THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1050, 13 February 1911, Page 5

THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

REFORM PROPOSALS.

SPEECH BY LORD CURZON,

VIEWS OF THE-UNIONIST PARTY.

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright-(Roc. February 12, 5.5 p.m.) .'•' • : London, February;ll. ' Lord Curzon, speaking tit the United Club, said it would be : the duty." of tho House of .Lords,, to .'press, reasonable amendments which would rob tho Parliament Bill of some of its; dangers in its present form. Tho question of tho : reform of the House of Lords had been crystallising in the Unionist during tho, last twolvo- month's, and;, they would have no difficulty ,if. called upon to embody their' views in tho Bill.. .Ho suggested that the House should consist of three hundred members, made up as follows:— '"','" ■ Picked from the. present House .of- ■■■ lords ■„: /.,„....;...„■:...;......;,;...■ me Ex-Cabinet Jlinisters and' occupants "' . o! great'posts in dopinio'ns ai)d r ■dependencies .■....;;•.;,........*..•••••'■•' 50 Appointed,by Prime Minister of the'. .. day (a certain number-annually) ■ 50 Elected for certain term on demo- ' ! cratic franchise or nominated by local self-governing bodies repre- ,■. schting counties or" great centres.;' . , of population 100 '■/ .;;'■■;,/; ■;^-,,.!^i'-i. v : 7J.:.;30p VETO QUESfibN AND HOME RULE. .OBSCURE DECLARATIONS BY,v • ' ' MINISTERS. "■ ','■.'..'/■■ (Rec. February 13, 0.20 a.m.) ~ . , : London, Febrnary,l2.' : ■''Mr. Malcolm (Unionist) has given notice "for Wednesday of an amendment to.the Address-in-Reply, the' effect that all effective"dobatoVnVthe Veto.jaWstion is seriously hampered ,;by ,tho obsouro. and conflicting dcclaralions of Ministers; relating to Homo Hule, -which, is- openly avowed as one of the main reasons for altering tho Constitution. ~, ': ' . PARLIAMENT BILL.;:: ; , ;•., . ■. ■ '-.•<. ■ .■■ '■ .; "CONSERVATIVES MUST 'SWALLOW -. .-. 'THE PILL."-- •• ; /:'. !.(Re'c. 13,0.58 a.m.) ; ' ' .-■'■ London, Febru'ary-12. Mr. Masterman, speaking at Stratford; Essex,, said- the Parliament .Bill would after tho Addrcss-in-Roply debate. H6 added: "Tho Conservatives .must swallow '.the., pill, ■■however bitter. , . . The Bill was going to'-pass.the House of Lords whether they liked it' or not, and he hoped.it ivould become Maw before tho Coronation. ••';.„" .. '■••, 'V , . ' : A : .v,PRESS;OpINiON's,,;".:V^;S:;- x ' ' ■ (Rec. February-18,'0,20 olni.).: : .. "': , '.' '.''■ LoniJon/'.Fobruary' 12. , ■Tho "Pall'-M'alf Wzott6'; ■" states .;lhat a. scheme whicli aJpfcddmiii'n'rice of hereditary.' privileges: tfould'fee' 'advocated under tho, greatest^dis'adviinf^e^nd , suggests thtit a uniform principle of selection, .eithor, | ~by by';,"large -con : ; stituencics on the proportional"representation principle, or. election by municipalities- .-,'....:. ...'. . ■"'.^'.■'.'•.,-'";; i ; : ' V "' r :. 7 ' . :■'■ ... • London,!.Etbrflaiy-.'i0.. ( - ■The "Times".'Bays' the. Unionist leaders in the House'.pfrLords r do riot consider it desirable to'lntrofluce'•• a Bill embodying .their proposed {reform's.'' >• ; ''. n_ The, : ".Westminster 'Gazette" , dedafei that tho : Lords' action in 'dropping their proposal reform 'implies, a , significant cooling c Proc'ess;-i •'■"■'>: ►''•'■ ■ -'■''' ~ ' ;•'

