Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-13

! being relegated 10 the future, Power over
money bills Is abolished, and any other
bill passed by the Commons at three sep
arats sessions after lapse Of twenty
seven months from the first OF the last
passage, becomes q law, regardless OF the
opposition of the peers. Tho rival measure
of the peers. introduced by Lord Ians-
downe, cuts the membership OF the House
of Lords from 62l to 350 This number is
to be chosen in three ways-lOO by the
peers themselves. 40 by an electoral col
lege composed Of members of the lower
house, and 100 nominated by the crown.
None Of the foregoing win hold seat longer
than twelve years, one-fouFth retirins
every third year. Thirty seats are reserved
for royal princes, the archbishops and
bishops of the Established church. the law
lords and the judges of appeal The strik-
Ing feature Of the unionist refoFm measure
ID the abandonment of the hereditary
principle as q preTeq site to seat I'm the
House of Lords. leaving two-thirds Of the
membership open to commoneTs. Consider
ing the souroe Of the reform measure the
proposals are rightly regarded as revolu-
tionary. Both measures coming before the
peers at the same time constitut a novel
situation. Two-thirds of the membership
In its deliberations, For them the social
side of the peerage is the chief attraction.
The ministerial bill merely clips the legisa-
tive power OF the peers without disturbing
the membership or the prestige, while the
Lansdowne proposal would cut out five
slKths of the present membership. 1t would
not be surprising in the circumstance II the
ornamental peers constituting a majority
Of the present body accepted the restricted
veto bill In preference to the unionist ex-
olusion measure, on the principle that half
loaf on the benches is more satisfying
than crumb In the gallery.
President stolypins coup d'etat in estab-
fishing the zemstvo system in the western
provinces of Russia broke the solidarity OF
bis opponents in the Duma and In the
Council Of state. The election of Rod
zianko as president OF the Duma shows
that the liberal elements were not capable
Of combining in effective opposition to the
pTemieF's daring policy. The election was
accomplished through a split in the Oc-
tobrist party. The left group of that party
favored the election of Alexeienko, one of
its members. who also had the support Of
the cadets and the progressives. The Oc-
TOURISTS of the right preferred to group
themselves with the nationalists, and the
result was the choice OF RodzlaHko by IA
vote OF 1ss to 123. This completely restores
the position Of the premier as respects the
Duna. In the Council Of State thesattack
upon him failed because the vote condemn
Ing his tactics had only support of ninety
nine votes against fifty-three adverse,
whereas a clean twe7thirds majority was
requisite In the council Premier Stolypin
played the Oldest kind of game
aas
Negotiations between Great Britain and
China in relation to the opium traffic from
india hold out the promise of early sup
precision Of the business. The British gov
eminent virtually granted every conces-
sion desired. II agreed to the cessation, as
soon as China has completely suppressed
the growth Of the poppy, OF the importa-
ton Of Indian opium; secondly, to a triple
increase in the duty thirdly 10 the alter
alton Of the original proposals regarding
the disposal Of accumulated stocks in bond
In the treaty ports, These stocks which
bow amount to 10000 chests. may be sold
without a time limit; but, in that case,
during the four subsequent years, the total
imports Of ooftifieated opium from India
win be further reduced by a corresponding
amount, 1t II understood that England
will agree, as each province suppresses
the growth of the poppy and forbids the
import OF native opium into that province,
to forbid, likewise, the import of Indian
opium into such province, entry into Can
ton and Shanghai. which are the chief con
sumers of the Indian drug. being continued
meanwhile.
Political platforms Of radical character
are as useful to get In on in Italy as in
other countries. With the ministry Sc
curely In office and the rampant socialists
soothed with fixed salaries, Premier
Glolitti and socialist leader Bissolatti are
convinced that radical legislation would
be inappropriate during the celebration of
Italian unity, fand have placed the cam
paign program in cold storage. With It
goes the promise Of reduced expenditures
for war purposes. The MARITIME budget,
10, far from showing any reduction, is
very much greater than that OF last year
The main bill calls for a total OF 1872
S45,621 lire, or about s3s,479,124, OF which
161, 1876, $50 lire is for the war establishment
the balance being divided between pay
ment of floating debt and the subsidy to
the merchant marine. The regular budget
however is not all. There Is a supple
mentary law regarding naval expenditures
which carries an additional 100000 lire
for pensions and an appropriation Of aG,-
100000 lire for the navy. which will raise
the total maritime budget to 2ls,OOO 900 lire,
of which is7.OOOOOO lire is for purposes of
war, an increase of 1888, 400 lire over the
expenses OF last year. The general budget
commission, in laying these figures before
the Parliament, finds no difficulty in apollo
gizing for them. The enormously increased
naval expenditures of the other great
powers, meaning, OF course, principally
Austria, are sufficient Justification.
Responding to a general demand for
abolition of billboards, the German gov
eminent has ordered the removal or de-
struction of all advertising on lands and
houses along the lines of state railroads
While the order Is thus limited by the
central authority. discretionary power to
do likewise is granted local authorities,
As these are more responsive TO public
demands, Il is expected the outcries OF the
press and Of mass meetings against the
billboard nuisance will bring about action
as thoroughly as thai Of the imperial gov