New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-25
BRITAIHS BATTLE ROYAL.

The battle was on with a vengeance
Mt Westminster yesterday, producing a
display Of passion and Of vocal violence
not paralleled since the stOrmiest DAYS
OF Gladstone's Irish campaigns. Per
haps It Is not altogether uniting that
present scenes should be reminiscent OF
Biggar and Parnell, since there is
strong presumption that the Irish ma
tiOnalist question Is the real crux OF
the conflict between the two houses
What ground there is for that idea.
which was so vociferously expressed at
ST. Stephens yesterday and which has
not been authoritatively refuted, may
BE- estimated from the briefest review
Of the actual situation. In any event.
as matter Of reference and record
concerning a great historical episode,
whatever may be its ultimate outcome
1t is OF interest 70 recall the terms Of
the anu-yeto bill which was sent by
the Liberals Of the Commons to the
Lords and 10 note the character Of the
amendments which the UniOnists Of
the Lords have sent back TO the Com
mons.
The bill provided that money bills
might be enacted after months delay
without the assent Of the Lords, the
Lords being incompetent to reject or
even 10 amend them; that the Speaker
.of the House Of Commons should be
the Judge Of whether any measure was
a money bill or not, and that any other
public bill might be enacted without
the assent Of the Lords if passed by
the Commons in three consecutive ses-
sions, provided that at least two years
elapsed between the second reading in
tho first OF the three sessions and the
final passage. The Lords amendments
substitute for the Speaker as judge OF
the character Of bills a Joint committee
Of the two houses, consisting Of the
Speaker, as its chairman, the Chancel-
lor, the chairman OF committees OF the
House Of Lords, the chairman Of WAYS
and Means Of the House If Commons
and one other member Of each house.
They also provide that no bill which
extends the parliamentary term. affects
the existence Of the crown or the Prot
eStant succession, establishes a separate
national Parliament I'm any part Of the
kingdom, or in the opinion of the Joint
committee raises an issue Of great gray
ity upon which the opinion Of the ma
ton has not been sufficiently ascer-
tanned. shall be enacted by the Com
mons alone until il has been submitted
10 the popular franchise. In other
respects the Lords accept the curtai-
mcnt OF their veto power.
Such are the grounds Of difference
between the houses. They seem to be
and probably are too slight for such a
conflict as is now being waged with n
single exception. II is not probable
that the House Of Commons wants 10
extend the parliamentary term. or that
il would haggle over the question Of
Joint committee instead Of the Speaker
alone 10 pass upon bills Neither do
we suppose that any considerable mum
Der Of Liberals wish 10 be free 10 abol-
ISL the crown or the Protestant sue
cession. As for the referendum on CON
stiiutional Issues. that is an old Liberal
doctrine which would now scarcely DE
repudiated if II stood alone In fact.
all these might be regarded as reason
able amendments" such rs Mr. Asquith
intimatcd the Commons
might accept
There remains, then. the single item
Of the establishment Of national par
liaments in parts Of the United King
dom, 10 wit Home Rule for Ireland.
which the bill as il passed the Commons
would permit, and which the Lords
would forbid without an
ether popular vote upon it. The not