;', ■ ALTERNATIVE "%', ' .REFORM. PROPOSALS OUTLINEp. '';} ■■: The House, of-Lords is at present, composed of the : following:—' \ '•" ' ; ," ■ Peers [of. tho United Kinßdom.M 552 : , Archbishops 2 Bishops ■..•.'.'.■.■ 21;;'.; : :•. •Representative Peers of Scot- ••» ■ land' .'............•. ; ;.;.. 16 '. j ' Representative-Peers of Ireland 28 ■ i:, ■■.■'■■'. ■■..'•.■'' ■...'■''■-._622 '.;''•/■' ; '■'' THE GOVERNMENT PtAN..':;■'•. , Thfl Government plan for tho refbrm of tho Houso of Lords, as laid down in,tho Veto Resolutions and the Parliament Bill, is as-lollows:— ■ ••• ■':■ ~ .': . It is intended to substitute ' tho House of Lords as at present constituted a Second Chamber on a popular instead of hereditary basis, but as such ■ substitution cannot bo immediately'brought', into operation tho existing powers of .■■'. the Houso are to .be restricted. ">.>>'. Tho Houso of; Lords is to bo denied tho power of rejecting or amending a Money Bill. A measure shall be considered a Money Bill which in the opinion of; the Speaker.of the Houso of Commons contains only provisions dealing wjth'.aH or any of the following subjects, hamdy:—, Tho imposition, repeal, 'remission,' tionj or regulation of taxation! charges on the Consolidated Fund or ; tho provision of money by Parliament; 'Supply; the appropriation, control, or, regulation of publio money; the raising or guarantee of any loan, or the renayinent thereof; or matters incidental to thote sUbjectsor any of them. ■. ,•- ,; •' ■' ■■' '. ■.' ■ ■ Whon any measure other, than a Money. Bill hns passed' thrf Commons in ; three successive sessions it shall become' law, notwithstanding:-its'.'rejection' or.amendv ment by : the Lords,-provided that at least two years havo' elapsed since thb : duction of : tho Bill into the Honso of Commons and , the date on which • it passes that nouse for the third time.: . The duration'of Parliariicnfis--to.be limited to. flvo years. .. ' ' ■

LORD LANSDOWNE'S RESOLUTIONS. Lord Ltilisdowno's resolutions, as read in' tho. Upper HoUsi.nnd dobatcd in lovember last, are as follow:— , . •' ■', , ' "This Houso is to be.rccpnstnictou and reduced in numbers in. accordance.'.with tho recent. Resolutions passed by it.- - "If a (lifferenco. arises between- the, two Houses'with'regard to ''any Bill;, other than a Money Bill in two successive 6esfionannd within a'n'intorval df not less than one year, and such difference,cannot be adjusted by any other means, it shall bo settled-in a joint-sitting'composed of members oE the.two Houses (provided that if;the difference relatcs'to a>matter which is of great gravity and has not been adequately • submlttp'd-".to' : 'the ,r judg-ment-of the jpeople, it ' shall not be' referred to'a'" joint sitting, but 'shall' bo submitted for decision to tlio electors by Referendum; • , r ■ ■~ ~ ' "The prepared to forgo their Constitutional 1 right to reject or amend Money Bills, which ore purely financial in character: provided that effectual provision is made against tacking, and provided that if any question arises as to nny Bill or any provision thereof, that question shall be referred to a joint committee'of both Houses, *ith tho Speaker of the House of Commons ns chairman, who shall have a casting'vote only. If the committee hold' that the. Bill' and the provisions in question are not purely financial in oharactor. they shall bo dealt with forthwith in a joint sitting of the two Houses. • ■■ ■ ■■ ;■_. lord rosebery;splan.'. C. liOrd Rosnbery outline<l his plan for tho vccons'.itulioiL of the Houso of Lords in the following resolution' submitted to the Upper Houso last woek. ■ ■ "1. That in futuro the Houso of Lords shall consist of Lords of l'nrlinmcnt: (a) chosen by the wholo body of hereditary peers from among themselves and b> nomination by the Crown; (b)-sitting by virtue of offices and of qualifications held

by them; (c) chosen from outside; 2, that [no term of.'tenure for all Lords of Parliament shall bo the same, except in the case of those who sit, ex ofh'cio; who would sit so-long as they held'the office'for which they sit." . . 'HI?: BAM'OUR'S PROPOSALS. \ At a great inciting at Nottingham last Mn IJnlfour outlined a bold plan of constructive reform of the House of Lords which teehiod to tnko.by. surprise'not a few of his hearers. ,Ho unfolded his scheme in the form of a scries of propositions. '■ hi the first three ho promised that— ., , .: ' ' (1) A Second Chamber, is necessary; ' (2) It must bo a real und'riot 'a sham second Chamber. ■■•-,■ ■ (3); The Hoiiso.of Commons must remain tho dominant Chnnibev. The second series indicated the lines upon which Mr. Balfour considered . re. form should proceed:—. ■ (1) Thp relormed Chamber must bu. much smaller than the House of Lords; (2) Ail-hereditary..peerage .shall not carry tho right to a.legislative sent; (3) The now Chamber should consist of— ' (a) -Persons qualified by distinguished public service; '■ '-•'.•■ (b) Persons elected by tho Peors; (c) Persons, in number at'least half of tho total; elected or'selected from outside. Deadlocks between tho two Houses might be settled,, ho suggested, by conferences or joint sittings,, arid his final proposition was that if. the two Chambers disagreed on a question of national im« portance tho only arbiter was the people.