The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1911. THE FATE OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14099, 19 July 1911, Page 8

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1911. THE FATE OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Affairs appear to be rapidly approaching a crisis in the matter of the Parliament Bill. Two important amendments have been carried in the House of Lords. One, moved by Lord Lansdowne, exempts from the operation of tho statute Bills affecting the existence of the Crown, the Protestant Succession, Home Rule for Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or England, or anything whioh a joint committee. of the two Houses regards as a» issue of great gravity upon wbieh tbe judgment of the country has not fceen sufficiently expressed. The object which the noble lord ««<■ fo riew U, of course, tp secure j that no measure embodying such great j and vital changes as those referred to j shall b© forced through Parliament without the Lords being in a position, as at present, to refer it to tbe country for the deliberate judgment of tho people at a, general election- Another amendment, moved by Lord Cromer, which has nlso been agreed to, provides that instead of the Speaker of the House of Commons alone deciding what is a Money Bill, and consequently not subject to either amendment or rejection by the Lords, a committee shall be appointed for this purpose, with the Speaker presiding, and having both a deliberative and a casting vote. The Government havo intimated that they will not accept these amendments. In the ordinary course, therefore, if the Bill is sent back to the House oi Commons, which, according to our cable news this morning, is doubtful, tho Government will move I that the House disagree -with the amendments, and managers will bo appointed from each House with a view to seeing whether some compromise cannpt be arrived at. Failing such compromise, the Government will be

faced with two alternatives—either to advise his Majesty to dissolve Parliament, or to creato a sufficient number of Peers to ensure tho passage of theBill. If the former plan were adopted, it is probable that the Government would again como back with a majority and "in that case tho House of Lords, following its usual practice, would, however reluctantly, foci compelled to pass the Bill, it having been directly approved by the constituencies. There is no doubt, however, that even the Government members would strongly object to the worry and expense of another nppeal to their constituents so soon after the last, and it is generally thought that tho Government will adopt tho second alternative, namely, tho crra'ion of rdditional peers. There are. however, great and obvious objections to sUch a course. Wo imagine that tho only people in England who rould view such a wholesale swamping of tho Houso of Lords with composure, not to say approval, would be the Liberals on whom tho titles are to bo bestowed. The prestige of the peer ago depends very largely on its cxclusiveness, and such a wholesale "watering of tho stock" must bring about a very great depreciation of its value. Even tho Liberal members of tho House of Lords aro growing uneasy and restive at tho prospect. Thoso who aro merely Barons, are said to bo insisting that tho newcomers shall bo given nothing higher' than a Barony and that thoy themselves shall be created Viscounts. But tho addition of five hundred, or even three or four hundred, Barons to an Upper House, which already numbers almost as many members* as the Houso of Commons would make it topheavy and lower its prestigo and dignity, and the question of its reform would at once become even more urgent than it is at present. Possibly even at tho last.moment the spirit of moderation and conciliatiou may prevail and somo reasonable compromise may bo arrived at. It is devoutly to be hoped that this may be the case. Despite its apparent anomalies, the British Constitution has long been tho admiration of tho world owing to tho groat and beneficial resultachieved by its working, and it is to be hoped that tho neressir-y <--fv bo mado without bringing the ancient and stately fabric down into the uiibt.