LIMITATION OF VETO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 808, 4 May 1910, Page 5

LIMITATION OF VETO.

REFORM ISSUE. PAPER CONSTITUTIONS A PERIL MR. KEIR HARDIE'S VIEW. My Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Rec. May S, 9.30 p.m.) London, May 3. Mr. ■ ICeir Hardie, a Labour leader, speaking at Ton-y-pandy,. Wales, eaid that tho ideal compromise would be the dropping of the Government's Parliiv ment Bill (summarised in Monday's issue), upon the understanding that the House of Lords accepted the Government's veto resolutions, which have already passed the House of Commons.. He said he did not want a written constitution. The moment that the powers and duties of either the Lords or j the Commons were defined by- Act of | Parliament, a fresh tyranny would be established. The working- of paper constitutions in the United States and in the British colonies had shown how re-actionary-such documents could become. Loyalty to the Throne, Mr. Keir Hardie declared, was a great superstition, and was very advantageous to the ruling powers, but it mattered nothing to the working olassea whether the official head of the State wm King or President. In conjunction, the trade unions and tho Labour, party in Britain would one day become what the Labour party in Australia had become —the governing power of the nation.

FEDERATION INSTEAD OF UNION,

ALL-FORrTRELAND LEAGUE.

London, May 2. Mr. William O'Brien and Mr. T. M. Healy (Independent Nationalists) have each received from Mr. Chisholm, of New York, a sum of .£SOO in aid of the All-for-Ireland League (of which Mr. OBrien is the moving spirit). Mr. Chisholm is treasurer of the League of Federals, .who favour Home Rule on Federal lines.

LIBERALS RETAIN CREWE SEAT.

London, May 2. The by-election for the Crewo Division of Cheshire, made necessary by tie tragic death of Mr. James Tomkinson (Liberal), who was thrown from his horse while riding in the Parliamentary Steeplechase at Epping last month, resulted in the return of Mr. William MT-aren (Liberal). The result of the poll was:— Mr. William M'Laren (Liberal)... 7639 Mr. Welsford ' (Unionist) ..1 6011 Liberal majority 1598 [The Liberal majority last January was 2312:] ■' ; VETO AND REFORM." VIEWS OP THE MENDERS AND THE BENDERS. Br Telerraph-Prras Associatioa-OopyrlEht London, May 2. Various opinions are expressed on the Government's Parliament Bill, the mea-. sure dealing with the relations of the two Houses and tho veto of the House of Lords. Extreme Radicals (who would bend rather than mend tho House of Lords) denounce tho preamble of the Bill, which foreshadows an ultimate Second Chamber on a popular basis.

The "Daily. News" (Liberal) fears that certain phrases in the Bill indicate .that the proposed restrictions on tho House of Lords will be imposed only pending the creation of. a new Second Chamber. The paper declares that what has beon won must be declared to ho permanently

The "Westminster Gazette" (Independent Liberal) defends the preamble, and adds; "Although the House of Commons must alone settle matters of finance, con-ceivably-in other legislative, matters a popular Second Chamber could bo entrusted with powers differing from those suggested. for the present House."

Tho "Pall Mall Gazette" (Unionist) argues that the Government is aware that it will be unable to carry the project of a reformed Second Chamber, denounces the hypocrisy embodied in tjio preamble of the Bill, and protests against an attempt to make the King a- party to chicanery. '

EVENTS AHEAD.

DOUBLE CHANGE OF MINISTRY POSSIBLE. The Budget is law, by the aid of the Redmondite Nationalists; the Government's veto resolutions have passed the Commons, and the Veto Bill has been circulated j and Parliament is in adjournment, the lull before the storm. ' The next steli will be the judgment of the House of Lords on: the veto proposals (the resolutions or the Bill itself). They will probably be rejected by the House of Lords, and the next thing will be—what? Thi6 is how "official Liberals," according' to the "Daily Mail" (Unionist), answer that question:— A Balfour Government. "That the (veto) resolutions will be rejected (by the House of Lords) is accepted as certain. Mr. Asquith will then resign and Mr. Balfour will be asked to form a Government. "Almost certainly Mr. Balfour would feel it his duty to try to carry on the King's Government. The necessity for obtaining supplies for the administration! of the country will prevent an immediate nppoal to the electors.- The Houso of Commons will refuse these supplies to Mr. Balfour, and I the new Government will ho impotent from the moment of its creation. "Mr. Asqnith will again be invited to take office, and will then endeavour to redeem his promise not to resume office without the necessary assurancos." Excuse for Guarantee Demand. "How he will proceed (comments the "Daily Mail") no one can say. This is the position presented to the Nationalist leaders. Mr. Asquith has repeatedly declared that in the present state of affairs he cannot and will not ask for guarantees from the Crown. Tho occasion and. the excuse for such a domiind could arise only in the anticipated event of his recall to office.

"This deferred assurance, it is believed, Mr. Redmond will accept, and tho Liborals aro therefore confident that' the Budget will now bo passed through the House of Commons."

( Subsequent cabled events show that the "Daily Mail" is right as regards the passing of the Budget, but it is not, yet clear what is the prcciso nature of the oompaot between the Government and the Redmondite Nationalists. Some Liberal Ministers have denied that there is nnv "bargain," ' VETO LIMITATION WITHOUT REFORM, QUESTIONS OF PRINCIPLE AND TACTICS. To-day's cablegrams show in a still moro clear light the differences among tlio Liberals as to how the T.ords shall lie dealt with—the struggle bctwoen the Iwndors and tho menders, between a reformed second Chamber and a clipped vci o. The Radical and Nationalist cry for veto-limitation before reform has been gratified. The Bill deals only with the money Bill veto and with tho general 'eci»>"Uv* vtjw mid Willi, the dsrsusA of,

Parliament. But the reform issue still has ail impalpable existence in the preamble, which, it is cabled, "extreme Radicals denounce." A Future Veto Bill. Thon tho fine question arises whether —if the voto is clipped 10-day, and tho House of Lords is reformed to-morrow or next day—the reformed' Second Chamber is entitled to recover some ot' the power now proposed to bo shorn away. The Radical-Nonconformist "Daily News" declares that "what has been won must be declared to bo permanently won." But how could a future Parliament, with a reformed Houso of Lords, be prevented from giving back to the Second Chamber, on the strength of its improved credentials, something previously takon away?' This point was mado by the Secretary for War, llr. Haldane, in a recent speech, t in whioh he offered advice to the "vcto-limitat ion-only" school. Mr. Haldane said: "I myself am for a double Chamber. I believe in a Second Chamber, but to be a drag on Conservative just as on Liberal legislation. (Cheers.) Nothing short of a big policy—a policy superseding altogether the hereditary prinoiple, and a reconstitution on a democratic basis of the Second Chamberwill make you 6afe against the repeal at some future time, which may not be far distant, if you confine yourself to the veto only." Perhaps a Third Election. On the whole, the contest between thb menders and the benders within tho Government's own ranks is not the least interesting phase of the struggle. Tho Second Chamber, issue cannot bo settled without another election, perhaps a third. "We have," says Mr. Haldane, "fought only the first round. There may bp a second round and possibly a third one before very long. A very great strugglo is before us, and the Liberal party is'on its trial before the public."