BRITISH POLITICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 1 April 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM. DEBATE ON THE RESOLUTIONS. PRESS COMMENTS. [Press Association—Copyright.] LONDON, Thursday. Interest in the debate in the House of Commons on the Government resolutions for House of Lords Reform has flagged. There are many absentees and the peers' gallery is empty. Mr. F. Smith, in a racy speech, twitted Mr. Asquith with omitting explanations of the reform proposals. It was everybody's knowledge that those who kept the Government in office were not committed to reform. I*ot 30 per cent. of the coalition members intended to go to their constituencies in May or June and ask for a mandate for reform of the House of Lords. Mr. J. A. Simon said the Unionists would welcome an attempt to combine complicated reforms with a simpler proposal for the limitation of the veto, and if the Government adopted the simpler method they would have a united party behind them.

Thirty amendment have been proposed to the resolutions.

The "Chronicle" agrees with Mr. Redmond that when the House of Lords reject the resolutions Mr. Asquith should secure the King's promise to use his prerogative, and then dissolve. The Chronicle," however, disagrees from Mr. Redmond's idea that no other measure should delay dissolution, and urges tha.t it would be absurd to tight the House of Lords by dropping the Budget, which precipitated the crisis. 'The "Graphic" says Mr. Asquith has not indicated as he promised proposals of reform, but has simply attacked the House of Lords as now constituted.

Several newspapers comment upon the lack of enthusiasm in the debate on the veto resolutions.

The "Standard" declares that the extremists are dissatisfied with Mr. Asquith's idea of reforming the House of Lords. The Moderates urg e an amalgamation of reform with limitation of the veto. MR. JOHN BURNS' SALARY. LONDON, Thursday. Mr. Will Thorne, without the Labour party's official support, has given notice of motion to oppose the increase of Mr. Burns' salary as President of the Local Government Board.

Mr. Balfour gave notice of motion favouring the increase. This is interpreted as a friendly intimation that the Government's proposal is not opposed by the Unionist side.

THE WEST WICKLOW SEAT. LONDON, Thursday. Mr. E. O'Kelly (N.) has been elected unopposed for West Wicklow. YESTERDAY' DEBATE. FURTHER DETAILS. LONDON, Thursday. In continuation of the debate, Mr. F. Smith, Unionist member for Walton, said that the Governments view was that whatever the Commons said thrice must be. right, but if the Assembly, could be wrong twice, why not a third time? The Government's real object was not that the people's but that the Radical caucus's will should prevail. He had little faith in the efficacy of the proposals of the Moderate Liberals and the survivors of the Liberal League in the Cabinet as guardians of constitutional evolutions. He proceeded to ridicule the cry of a danger of a revolution. He associated the benignantlooking gentlemen opposite with tea meetings and Pleasant Sunday Afternoons rather than with Committees of Public oaftey and barricades. The members of the Government wer e not Jacobin leaders. Their manoeuvres with parties and caucuses reminded him of the stage donkey with legs moving in different directions. Mr. Simons, member for Walthamstowe, contended that the restriction of the veto allowed time for discussion and reflection.

Lord Hugh Cecil criticised the Cabinet's power to force Bills through the Commons without adequate discussion. Hecommented on the exclusion of men like Mr. Harold Cox unless they played the party game. Every constitution in the colonies gave a second chamber the right to reject but not to initiate or amend finance. It was a right copied from what was universally regarded as the rule in Britain, 'regulating the relations of the two Houses.

Mr. Birrell, Chief Secretary for Ireland, replied that the colonies had not an historical House of Commons. Whatever might be the future constitution of the House of Lords, the people of Britain would never allow it to assert its power of rejecting the Government's financial proposals. There was no possibility of compromise with the Lords on the question of finance. Meanwhile root and branch reform of the House of Lords was not immediately practicable. Mr. Asquith, therefore, was justified in his present proposals. Mr. Wyndham (U.), said that in no country was a -second chamber restricted to discussion and the interposing of suggested delay. One deplorable effect would be to make the Premier a tyrant or a puppet in the hands of parliamentary groups.

Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald (Lab.), in a vehement speech against- the Lords and

' in favour of a single chamber, referred to Australasia, and said that, whatever the paper 'constitution might be, one party was bound to get a predominant part of the second chamber. The. debate was adjourned, • Mr. Aneurin Williams' academic resolutions in favour of proportional representation was adopted without division. RESUMPTION OF THE DEBATE. THE AMENDMENTS. THE FIRST ATTACK. MR, FINLAY'S SPEECH. (Reed. April 1, 1.1 p.m.) LONDON, Thursday. In the House of Comons, Mr Finlay, in moving his amendment to the Lords' Reform resolutions, denounced the Government for paralysing the nation's finances at Mr Redmond's bidding. He said that millions had been lost through the Government's tactics. The present proposition was not justified even by a deadlock between the two houses, everybody admitting the Lords' legal rights to refer the Budget to the country, which had answered against the Budget. No reform of the House of Peers was seriously intended, and the Lords had a legal right to reject money bills.

(Mr Finlay's amendment is to the effect that the House regards a strong efficient and second Chamber as necessary, and is willing to consider proposals of reform; but declines proposals destroying the usefulness of any second Chamber, however constituted, and removing the only safeguard against great changes being made by the Government of the day, not only without the consent, but against the wishes of the majority of the electors).

THE MINISTERIAL SITUATION.