The Washington herald., 1911-02-07

upon the Parliament of Lords veto bill
He asked if the constitution was to be
destroyed because the noble lords op-
posing him were unable to secure the
passage of few measures on which
! they had set their affections.
The lords. said Lord LanSdowne. had
made proposals of their own regarding
changes in the constitution and the reSu-
lation OF the relations of the two houses
Were these proposals. asked Lord Lans-
downe, to be thrust aside as though they
We're not worth the paper on which they
had been written?
VIII Bring Up Lssue.
In the House of Commons Premier
Asquith. amid ministerial cheers. gave
notice of his intention to introduce at
an early day bill dealing with the
relations of the two houses.
Mr.. Balfour, the opposition leader.
speaking in the debate on the address,
in reply to the Kings speech, after ques-
tioning the wisdom of Home Secretary
Churchill's attitude in the South Wales
strike riots and the Battle of Stepney,"
expressed regret that the Kings speech
did not contain any reference to the
important departure which had recently
been taken by Canada and which. if car
ried out, would have the most disastrous
consequences upon the future of the en-
pire.
For years. said Mr.. Balfour. Canada
had offered Great Britain preference, but
the government has deliberately indi-
Gated that nothing in return in the way
Of preference could be given. Could Can
ada, therefore, be blamed, he asked, for
n1ea 10 n cd no
agreement between the United States and
Canada, if it is carried out. as a great
imperial disaster. 1t would entirely be
the result of the governments refusal to
listen to Canada's offers of preference.
Referring to the Parliament bill, Mr..
Balfour said that part Of the Kings
speech dealing with the constitutional
question was couched in studiously mod
crate language. IF the government was
not prepared to act upon the broad prin-
ciples Of revision upon which both parties
were agreed, but was determined to vio-
late its own principles with regard to the
second chamber, how, asked Mr.. Balfour.
could they expect a peaceable solution Of
the dificulty?''
Proposal Of Reforms.
The Earl of Crewe, the government
leader, replying to Lord I.ansdowne. said
the lords own proposals Of reform were
far reaching, and would strike more
deeply at the life Of the constitution than
anything the government proposed 1t
was the governments desire. he said,
that the Parliament bill should have
full measure of discussion in both houses.
and as far as possible the government
would see that this was achieved.
Premier Asquith, in replying to Mr..
Balfour, said he heartily wished the lat
ter had not referred to the Canadian rec
iprocity agreement The provisional ar
rangement between Canada and the
United States. he said, was between
and was carried out on their
own responsibility. For the present. the
premier thought. 1t would be wise to with
hold criticism of the matter. He would
say, however. that it was as certain as
the rising sun that sooner or later the
United States would have been bound to
level the tariff wall separating them
from Canada.
Regarding the constitutional question,
Mr.. Asouith said he was content to have
in favor OF his proposals majority which
every British minister In the past had
as amply sufficient. The gov
ernment's proposals, he said, had been
approved by the country. Ample oppor-
tunity would be given for their direc-
tion It was the governments hope and
belief that they would pass through the
Commons and reach the House Of Lords
in time to be considered there before the