BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 14495, 21 February 1911, Page 6

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

THjC VETO BILL. TWO DAYS’ OPENING DEBATE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, February 20. (Received February 21, at 10.55 a.m.) The Veto Bill to ho introduced by the Pi*rc Minister is identical with that of 1910, including the preamble. Mr Asquith promised two days’ debate on the firstreading stage. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. AN O’BRJENITE SUSPENDED. LONDON, February 20. (Received February 21, at 10.55 a.m.) In withdrawing his statement, made in a letter to Mr Ginneil, that Speaker Lowther was not impartial, Mr J. O. Wedge wood offered an ample apology, which the House accepted. Mr Ginned also apologised to Mr Wedgcwood for publishing a personal letter, but renewed bis protest against “gagging” members and the Whips’ action. The Speaker replied that the lists supplied by the Whips were not binding. The House resolved that tho publication of tho letter was a grave breach of the privileges of tho House, and Mr Asquith moved that Mr Ginneil (1.N.) be suspended for a week for not apologising to the Speaker. (Received February 21, at 10.20 a.m.) The Labor party and Irish Nationalists voted against the Government’s motion for the suspension of Mr Ginneil. THE FUTURE OF THE VETO BILL. Our London correspondent, writing on January 13, says: Everything points to an exciting session at Westminster this year. Tho battle of tho Parliament Bill is by no means won yet by the Government, although tho first round, in tho shape of a general election, has gone in their favor. They have still to get the Bill through both Houses of Parliament. Even in tho Lower House the Bill may have a stormy passage. The Labor parly i«jw signs of growing restive about the preamble of the Bill, which pledges the House to the principle of a reformed Second Chamber. Mr Barnes, the chairman of the Labor party, describes the preamble in this week’s ‘Reynolds’s’ as foolish and unnecessary. Mr Snowden, another prominent Labor M.P., is equally outspoken in tho current ‘ Christian Commonwealth.’ -Mr Keir Hardie said last night that the reform of the House of Lords could wait til) a more convenient season. " There was more urgent work to do than to attempt tho means of reforming an institution which was too rotten to ho mended, and which ought at once to be ended." According to Mr Barnes, the Labor party will vote against the preamble of the Bill. The Tories, being opposed to the whole Bill, will naturally vote against the preamble also. If some of tho advanced Radicals took tho same course as the Labor men, the, preamble might be rejected, and the Bill would have to go through without it. Tlieii there would bo trouble with tho Whig section of tho Cabinet, led by Sir Edward Grey, to conciliate whom the preamble was originally inserted. Here, then, are the elements of a possible crisis before over tho Bill reaches tho Lords. What action the Lords will take in regard to tho Bill is at present in doubt. There is a strong feeling in a portion of the Unionist party that, if tho Government do not agree in tho Commons to the amendments that are desired, the House of Lords should pursue a course which would compel tho Government to create—if they are able to—the 500 peers. If the Government do not so amend the Bill, some of those Unionists are in favor of the rejeetion of the Bill by tho Lords, while others consider that the purpose would be as well served if the Bill were amended by the Lords and the amendments adhered to. It may not be possible for some time to ascertain what tho collective opinion of the majority in the House of Lords will be. Whether their dislike of the Veto Bill will outweigh their dislike of the special creation of peers, or vice versa, is a question in which keen interest is now being taken in Unionist circles. Some Unionists hope that by insisting on the creation of 500 peers the House of Lords will make the Liberal party look ridiculous. “Let the puppet peers bo made,” shouts Mr Garvin, of the ‘ Observer.’ But it seems much more likely that it will bo the House of Lords that is made to look ridiculous by such a course of action.