New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-10
THE PUPPET PLAY
Liberal Man9uvres-The Union.
list Policy. ~
London, March ..

approaching nanPuNT"S against fhA
Lords. Tie editor Of The Westmins,sr.
Gazette" adopts Sir Henry Lucy's sus.
gestion Of the propagation OF Parliamen,
for a single day II the governments veto
bill be rejected by the upper house ANA
the reintroduction and rapid passage ~
the measure through the Commons wifi,
tho creation 81 the hundreds OF peers
requisite for enacting H. He amend,
the forecast at single point by assum-
ing that the government. after the re-
introduction Of the bill at the second
session, will not wait for the second
reading In the Lords. but Will produc.
at once the heavy battalions Of puppst.
At first sight these proposals seen n
imply that the Prime Minister has re-.
ceived the guarantees from the crown
with the condition imposed that the veto.
or parliament, bill shall be passed twIca
by the Commons before the peers can
be created. There is, however ths
plausible explanation that second s.s.
sion VIII be necessary. II the Lords
either reject the bill or fatally emascu-
late IT by amendments.
a Propagation for day or g. week
Will be an unusual but not unprecedented
device, If the King in accedlng to tho
Prime Minister'S request for guarantees
last January stipulated that the meas
ure should be passed anew by the Com
mons at a second session. Whether ia.
suggestion be forecast ~ crafty
nanRuvrc. or an Intelligent anticipa-
ton OF a necessary safeguard against
summary rejection OF the Parliament
bill on second reading. A precedent has
already been discovered for IL by impul-
eive Radical Journalists. They assert
that William TIT prorogued Parliament
from October ~ till October %. 1889. N
order to enable his ministers TO reintro.
duce the bill Of rights. concerning which
q difference had arisen between the two
houses that was fatal 70 its progress.
AS Macaulay relates the details. there
was a recess from August until october
10. and the bill OF rights, which had pre-
viously been dropped through alterca-
tons between the houses, was again In
troduced and speedily passed Neither
HalIam nor Macaulay mentions the
propagation for two days. but the rein.
PRODUCTION and passage OF the constltu-
tionel contract between the sovereign
and the houses of Parliament at q sup.
Elementary session are authoritatiyely
recorded.
The creation Of hundreds OF peers,
whether the propagation for a day oc.
ours or not Is the only radical alterna-
tive for the rejection OF the Parliament
measure. Old Tories in their moments
Of extreme detection console themselves
with the reflection that the King will
never consent to drastic measures for
humiliating and discrediting the peer
age. They forget that william ", while
obstinate enough to dismiss ministry
which had both Parliament and the
country behind It, was prepared in the
last resort to create the peers needed for
the passage Of the reform bill, and would
have done 1t II they had not SURRENDERED.
George ! was the only sovereign who
could be prevailed upon to renounce or
limit his prerogative Of making peers:
and the Commons. while rejecting con-
temptuously the bill for the reform OF
the peerage by releasing II from the con-
troll OF the crown. cynically excused his
mistake by explaining that he was
German sovereign. who could not be ey.
pected to understand British interests.
That is a striking precedent fer George
V. II so we'll trained q cons itutional
monarch needs to be warned by his "a.
yisers that no limitations can be placed
upon the prerogative for creating peers
The sovereign reigns under the contract
Of the Bill Of Rights; the Commons can
be dissolved with or without advice. and
the only safeguard which prevents tie
upper house from becoming irrespon.
sible is the power OF the crown to mul.
tiply peerages.
The Prime Minister, after carrying tbs
last election on the issue Of the Parlla-
ment bill is under obligation 10 perse-
we're in his method Of settling the differ
ences between the houses. II the meas.
ure be rejected by the Lords he VIII os
forced to ask for the creation OF the
puppets: and the King as a consttu-
tional sovereign will have 10 follow the
advice. In this deplorable extremity tho
In Dr.
grading and vulgarizing the privileged ?
class Five hundred OF them will have
the satisfaction OF gratifying their soeia'
ambitions with the possession az COW
eted dignities and honors. and Of hay-
ing titles TO hand down 10 thyir de-
scendants but apart from the puppets
themselves there will be thousands u
earnest. uncompromising Radicals TO ~
joice over the cheapening of privilege
and the ridiculous plight ~ the ancien'
nobility in dividing pomp and glory WIZ
rich manufacturers and political WHY
pullers. The limitation OF peerages sd.
vocated by the ministers Of Georse
would have impaired Increased inipc'
lance and prestige TO the great l'''V'
families by setting them apart as an -
elusive and inaccessible class. i"'
doubling of the number Of legisau''
peers at the present time VIII have wv
opposite effect. II will tend to miii'''
the value of rank and decorations or
t. minister TO the levelling processes
the democratic. workaday spirit.
The manufacture Of the I'VE huho' q
puppets. carefully selected as tne
terial MAY be. will be a politi0'
social event of far-reachinS cohseP,A