REFORM OF THE LORDS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3444, 12 November 1932, Page 5

REFORM OF THE LORDS

PROPOSAL FOR ELECTIVE BODY. LABOUR REPRESENTATIONS. (Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received 9.10 a.m.) London, November 10. The possibility of women sitting in the House of Lords was envisaged by the committee of Conservative peers and members of the House of Commons under the chairmanship of Lord Salisbury, which had investigated the means for the reform of the House of Lords, and now recommend that it would be hazardous and completely out of the tradition of hereditary principle and dangerous to leave the monarchy as the only hereditary element in the constitution. The committee proposes a House of about 320, of whom 150 would be hereditary peers elected by the remainder, and 250 from outside elected by the County and Borough Councils grouped into electoral areas. Sex would be no disqualification among those thus elected. All members should be elected for twelve years, a third then retiring, and two Archbishops should continue to be members, and also three Bishops, to be elected by their brethren, while adequate representation would be provided for the Labour Party by bringing their incomes to £6OO a year if short of that amount. The peers not elected to the House of Lords should be eligible for the House of Commons.