The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-06
STRIPS PEERS
Of B|RTHR|CHT
Proposed Action of Commons
May Even Abolish British
House of Lords.
AID OF KING GEORGE V.
IMPLICITLY RELIED ON
This Parliament Will Add to
the History of AnglO-SaXOn
Empire.

LONDON, Feb. 5.-The new parlia-
meut. which will be the first opened In
state by George v and Queen Mary,
will he memorable also as the parlla-
ment to decide the status of the house
of lords. and probably thereby make
the greatest change of century in the
British constitution.
Parliament assembled last Wednes-
dav, but the state function was re-
served for tomorrow. There are many
important measures on the programme
Of the Liberal party--home rule for
ireland and possibly "home rule all
around the abolition of plural vot-
ing disestablishment of the. church In
Wales, state insurance against unem
plovment and illness and other eNten
sive financial schemes. But the Ques-
tlon of the lords will dominate and un-
til il has been disposed of such other
projects cannot be taken up.
The government S immediate policy
for dealing with the lords is embodied
in what is termed the parliament bill,
more commonly known as the veto
bill which the prime minister intro
duccd in the last session.
IT practically wipes out the power
Of the upper chamber to kill legisla'
tion from the commons. 1t provides
that anv bill shall become law which
thc commons has sent to the lords FOR
three successive sessions (in period
not less than two Yearsl, and which
has been three times rejected or not
disposed Of
May Abolish Peers.
To insure the control Of finance by
the commons and settle the issue whlcn
The lords raised when they rejected
the Ilovd George budget, the bill
provides that any money bill which
the INNER chamber does not pass with
in one month after IT is sent up from
the lower house shall. with the royal
assent. become law.
The sneaker of tho commons is given
FINAL authority to decide whether any
measure deals only with taxation. an
prorriations and loans and is properly
a money bill The last and not the
least important provisions reduces the
life of n uarliament from seven years
to FIVE
These provisions emhody only part OF
the Liberal programme regaraing rne
lords IN rho nrea mble Is the statement:
And whereas. II is intended TO sub
situte for the house of lords, as it az
;iIted nn popular instead OF hereditary
Aasis hut such substitution cannot be
ir,~,ed'a,elv brought into operation"
ON The par, Of the labor a, and nd bdSn Irish
been brought forward. These extreme
eneries Of the lords are for single
chamber government They oppose the
reform of tho upper house by changing
u to rr elective body. and would have
she Liberal party drop the preamble,
Lords Policy Unknown.
These seems little doubt however. that
the government win Introduce the bill
as II stands and that II Will be passed
after compa ratlvely short debate by the
combined vote of the Liberal Labor and
Irish members and sent up to the lords
for their action.
When the lords receive the bill. the
real interest Of the struggle will begin.
Their policy is not yet disclosed nor
even formulated. For their part the
lords already have committed themselves
70 q different plan OF reform They
adopted at the last parliament resolu-
tions framed by Lords Lansdowne and
Rosebery. The former declared the lords
prepared n forego their constitutional
right Ia reject or amend money bills"
proposed the settlement by joint session
~ members from tho two houses Of diff
ferenCes lasting through two sessions OF
a years interval and that differences on
matters of great gravity be submitted 10
popular referendum.