Year: 1860

They have the "irrepressible conflict in
England; and a recent outgush of the spirit
that can be reused by it in the English people,
shows that the old Anglo Saxon sturdiness in
behalf of free principles is still alive. There
has been sharp quarrel between the house of
commons and the house of lords. in which the
latter has been given to understand that it will
not be allowed to assume equality with the
commons in real power. This dispute arose
out of the action of the lords in refusing to
sustain the repeal of the paper duty which had
been voted by the commons. They have IN
Englandno constitution to define the duties and
limit the powers of the several branches OF the
government. They have nothing but prece-
dents, and reasoning from the nature OF the
case as great questions arise. The commons,
however, constitute the controlling power, the
power that can make and unmake the throne
itself In the present controversy, it is claim
ed on the popular side that the taxing power
must remain inviolate with the commons, and
that the Lords must not presume to dissent
from any money bill which the commons may
sec fit to propose. The lords dare not resist
this claim very stoutly but they have resist
cd, and the dispute has threatened to break up
the Palmerston ministry. Mr.. Gladstone, the
most brilliant and powerful parliamentarian in
Great Britain, leads the popular side. Lord
John Russell goes with him, while Lord Pal
mcrston temporises The matter has just been
debated in parliament, on resolves touching
the matter introduced by Lord Palmerston
These resolves which were supported by the
tories, as well as by most of the ministerial
party, express all that is ever likely to be al
lowed the Lords on this point. They are as
follows -


l. That the right of granting aids and sup
plies TO the crown is in the commons alone, as
an essential part of their constitution and the
Limitation of all such grants, as to the matter,
manner, measure, and time, is only in them.
9. That although the Lords have exercised
the power of rejecting bills of several descrip-
tions, relating TO taxation by negativing the
whole, yet the exercise of that power by them
has not been frequent, and is justly regarded
by this house with peculiar Jealousy, as affect
ing the right of the Commons to grant the sup
plies and to provide the ways and means tor
the service Of the year 8. That to guard for
the future against an undue exercise OF that



mons their rightful control over taxation and
supply this house has in its own hands the
power so to impose and remit taxes and TO
frame bills of supply, the right of the Com
mons as to the matter manner, measure, ana
time, may be maintained invioate.


Some of the ministerial members desired to
go farther They would chastise the lords for
what they have just attempted, and repeal the


Ia tl,o nd
MIR. Gladstone while voting for these resolves,
reserved himself TO support any further ac-
tion that may promise good result. In pres
ence of the powerful commons, the house of
lords is, on the whole, rather harmless body.
1t will never become very dangerous. The
present dispute has set in motion, a
constitutional Defense Association" which
proposes to clay before the country the
whole state of parliamentary law in the
kingdom" The question raised in this
controversy is, in some degree, one of those
open questions of English politics, which,
til rough still pending, are virtually settled
against hereditary privilege and assumption.
Mr.. Gladstone said in this debate "The PRIV
ileges of the commons are the cloak by which
they cover their real power. These privileges
have never been directly admitted by the 9TH
er house it has only acquiesced in silence.
The claims of the two houses are directly at
variance, and it is only by tacit forbearance
that peace between them has continued un'
broken for two hundred years" He claimed,
nevertheless, that both bodies have always
admitted that the taxing power should remain
with the commons but it is the actual and r-
repressible supremacy of this body that has
kept the peace, by making the lords feel that
in any such controversy about power, they
are sure to be defeated. In the constantly
lessenng political influence of the hereditary
branch of the British Legislature, we see the
steady growth of popular power in that coun
try. 1t is now, as it always has been, slow
but sure. The day is coming when it will
dismiss all those antiquated absurdities that
still linger in English politics.