The Irish standard., 1911-08-19
THE VETO BILL IS PASSED AND THE
LORDS ARE SH0RN Of THEIR POWER
The Great Constitutional Struggle England Ended Favor Of
Democracy and ands Hope For SelGoverntent Must,
the Natural Course Of Events Soon Be Reaized- Though
Revolutionary in Its Tendency and Marking Distinct Epoch in
History Received With indifference

This occasioned the disgraceful scene
of rowdyism in the House of Commons
which has been commented on SO Of
ten since. But the fight was over. The
Tories were beaten. The only alterna-
tive they had was to compel the crca-
tion of new peers or acquiesce with
out requiring the use Of the royal
prcrogative. They finally accepted
their fate by a vote of 131 to ia
Thus ends the Veto fight And thus
has England taken a momentuous step
In the direction of democratic govern
ment. And last, and best of all, thus
will ireland be able to get Home Rule
the most.
We append herewith some of the
reasons cullcd from the history of the
last hundred years by John Redmond
why the power of the House of Lords
should be limited:
lSlO--Reiected bill abolishing pun
| iShment of death for stealing goods
| value 5s. (William IIrs value; in 1919
| the value was only IS. CD. More than
two hundred crimcs-nlany of them
| trival-wcrc then punishable with
death-seventy-f in respect to rev.
enue
1s2S--Rtsisted Catholic Relief bill
until civil war imminent. and Bank of
| England only few hours from stop
page
| 9--Disenfrnnchiscd AOs. Freehold
/, crs in Ireland before, granting Cath
Ollie Emancipation.
| IS3O-Opposcd land drainage In Ire
land. delaying it sixteen years.
1S31-Rcjectcd Great Reform bill by
Il majority OF forty-onc. Popular in
dignation: Bristol sci on fire, and over
one hundred persons killed and wound
ed by the military; birmingham pre-
pairing to march on London; burning
of Nottingham Castle; Newcastle,
Bath, Derby. Newark and Worcester
dIl III OI"Il fIot.
1S31-Refuscd to disfranchise one
borough, spending $182,500 Gn five
clcctions) on twelve hundred voters
1S32-MutiIated the Reform bill in
committee. People now broke all
bounds; threw mud at the King in the
streets: City Council and most of the
middle class stopped payment of taxes.
Run on the Bank and $9,00O.OOO drawn
out in three days. The country on
the brink Of open revolution.
1S32--Rcfuscd to open universities
to Disscnters.
1S33-By fierce opposition, compcll-
ed withdrawal of bill for Irish Ma
tional education.
1893 -1S57--Denicd civil and political
rights to Jews for quarter OF IL ccn-
tury. The Commons bill seven times
rejected by Lords.
y 1S34-Rcfuscd to allow more than
twenty persons to meet for worship In
private house.
! 1S34-Thrcc times rejected the Tithe
T Abatement bill. Also rejected bill FOL
legalizing marriages in Dissenting
l chapels.
, 1S34-Forbadc Nonconformst minis.
tcrs to Officiatc in warehouses;. anL
| again threw out bill for abolishinf
T University tests.
1s35-Population Of England eight
| millions-voters sixty thousand Lords
!, refused reform. and prevented it fol
forty years afterwards.
, 183G-Ordcrcd banns OF Dissentcrs
8 marriages to be read before Board o
7 Guardians.
f 1S38-Tricd to defeat Municipal Re-
8 form Act. choice of magistrates denied
V to Town Councils Institution of al
| dcrmen opposed. Control of licensing
knocked out Of bill. Disallowed muni
cpal reform for ireland. and again II
, 1897.
183S-Refused mothers custody o
s infants during separation caused b.
fault of the father.
l 1S39--Continued death penalty fol
] sheep stealing
1S39-Rejected by two hundred ant
twenty-nine to one hundred and eigh
teen the bill to provide national edu
'catiop