New-York tribune., 1911-02-22
WAR Of THE HOUSES
BEGINS IN ENGLAND
Premier Asquith'S Strong Speech
in Support of Par|ia-
ment Bill.
MR.. BALFOUR'S FIRM STAND
unionists Concede Reform of
Lords, but Insist on Home
Rules Submission to
Electorate.

1ondon. FEB. 21.-The first debate on the
rovsrnment kill to abolish the veto power
:, the House of Lords which was intro
,r,ed in the House OF Commons to-day by
p-emier Asauith. while II failed TO indicate
,.sritely the fate OF the measure in the
hands OF the House Of Lords, left little
doubt as 10 the attitude oi the leader OF
,bA Opposition on the question. Mr.. Bal
four, whose speech was the great event OF
-. 6sv. seemed TO be developing line OF
oolicy which would admit Of the Parliament
nu missing the House OF Lords without
sreat Obstacles, provided 1t was accom-
nsnied by a reform of that house. but he
indicated that he would consent to no
change Of the constitution which would
allow Parliament 10 pass the Home Rule
hf without this bill having been voted on
BY the electorate.
In other words, he would not acquiesce
IN the Home Rule question being submit
ted to a second chamber differing only
from the existing House Of Lords in being
bersft Of is absolute power.
The Cnionist members cheered again and
srsin when Mr.. Bslfour said that he would
fight against a revolution on which the
PEOPLE had not been consulted, carried out,
not a. the bidding Of the real majority
Of the House. but al the bidding of the
Nationalist minority.
In Introducing the bill, the Prime Min
ister declared that the country was strong
lv behind him and that the measure had
teen indorsed by the people at the recent
election He denounced the House OF
Lords for the rejection of the budget OF
1.e. characterizing their action as politi-
cal suicide. and he concluded long ek-
plaratory statement with the remark: The
government presents this bill as the first
and most urgent step that It can take
,ovard the attainment Of perfection"
The chief speakers after Mr. Balfour
we're the Right Hon. Sir Robert Bannatyne
FYnlay. the Unicnist member for Edinburgh
and Il. Andrew S universities. who roundly
denounced the bin as q bad measure pre-
Guiding al compromise. and the Right Hon.
Joseph 4. Pease. Liberal member for the
Bethsrham Division Of Yorks, who said
that the government would not part with
The right 10 create peers until the pre-
dominance Of the House Of Commons was
fully established.
The chief speakers in the debate to-mor-
row will be Winston Spencer Churchm. the
Home Secretary, in behalf OF the govern
ment. and the Right Hon. George Wynd-
ham and Frederick z. Smith for the Oppo-
sition
Mr. BaIfolr had a confer nee this after
noon with Lord Lansdownc leader of the
Opposition IN the House of Lords but it Is
still uncertain what line the peers will take.
Great Crowd in House.
A full house faced MT Asquith when he
rose 10 make the customary explanatory
statement on the Introduction OF a measure
OF such moment Tickets for seats in the
public galleries had been exhausted weeks
ago and the diplomatic and peers bal
comics were thronged with interested lis
tenGrs.
The Premier lost no time in letting the
Opposition know that he felt the country
was behind him, and therefore did not hesi-
tate 20 reintroduce the bill without a
change of a word in the form In which 1t
had It's first reading last year. The meas
we. he said. had gone before the electorate
al the recent elections and had been in
dorsed by the return OF its supporters 10
the House OF Commons with majority Of
Ls
Mr.. Asquith said that when The Lords re-
iected the budget OF 1902 they committed
political suicide History would say that
# was he most stupendous act Of political
blindness ever perpetrated.
Hereditary in origin. irresponsible in the
exercise Of It's powers and Overwhelmingly
partisan in its actual composition-that was
the BODY TO which the ,aw had intrusted
the right 10 delay and check the con-
sidered decisions Of elected representatives
Of the people.
The Premier said that he did not purpose
70 dispense with a second chamber. They
had already suffered enough from the evils
Of what was practically a single chamber
government. but the country required an