New-York tribune., 1911-03-17
PEERS AND PUPPETS
oov, and Out - The Last
Ditch.

=. The reform scheme favored by
go. leaders reduces the presen. upper
nv - an electorate for the choice OF
.,,,dred representative peers FIFTY
'"e nav be retained by virtue of po-
-, service. and as many more may
,,,i,sted BY the Prime Minister OF
s.. for single Parliament; and
rs may be candidates Of county
''"-;, NJ other local bodies The great
,ari,v of the peers will he deprived
.,oi- hereditary privileges If the
V.-,,rist rlan be carried out The back
"a. as oeer portrayed I'm Mr.. Vaughan
,sinr farce. when caught IN a storm
- new hat and without an um 20
.,,, will no longer he able 10 step into
r,o,,sss Of Parliament and 10 be the
-.Sitarv legislator until the rain Is
The compromise, for which the
- a~c now hoping as last resort
another conference, VIII he
,.,,nsed upon drastic reform for COM
- che retirement OF at least two
,,iris Of them.
~f-. ~r
and Nationalists will not be likely
.,struct this reform measure If the
..-,,soent bill be accepted 10y the Lords
.ba selection OF the two houses be
''.--,,,ned decisiveiy The Lords have
novaver. reached the humiliatins
",a.e where they arc willing 20 reform
,-.,ssl,.as FOR the sake of establishing
-. s,nrorlacy Of the lower house. II
=. 6o not succeed in drawing the gov
~. INFO a conference over thor re-
-, scheme they will not fail 10 attach
s-,e-ts 70 the Parliament bill. One
:, ,,sse IS indicated already By the in
.-.s,-t.on of q referendum bill by Lord
,.,.opr of BurleiGh. Another Is fore
-...ovred hv the Duke OF Bedford in a
iteration that when the Parliament
tir leaves The upper House it will con-
49,, clause preserving untouched and
.,,i-s the principle Of double-chamber
,,vs-rment. II the Lords persist in ad-
s.-,nr AZ any cost TO amendments such
=. ,bess there viii be an impasse from
-,l,b the country can he extricated BY
,1s Intervention OF the crown alone.
The Duke of Bedford. after admitting
,,s. tho coalition must refuse 70 accept
these amendments. decides that three
,,r-sss a~e ocen for the ministers. The
sis fo~ The coalition majority 10 re-
t,.s yipn'.es. but that scarcely deserves
,o,s5sration since the government
-,,bs- than the Lords would be starved
~, sv The senseless proceeding. The
second is for the government 20 resign
,@,s. thar would ho equally fatuouS
s7cs no substitute can be found for it,.
The thrd IS the swapping Of the Union
&c, majority I'm the upper house by the
creation Of five hundred peers. The last
70 considers tho least injurious course
fo- the country. since The crown would
o., or the advice ~ the ministers. upon
whom tho whole responsibility would
-es- T. IS the course which Crionists
hhisludgmert. should prefer and render
-sritab'e T. viii not prevent the pas
ssrq of the Parliament bin nor the enact
rert o. other radical measures in the
near future but II viii carry hopeless
snd Departing rosistance into the last
ditch. The o'1 guard will die defiant to
,-s end hut 70 will never surrender.
Wrer 'h.s expcdient of compelling the
government o. create the puppet peers
tas been proposed by eTcitable partisans
Ike Lord Miner and NJ. Garvtn, IL has
seemed 2 counsel of despair designed for
he SAKE ~ intimidation Of successful
opponents TIE Duke of Bedford IS not
'ac,ic.ar. but an exceedingly able
Dfsr. conspicuous for common sense
Vhsn he urges anything so melOdra-
matte ss death In the last ditch. i must
6e because he believes that 4 reaction
r favor of Tn-7rism would be caused by
The creation o. f-e hundred peers. Tho
onlr conceivable advantage would come
from making ministers ridiculous IN
reommenCing So farcical a proceeding.
u adopting the only constitutional meth
o1 OF bringing che irresponsible House
1roer thc control Of the Gro n, would
''er be as ridiculous as the Lords them
selves when sWanped. outvoted and
crushed hv The puppets The hottest
ana mal1est part.sans on the Unionist
soe must have scrio,1 missivings on
this point
The swamD'nS ~ the Lords will not
.lr'vent The enactment OF the Parlia
ment bill and the clearing Of the ground
for Irish Home Rule. II the Prime Min
's'.'' as ls now generally beneved. has
fhe guarantees f0r .he necessary crca
tons the substitution oe a euspensive in
place ~ an absolute veto is a foreeonc
conclusion. Tho only effect Of doubling
ne number o. peers will be an impair
rne~. os -