THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 719, 19 January 1910, Page 5

THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Sir,—The: real--.-issue'' before , the, elec-' tors .of,the United iKingdom,/if-one; will but pause for, a moment to examine it, is that, of land nationalisation versus tariffTeform. ' It:is. that.which the votes, of the; people, now being cast will .decide, and not 'the -fate of; the/House of j : Lords, the outcry ; against which, has. no veal backing.. No one contends that it is a perfect assembly, bit neither is tho House of Commons; it, like the House of, I 'Commons, stands in urgeat need of reform, ,bnt-..-the. High ..Hon. .David Lloyd-George .to ;'. the contrary, "its - posi-' 'tion, • for the '■■ moment,, is: absolutely, sei, cure.. Its action, has answered" the expectations iof the electors, and its future will not be decided at the general election , now in course .of ■ progress. ■ / /;\Now,.,.who::are; j tho Peers? -Popular, opinion; credits them .-with/being. a .House of -.'landlords. Suppose' they" are,.-then surely questions of land policy are peculiarly to the'talents of an assem-bly-whose members possess unrivalled ex'perience' in-- the administration of ;land; They'are not, however, by any means exclusively landlords or ; landed proprietors. About four hundred-peerages have been created since .1832,, and of the men who achieved both; fame: and wealth in every field. of ; human:/activity,; during the Vic-; torian; era, a very ,considerable proportion .found their way to the House of Lords.,- No body .of men !in the British Empire '6.0 perfectly, embodies the' most intimate 'traditions 'of "the Victorian epoch.;'; Admittedly .some of the Peers are . very/'ordinary ,men, but j that, very 1 fact brings tho House of Lords into.closer touch with, the ordinary men who com'pose'.the bulk; of' the electors. These' ordinary-men are in' most,cases.the sons or grandsons;of men of very extraordinary : powers, - and - it- : is." because ;of-.their contact with leaders ;of thought on the one ,'side and average ■■■ citizens, on the other,that they can so well interpret the 'spirit-of the time. In truth the House of - Lords is about the most democratic. institution--'in - the. ; Tfnited Kingdom, -in-, asmuch.i as it- consists of a.* body., of•'■ shrewd,-sensible men ..with experience of affairs and ;npt possessed; of a,love-of change ;for' mere change's sate. In 'its character.lies, its strength.'. •',' '-.'.'■ i.-. •'; / /Despite the' Eadical-Socialist endeavour i to make.the public las hitsolf into!indignation" at/.the/fact.'-that- the' House of Lords has actually .exercised'the'powers with which it is constitutionally endowed, and; fo. suggest that the public shall de-; cidebywhom : they, will be governed, the House/of .Lords will not/be' imperilled by this'election, and but a few days must elapse before' it .will be' seen /whether the British; public, are going- tobe' hoodwinked by ,the rantings/of Radical demagogues.— T am, etc.,' '■ ■'-'•■■•'-'■ ■•-.' -~-■■_' -' '■;-. PBECWALE/WADDX. :■■ January 18, jliw. '; ":.; "//' ///V