The daily sentinel., 1914-02-09
ENGLISH PARLIAMENT FACES
BIGGEST PROBLEM IN YEARS

/ leaders, who in the words of one of
their own supporters, have thrown
over the party's chief platform for
fear of the effect of flood taxes" on
the workingmen.
After debate on the governments
program come the estimates for the
various departments. and with them
one of the governments greatest
dangers. Unless Winston Churchill,
| first lord of the admiralty. can keep
his naval estimates down to what
tbye were last year, there will be a
great uproar from liberal benches.
The radical economists, who at least
have the moral support of Lloyd
George, chancellor of the eXchequer,
have repeatedly declared they will
stand for no increase.
In taking up regular measures 1t
| is understood that the Welsh discs
tablishment billswill be given pre-
cedenee over home rule, which will
be left until the last in hope that
some compromise will be forthcom-
ing. Between these two big meas
ures will be introduced the bill to
abolish plural voting, which has al
ready passed once under the parlia-
ment act, and which liberal election
agents are deeply anxious to see made
law before another election, as they
believe most of the plural voters are
unionists.
What new legislation the govern
ment plans has not yet been disclos-
ed but the liberal platform and the
promises of ministers afford lots of
material. First of all there is the
reconstruction of the house of lords.
While the upper chambers powers
have been curtailed SO that it can no
longer veto bill passed by the house
of commons but can only delay it, the
constitution of that body remains
as it was and that satisfies nobody.
The out and out radicals would abol-
ish the chamber altogether but that
is hardly to be seriously considered.
The plan most favored is mixed
plan of election by constituencies
and nomination by the house of COM
mons on a plan of proportional rep
resentation.
There are temperance and educa-
tion reform, both of which have been
promised by the government. Both
are highly controversial and lot of
time would be required for them, If
they come up at all it would likely
not be until an autumn session, es-
peeially since the educational prob
lem brings up the whole question Of
denominational education and the old
right between the church of England
and the non-conformists.
The house of lords reform bill and
the education bin will be introduced
rather with a view of fulfilling the
prime minister's promises than in the
hope that they will pass without re-
course to the parliament act. There
will be no land legislation, Lloyd
Georges scheme not yet being ready
to be embodied in a bill. Some lib
eral members, however. Will, at the
instigation of the leaders, introduce
a number of measures embodying the
governments policy and these will so
to second reading with view to
testing the feeling of the house, and
drawing the opposition views on the
land scneme.
There is still much interest as to
how the house of lords will receive
the home rule and Welsh disestab-
lishment bills. The liberals contend
that under the parliament act no
matter what the lords do the bills
will become law on receiving the sig
nature of the king. There are some
unionists, however, who believe that
as the act distinctly says they shall
become law on the lords rejecting
them for the third time, il the upper
chamber simply refuses 10 consider
them they cannot be rejected and
therefore cannot become law. The
house of lords, however, would re-
quire a lot of urging to take that
View remembering as thew would
that the people have already endors-
ed the parliament act and any at
tempt to eyade it might have serious
consequences for the unionist party.
The government therefore is looking
with confidence to a smooth passage
for its two chief measures.