The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-08-12
THE VETO FIGHT
IN ITS LAST STAGE
Lansdowne Withdraws Opposition
and Followers Will not Vote
on Bill.
The Liberal Peers Expected to Out
vote the Extremists Who Will
Oppose it.
In Any Event the Success of the
Bill is no Longer Involved
in Uncertainty.

In his London cable of August 5 to
the Chicago Tribune Il. Z. O'Connor
sums up the final stage of the Veto
fight as follows:
Rarely has England seen a week OF
sibilities. The future of the Veto bill
and the plans OF the ministry de-
pcnds on the intentions of three du-
ferent and warning groups.
The first group consists of the lib
cral peers; the second consists of the
supporters of Lord Landsdowne, who
has promised to abstain from voting
on the Veto bill and the third group
is composed of the extremists, who
promise to follow Lord Halsbury in
voting for the rejection of the bill.
Everybody during the week was
trying to discover the exact number
of the first and third group, and the
counting of heads became the pas
time alike Of every politician and ev-
cry journalist. But the bottom fell
out of even that calculation by the
passing of members from the second
group to the third group and from the
third group to the second.
Men who promised to support Lans-
downe one day declared for Halsbury
the next day, if Lansdowne or any Of
+, iu nfv
ing for the Veto bill. or IL Asquith
dared to create any new peers.
On the other hand, Balfour's great
bluff of proposing a vote of censure on
Asquith. thereby giving an opportu-
nifty to his followers Of blowing off
any quantity Of steam against the
government, detached some of the ex-
trrmists from Halsbury to Lans-
downe.
After many changes of plans, owing
TO the changing conditions. Asquitn
finally has resolved to send the Veto
bill back to the House of Lords next
Wednesday without creating the new
peers and is trusting to luck that
there will be more liberals voting for
the bill than followers Of Halsbury
voting against it.
The last division, then, will be close,
| but the chances are that the bill will
| be passed by a small majority. II
that should happen, Asquith has every
preparation for giving the royal sig
nature to the bill next Thursday and
then the Veto bill becomes law.
If the bill is beaten, Asquith will
Immediately proceed with the creation
of new peers and the number will
probably run up to 300 so as to avoid
all possibilities of defeat.
1t is the prospect Of this entire de-
strlction OF the House of Lords in its
present form that is expected formally
to detach large number of members
jority for the bill.
The debate on the vote of censure
may change the whole situation as so
much passion may be developed as to
| Or1c more sweep away from bduOuT
and Lansdowne their own supporters.
but my final forecast is that no peers
will be wanted.
Duchess of Devonshire Powerful.
The death of the Duchess of Devon
shire, removes from London life one
of the figures so familiar as to appear
almost eternal and inllnutable. She
cannot be said to have been alto
gether a popular figure, but she was
always q very powerful one. Even
though she lived to nearly so years Of
age and, in recent years, was wreck
of whatever beauty she had, the leg
end of her early charm still survived,
and people with a certain amount Of
Imagination could realize the resist
less attraction which she once exer-
cised on almost every man that ap-
preached her. There are memoirs
which describe her as not only beau
tifuI woman, but the most beautiful
woman of her time.
She was, as everybody knows,
German by birth, and not. think, Of
wealthy stock Her first husband
!, was the Duke of Manchester He was
a toll hondsonoo ovep diotio ouiahea