Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-22
DAWES CAMPAIGN
ABUSES BR|T0NS
House o. Lords, RuIeIess,
Lets Propriety Govern Its
Deliberations.
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. February Members
of the House of Lords are getting a
lot of amusement out of the attempts
of Vice President Dawes to substitute
the gavel for good form in controlling
the deliberations Of the United States
Senate.
The members of the most tradition
bound and dignitied club in England
frankly say it can't be done. They
also say the Vice President. known
better to them in the role of financier
cent speeches and writings when he
said the Senate was the only great
legislative body in the world that has
no rule for closing debate.
English parliamentarians point out
that the House of Lords virtually has
no rules and seldom has felt the need
for them. 1t is body that acts with
out a quorum. When it passed the
Irish bill with what the newspapers
described as very large attendance.
votes were cast by less than 100 of
the several hundred entitled to voice.
Compares Two Bodies.
A correspondent of the Associated
Press who for many wears was in the
gallery in Washington. when the
Senate sparkled with such stars as
Lodge, Wolcott, Vest. Villas. Tillman.
Breckenridge and others who were
artists in making their words felt. and
when the chamber was called the
finest Sentlemans club in America.
talks interestingly of almost AS long
an experience in observing the Lords
in action:
Reform of the House Of Lords is
part of the program Of the Conserva-
tive party. but it is doubtful whether
the present Parliament will find time
to deal with the problem. The Con-
servatives mean to reduce the nominal
numbers of the House to a rea sonable
body by some process of selection of
the fittest The Liberal and Labor
parties advocated reform of different
kind. which would reduce the powers
of the upper house and impair the
hereditary principle by which elder
sons of lords automatically succeed
their fathers.
There is no demand from any quar-
ter for any Dawes reforms. The Lords
have no rule or method for closing
debate. none for limiting the time of
speeches. none for calling member
to order. Members would explain
Propriety Governs.
Custom and the sense of propriety
of the Lords govern the proceedings.
The recognized party leaders arrange
the order of debates and the lord
chancellor, who Drcsides. recognizes
the peers who wish to speak. But
there is nothing to prevent noble lords
from getting upon their feet and
smashing a program except their pro-
found respect for the traditions of the
chamber. AS q matter of right any
peer can stand up and air his views on
any subject at any time.
Only recently Lord Birkenhead, the
secretary of state for India, who might
be looked to for a good example be-
cause AS lord chancellor he had been
presiding officer of the chamber. in
the course OF speech called Lord
Arnold an "imbacile" Their lord
ships were Mortified. but none attempt
ed to call Birkenhead TO order. There
was much buzZing about over the in
cident and some lords proposed that
the lord chancellor should make pri-
waite representations to Birkenhead,
but nothing happened so far as the
public knows. A century before Bir-
kenhead would have been called to
order by a challenge to duel.
Women May be Admitted.
The greatest difference between the
Lords and the American Senate is that
the former customarily carries on its
business without quorum. There are
today us entitled to debate and vote
in the House Of Lords. They would
include the three eldest sons of the
King. and "a bishops of the Church of
England. Probably 90 women. peer
esses in their own right, will be adj
mtted soon.
1t is only on rare and historic days
that half the membership of the
Lords assemblies. The last coca sion
was when in 1898 Gladstone's home
rule bill was defeated by vote of
419 to Al. This illustrates another
peculiarity-that the Lords has
permanent majority of the Conserva-
tive party, which stands for arsto
cracy and vested interests. One hun
dred members is rated very fair at
tenda nee for transacting business
Many lords have never entered the
chamber in their lives. Many. like
the great coal owners. bankers. farm.
nrs. and ma RufacturerS, appear only
when legislation affecting the inter
ests Of their class Is afoot.
Bishops Seldom Vote.
The bishops customarily vote ONLY
on measures regarding the church or
the morals Of the community. The
threat of tax on betting to increase
the revenue. if the chancellor Of the
eXchequer proposes it. may bring
them out in force. but not all on one
side.
Almost as many of the lords Gre
ated from the present generation have
come from big business as from the
ranks of politicians. Most of these
have no time. If they had taste. for
spending their afternoons at legisla-
ton, so that the bulk OF active lords
consists of lawyer politicians and
noblemen of leisure. And MANY of the
latter class prefer their fox hunting
and racing to the labors of govern
ment.
Reforms Of the lards. from the view.
point of the Conservative party, means
selection of a membership to embrace
only those of nobility likely to be in
terested in public affairs and intelli.
gent enough to grapple with them.
Even these proposals are dictated
largely by fear that some day the
Labor party may shear the lords of
the power to veto bills passed by the
Commons. as in 1911 the Liberal party
made it impossible for the peers to
throw out a Commons bill more than