Widnes Examiner. — 1914-07-18 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE EXAMINER,  SATURDAY, JULY 18, 1914.  THE LORDS AS "LEGISLATORS." The Lords are sweeping on to their final and utter destruction. Given an opportunity of redeeming their character as ready-born legislators, they have made a more sorry exhibition over the Home Rule Amending Bill than any they have ever made in their long, rollicking and irresponsible career. They were asked to make Home Rule as palatable as possible to their friends; they have simply rejected it, but gone a roundabout way to do so. They have, in fact, killed the Bill twice over, just to make sure that it is dead. First they provide for a "clean cut," for which Sir EDWARD CARSON asks with respect to Ulster, and the Unionists are to have Nationalist as well as Orange Ulster; they have dispensed with the suggested appeal to the people of Ulster on a question so vitally affecting themselves; they have gone beyond Ulster and removed the judiciary from the appointment and control of the Irish Executive. That was what they did officially, andl it was sufficient for all their purposes.l But an unofficial resolution, introduced ostensibly in the name of friendship,' was passed, which arranged for the suspension of the Home Rule Act altogether, "until a Commission shall have reported on the constitutional relations of Ireland to the other parts of the United Kingdom." That takes us back with a swing to the days prior to 1885, since which date all parties have been considering the relations between the two countries, until they are very weary of the job. That is the way thei Lords deal with Liberal Bills. Reject them or hang them—anything but pasS them. In these days of the operationl of the Parliament Act they adopt the latter alternative and trust to luck for the rest. It was in vain that Lord CREWE pointed out that the Opposition had exeluded from the Home Rule area Roman Catholic counties in which the demand for Home Rule was not less earnest than the demand for exclusion in the North-east counties. The Opposition leaders, he argued, seemed to' forget that, just as they could not undertake a solution which left out Sir 1 EDWARD CARSON and his followers, SO I the Government were equally bound to consider the views of their followers. Lord LANSDOWNE based his defence of the "clear cut" on the ground that nothing less would restrain the Ulster Volunteers from flying to arms. He argued that the Home Rule Bill had "had the. bottom knocked out of it" by the Opposition amendment to exclude the whole of Ulster. That, at all events, was a candid confession that the Lords had done what they set out to do—not to conciliate Ulster, but to knock the bottom out of Home Rule. That is the aim and object of the Ulster hubbub ; we have known it all the time, but it is Satisfactory to have our impressions confirmed by so competent an authority. The Commons will deal \vitt' the Lords and their proposals on Monday, and the public will do well to suspend judgment until then. We need not be too deeply impressed by the pictures of machine guns on jaunting cars drawn through the streets of Belfast to be Photographed for the English newspakers. That is not war; not even civil war. Those are most successful in fighting who keep their plans to themselves and their strength unknown to the enemy longest. A General would sooner think of committing suicide than let 'At theis plaNns escape before he acted. Bailey h Worst it is a political Barnum and ow, indecently impressed upon noticeOUrs when efforts are being made to find a !peaceful solution of a trying problem it is a dangerous expedient, we admit, but desperate men adopt desperate methods. We shall not be unduly alarmed at the sight of the gun or the jaunting car—but we shall keep our eve steadily upon the statesmen who are trying to find the suitable Way out. That way will not be the Lords' way. Home Rule is as certain as that to-morrow's sun will rise, to quote the memorable words of Mr.