The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1910. BRITISH POLITICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13710, 18 April 1910, Page 6

The Press. MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1910. BRITISH POLITICS.

The atmosphere of British politics ha* cleared a little. The veto resolutions have been carried, and there is no reason to suppose that the Bill embodying them will hot also be passed. The Budget far to be re-introduced. These tsto Jneaanrca are to he aent up to (he

House of Lords with the throat that if they are not accented the Government must advise the King of the steps needed to give the Government's policy statutory effect in this Parliament. These are Mr Asquith's words, and they can only mean that he Villi advise his Majesty to create a eWffrcient number of Peers to gi ve *-he Liberals a majority in the House of Lords. There has been talk of asking his Majesty to give his consent to Bills that the Lords will not accept, but it is difficult to believe that any Prim*! Minister would make such a request. To give the Liberals a majority in the House of Lords would entail the creation of some hundreds of Peers, a step that his Majesty is most unlikely to take. If Mr Aso,uith cannot induce the King to do this, ho will either resign and throw on Mr Balfour the onus or forming a Government, or ask for a dissolution. In either case, a general election must soon follow. The Peers might possibly swallow the Budget, though this is unlikely, but it is inconceivable that they will agree to the Veto Bill, which, by seriously curtailing their power, makes a revolutionary change in the Constitution. They will argue that this is emphatically a case in which the Chamber should exercise its main function, tho delaying of doubtful legislation until tho people have expressed an opinion thereon. The attitude of the Government during the debates on the veto resolutions cannot have made the Peers any marte inclined to take the proscription made up for them. An amendment excluding from the operation of the resolutions any proposals affecting the Upper House was lost, which shows clearly that the Liberals want to reduc© tho Lords to impotence. If the Veto Bill became law, the House of Commons would be able, trithin the !mii_3 of one Parliament, to do what it liked with the powers end constitution of the House of Lords—surely a dangerous usurpation of power, meriting Lord Rcsebery's criticism that the Constitution is to he /'wrenched out "cf all shape and proportion to give "almost absolute power to a single '•Chamber, and a casual majority." The system would be bi-cameral in name, but iini-offlmeral in reality. So with Home Rule and similar proposals; they could be pushed through Parliament in tiro years, without direct refers nco to the people, whether tho Lords liked the-m or no. Mr Aisqnith and the Nationaliste, of course, understand each other well. Mr Birrell'a denial of the existence of a compact will carry little Tireight in face of tho evidence- of facts. Homo Rule is once mere to became a burning question in British politics. Mr Asquith and his Whig colleagues have never been keen about it, % and they would no doubt be* very ploasod if it oould be quietlyburied. But they are now under the thumb of the Nationalists, and Mr Asquith will discover thai Home Bulo is urgently necessary for. Ireland's progress. It may be that.lreland will, for the~third time, bo the means of casting the Liberal* infcd th& wilderness of opposition.