid the necessity of creating a
great number of new peers. 1t is un-
| derstood that the King always thought
| that he was bound to follow the ad-
vice of the constitutional ministers
This question, however. is distasteful
TO MN, and all the responsibility rests
on the shoulders of the ministers, not
his
IL Is understood that when the concilia-
ton committee met in June, 1910. there
was an agreement that the Kings course,
II the conference failed to solve the prob
lem. should be guided by the result of the
general election and by the fact that his
rather contemplated the same action.
Premier Asquiths letter gives grounds
for the belief that the government will
accept some minor notifications of its
bill. Those considered most probable are.
Placing outside the bil's scope and nro.
posals dealing with the succession 10 the
crown, and the concession of commit
tee to assist the Speaker in determining
what are money bill, but instead of a
!, joint committee of the two houses, which
the lords desire, the government Is ex-
| pected to insist that the COMMITTEES be
| eOmDOSed only of fnpruhp,g nf tho I,,,ao