THE LORDS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 24 March 1923, Page 11

THE LORDS

MOTION TO REDUCE MEMBERSHIP

AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH

BY CABLE—fBESS MBOOIAIION- COJ»y*lGai . . ■ Received March 24, 9.5 a.m. LONDON, March 23. I In the House of Lord, Lord Newton moved in favour of a reduction in the membership of the House of Lords. The present membership is 726 and the regular attendance is less than 200, while all the talking is done by 50 or 60. Lord Newton advocated a chamber of 300 members of high standing. The debate later became unusually heated, ! Lord Birkenhead, in an impassioned speech, - denounced Lord Salisbury and ; Lord Selborne for their attacks on the : Coalition Government and the failure jto carry out the reform of the "Upper Chamber. Lord Birkenhead continued: "Lord Curzon now tells, us it will take tli© present Government two to three years, to carry out their Lords reform pledges. What prospect has the Government of being here two to three years. The Government were only returned by a minority of th« electors and are losing by-election after by-election. They can. [ not find a. seat for the Lord Advocate. I notice that Lord Salisbury and Lord , Selbourn© do not attack the present j Government like they did the last as shifting opportunists, in connection with Lords reform." '"■' Lord Newton's motion was passed.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . .