LORDS AND ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 7

LORDS AND ELECTIONS.

V ANOTHER LEGAL OPINION. ACTION OF THE LORDS JUSTIFIED,. (By Telegraph-Press < Aa sbclatlon-Covyrlch't.l- - December 15. '.Lord :Lihdlcy, formerly. Master of tho Rolls and a: Life Peer, in a letter to "The Times," explains the difference between the House of Commons ..: framing a Budget irnd. imposing taxes.'.- ' '-'.;. ' ■''■• ■ '■■ The act of imposing a tax requires, ho says, the assont of tho Lords and the King, as well as of, the .Commons., There was' necessity for tho assent of .all three, as a safeguard against the' tyranny of oiio, or two. Power'..to reject ;a Finance Bill is conferred by statute. In the present case the House ■of Lords exorcised an .undoubted right, because it believed : the Finance Bill contained hew features'contrary .to "the. nation's interest. ; -' .■ '. Lord .Lindley. added that if the Lords had passed it they would have lost for ever the right of. rejecting future Finance Bills, however injurious'such Bills, might be. :'■'..'' ' [Lord'Lindley, born Nathaniel Lindley, in 1828, was called to the' Bar in 1850, and took .up Chancery .work. At first he did not suffer from a plethora, of briefs, but ho turned his leisure'.to-good accountin ; study and writing. ,So his work. on the law of partnerships and companies appeared in good time for him to take at the flood'; tide of limited liability business that presently' set in. This led to a largo' practice, and to tho Common Pleas Bench in 1875.: In 1900 he became a Lord ot Appeal ..in Ordinary, yrith-„a"JiJe peerage; ho retired in 1905,' According to one writer, "at the Bar he never aspired.to oratory, and on the: Bonch' ho had no ambitions after scintillation. But in both situations his solid ability, great erudition, xalm judicial ■ mind, and invariably suavity and courtesy, made him a man peculiarly' to be trusted. Ho has annoyed Mr. KeirHardio by his pronouncement on the Trade Disputes, question,' and /passive resisters like, his'legal clearness no better."]

7, SPEECH. BT. SIR EDWARD'GREY. '(Roc, December',.l6,: 11.35 p.m.) ~''...-." . : ■•.' London, December 16. The' Secretary for .Foreign Affairs, "Sir Edward' Grey, speaking at Beswick, said that the action of the House of Lords ,was a deliberate attempt, to. destroy the .Government .and' the House of Commons, .■; Ha criticised Mr, Balfour 'as being ■ disinclined to enter into , the details of: tariff' reform.'■' ,•;,/;■ -; : ,-7 ..'" : . :. '■'.-:

SEATS. FOR THE CECILS. //•/./ LORD ROBERT'ON SMALL IMPORT • duties.','.: :>-. V .7 London, December 15.:). Lord Robert Cecil, Unionist M.P.7for. East Mar}lebono, it ho is contesting Blackburn, in a speech there declared 1 that the imposition of small import duties was a', perfectly legitimate business pioposition,; which .should/coin-, mend itself.to the managers of-a country.such as Britain. ■ .'■'"■:• •; ■'~"'.-' Upwaids of half the.'electorate of-Oxford University has promised support Sir W.R; 1 Anson (one of the sitting Unionist members) and Lord Hugh Cecil (ex-Unionist M.P.,who will stand for the seat vaca'ted by .tho other sitting Unionist member, the Right Hon. J. G, Talbot, who is retiring).', ■ (Lord Robert and/Lord Hugh Cecil are Unionist Frcc-foodors; but they lean to retalia- !•. 1? Colmcct i on with Lord Hugh Cecil's' candidaturo for Oxford University, the Tariff Reformers threatened to' run anr opponent. Ihoy have actually driven Lord Robert Cecil from his present seat,-'East-Marylehone, to Blackburn, where the'local Unionists extended him an invitation.] , -

LABOUR PLEDGE-BINDING. MESSRS. BURT AND FENWICK MAT NOT BE OPPOSED. .„, London, December 15. Tho Council of the Northumberland Minors' Federation, by 47 to 39, agreed, subject to confirmation by tho miners' lodges, not to oppose Messrs. Burt and Fenwick (Northumberland miners' M.P.'s, who' refuse to sign the Labour party's constitution) running as independent candidates. . ,