The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-03
POWER OF HOUSE OF LORDS CURTA|LED House of Commons Passes
 Clause 2 MORE CLAUSES PASS House of Commons Given Power to Pass Laws Over the House of
 Lords-Bill Is Very
 Important
MORE CLAUSES PASS

London, May 2.-After the application of cloture' clause two of the parliament bill, which is the most important sec tion of the governments measure for the curtaiment of powers of the house of lords, was carried in the house of commons tonight, 299 to 195 Later, clause three of the bill, providing that any certificate of the speaker of the house of commons given under this act shall be conclusive for all purposes, and shall not be questioned in any court of law" was carried after cloture, 255 o 1S2.
 During the debate on clause two the minor amendments moved by the op- position, but rejected all which would weaken it's scope. This clause relates to any bill other than a money bill and provides that if any such measure is passed by the house of commons in three successive sessions and is rejected by the house of lords, at each of these ses- sions, it shall become an act of parlia- ment on the royal assent.
 Prior to amendment yesterday clause two provided that this should not take effect, unless two years had elapsed be- tween the first introduction of the bill and the date upon which it passed the house of commons for the third time.
 In amended form it provides that the two years delayed shall be calculated from the date of the passing of the sec ond reading of the bill to the house of commons, which somewhat extends the period in which the lords can delay a bill. Before the vote was taken Winston Spencer Churchill, the home secretary, said the adoption of the clause was inn perative, because there had come about complete paralysis of the working con- stitution and denial of all form of re- dress to those who did not belong to the conservative party
 The safeguards which the clause left the house of lords for delay and revision, he said, would still place the liberals under great disabilities as compared with the conservatives. That was the reason why reform of the house of lords should follow, as the complement of the par liament bill.
 MT. Balfour, leader of the opposition, said the real purpose of the bill was not the improvement of the constitution. but the carrying of home rule. The govern ment had succumbed to threats and ca joeries of the nationalists and laborites.
 Later, by the aid of cloture, the re- maining clauses, four, five and six, were adopted without amendment by large ma jorities.
 There remained number of proposed new clauses on the amendment paper. but the chairman immediately ruled most of them out of order.
 Clause four provides that nothing in this act shall diminish or qualify the existing rights and privileges of the house of commons"
 Clause five provides for the duration of parliament, reading five years shall be substituted for seven years as the time fixed for the maximum duration of parliament under the Septennial act. 1715. D
 Clause six declares This act may be cited as the parliament act, 1910''
 The house adjourned after rejecting the proposed new clauses, thus disposing of the committee stage of the whole bill, with the exception of the preamble.