The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-12
WHAT ACCEPTANCE OF The VETO BILL MEANS
The Real Meaning Of The Change in The British Constt
ton Which Will Come About Through The Adoption
of The Liberal Minstrys Plan.

What is this veto bill which the
British House of Lords has amended
and passed, but which will be rejected
in its amended form by the House OF
Commons and returned to the upper
house with the threat that unless the
latter shall pass it in its original form
sufficient new Peers will be created
to make that a certainty? What is
its significance in British politics?
Is it really an initial act to reform
the Peers, to make them subservient
to the Commons, or is il merely an
attempt to make them acknowledge as
fact the tradition of he British Con-
stitution that all measures demanding
money must begin and end in the low
or house?
The Liberal Government bill as it
left the Commons enacted:
1. That money bills shall become
law without the assent of the Lords.
2. That all other bills shall become
law, though rejected by the Lords, if
passed by the Commons in three con-
secutive sessions within a minimum
neriod of two years.
The Lords have amended Clause 1
by substituting for the Speaker a joint
Committee of both houses to decide
,u1,o F Sc, 20
that a budget to which other legisla-
ton is "tacked on" is not a money
bill
Clause provides for the passing
over the heads of the Lords of any
bill, other than a money bill, which
has been passed by the Commons in
any bill which affects, the existence
over two years and three times re-
jected by the Lords. But here Lord
:. Lansdowne, the Unionist leader in the
upper house, has caused an amend
ment to be made, which provides thai
any bill which effects the existence
:, of the Crown or the Protestant sue
- cession thereto, which establishes {
n National Parliament in Ireland, Scot
!, land Wales, or England, with leB'sla.
q tive powers, or which has been refer
IS red to the Joint Committee and which
y in their opinion, raises an issue OIL
It great gravity upon which the judg,
Is nent of the country has not been suffi.
h GENTLY ascerained, shall not be pre-
scented to his Majesty nor receive the
e royal assent unless and until it is sub
+ mitted to the electors and been APP
n proved by them. Lord Lansdownt
N further provided that in any question
at of doubt the joint committee SHOULD
d decide.
1t is obvious that the foregoing
amendments are intended to protec
Il. the House of Lords from inimicable
10 popular legislation and to perperuat
ID the present order of things as the up
Ill per house shall devise, particularly a
lg they pertain to the Crown and tn
/" Constitution.
SIS This assumption may or may not b
Is based upon a fallacy. Rational LibeI
d. ais, particularly Liberal Peers, Xix
Viscount Morley, the Government Leaf
ne er in the upper house, and Mr.. AS
W. Guith, the Premier, assert that tn
Id Constitution as at present interprete
ei by the Lords gives the latter powe
On that is enjoyed by the upper house
. no other constitutional state. Consel
vatives-the extremists among tn
- Tories and MISUNDERSTANDING the
20 Interpretation of the constitutional
~ Interpretation by the classes of brit
q. breeding education, and large LANDED
nd industrial, and commercial interests
or, forms a necessary balance wheel
he the makeshlft legislation of mer
ot politicians who are swayed by tn
of emotions of the crowds.
nd Aside from the analogy presented b
i'm other constitutional states, the clail
NO of the Commons to control finance
cd based on the resolution of July 3, l67
de which until the memorable LloyC
George Budget of 1909 the Lords ha
TO tacitly considered binding on ther
IN This resolution reads as follows:
nc "That all aids and supplies, and aiC
Up 20 his Majesty in Parliament, are IL
'H' sole gift of the Commons; and a
-. bills for the granting of any such aiC
~. and supplies ought to begin with Il
wv, Commons; and that it is the undoub
&c ed and sole right Of the Commons
direct, limit, and appoint in such bill
he the ends, purposes, consideration, lin
en-, itauons, and qualifications of SUI
grants, which ought not to be chang
or altered by the House Of Lords"