The Irish standard., 1911-06-10
UPPER HOUSE WILL .
STILL Be IMPORTANT
Powers of the Lords Will Still be
Substantial, Says Viscount
Morley.
Conditions of Veto Bill Such as to
Make Imprudent Haste
Impossible.
Warns Colleagues That Failure to
Pass it Might Result in
Disaster.

When the second reading of the
government bill was proposed in the
House of Lords, Lord Morley reviewed
the measure at some length, calling at
tention to the reasonableness of the
proposals in the bill. After showing
that the current view among the peers
that the Veto bill was a violent party
vituperation was well exploded
myth, he concludes as follows:
was reading of a controversy some
time past on the same point when the
speaker said that it was monstrous
that the unity of the kingdom should
be broken to please an Irish group,
it was monstrous that the united
Church of England should be broken
to please Welsh group, it was mon
please a Scottish group, and, above all,
it was monstrous to invade the rights
and interests of property and CAPT.
tai to please the labor group. My
lords, if you come into power tomor-
row, are you going to act on that view:
Is it possible? OF course it is impos-
power tomorrow form a government
of open antagonism to the Welsh, the
Scottish and the Irish people, It is
therefore an idle remark to say that
our majority is composite. No man in
his senses disparages individual mem
bers of the House of Lords, but it can
not be denied that this House has been
of uniformly partisan character Of
the very worst description, because it
has really been, in no inconsiderable
degree, an unconscious partisanship.
The differences between the two houses
is this-the House of Commons, from
the very nature and condition of it's
existence, Is constantly inclined to
grope and feel the way forward in the
direction of popular feeling and popu-
lar improvement They have in our
own time wide ed the celebrates, they
have admitted within their own body
Jews, Roman Catholics, and Agnostics,
they have reduced the cost of elections,
they have pressed for the secrecy of
the ballot, they have done all they
could to put down corruption in elec-
tions Qaughter). They do all this with
spontaneous and instructive desire
to make their House, as far as they
can, to reflect the political wishes and
aspirations of the people who send them
there. 1t is perfectly certain that the
members of this House cannot be as
sensitive to the feelings and wishes Of
they cannot be as constantly in touch
with the direction in which popular
feeling is flowing as the members of
the other House, and the history of
this House shows that that is so. So,
my Lords, if you go through the list
of conflicts between the House of Lords
duu Iue 11OuSS VI NOIilHOIIS Sl1lce CNe
Reform bill of 1882 you cannot but see
with respect to these occasions, these
instances of prolonged, critical, and
acute conflict between the two Houses
that when the thing is finally settled
you can see it for yourself-it is the
wishes and views of the House OF
Commons which have proved to be
right, and that these views have been
accepted by the people with satisfac-
tion and contentment. do not want
to rake up immediate controversies
but one of the most satisfactory things
done has been the recognition of the
right of self government in the Trans
vaal. Do you remember the line taken
by distinguished men in this House on
that subject? The Marquis of Lans-
downe said it was tragical act. The
Duke of Marlborough used some ex-
tremely vehement language which
think I had better not read-I wish
him no mischief. Lord Miner useC
some very strong language which agar
had better not trouble the House
with. 1t is only for the sake of gooc
feeling that 1 do not.
Just let me look for moment al
the question of Home Rule. suppose
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