Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,800 Copies Daily MONDAY, JULY 3, 1911. THE VETO.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9553, 3 July 1911, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation, 3,800 Copies Daily MONDAY, JULY 3, 1911. THE VETO.

The Coronation festivities havo hardly ceased when the great .constitutional struggle between the Lords and Commons has been resumed. It appears to have, lost none of its. vigour, and has now reached the critical stage, for the Parliament Bill is being amended by the men whom it designs to slay politically. When the Bill appeared iu the Houso of Lords for the first time Lord Morley said the Government were prepared to discuss amendments which were not opposed to the effective predominance of the House of Commons. The Unionist leaders, howover, had arranged a series of amendments, which, if carried, would practically kill the Bill. Of these Lord Cromer's, carried on Friday, was evidently the first. It may not have been' vital,' but nevertheless was not acceptable to the Government. It will be Remembered that the Veto Bill now before the Lords grew primarily out of the hereditary chamber's refusal to pass the famous Lloyd-George Budget because it was contended that other important legislation of a revolutionary character was tacked on to that Budget. In the: Veto Bill the responsibility of deciding what is a pure Money Bill and what is "tacking" is left with the Speaker, but the Unionists consider that too much' responsibility 'devolves on one individual through so important a provision. Hence .Lord Cromer's amendment seeks to shift the responsibility on to a joint

committee'- of, both Houses. In the ■ debate the Liberal leaders made it clear that the amendment would not be acceptable, and the fact that it has passed shows that the Lords are determined to fight the matter out to the bitter end'. The amendment standing in Lord Lansdov/ne's name is a much more serious 'affair. It strikes at the root of the Bill, for if it were passed, certain proposals of groat importance, such as Home Rule, and any proposed change of groat gravity upon which the judgment of the country had not been sufficiently expressed, would be exempted from the operations of tlio 'Bill, which provides that legislation passed by the Commons in three successive sessions and rejected by the Lords, becomes law in spite of such rejections. This provision is the vital point of the Bill, and Lord. Lansdowno is aware that his amendment cannot bo accepted by the House of Commons. If the Bill is noli passed by the Lords in its unamended form the Government intend to pass it again and then sond it once more to the House of Lords. According to to-day's cables, the next 6tep will be the most unpalatablo, |at least as far as the newly-crowned King is concerned, for his first important act a 6 a Sovereign will be to take sides in the great fight. He is to be asked to create 500 Peers in ordor to give the Liberals a sufficient majority in the Hoiise of Lords to carry their measure, This uso of the Royal prerogative has been threatened before, but never actually carried into effect in the wholesale manner suggested. Great interest attaches now to tho immediate progress of the Bill, and there will be a good deal of cuj'iosity as to jihe attitude to be adopted by the Peers in view of the fact that they will place King George in a rather unpleasant position if they persist in blocking the Parliament Bill. j -1