“INTOLERABLE ARROGANCE” OF THE LORDS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1798, 22 August 1906, Page 15

“INTOLERABLE ARROGANCE” OF THE LORDS

Speaking at Liverpool on May 24, Mr Lloyd George, after explaining the general policy of tlio Government, said he was glad to see that- the National Liberal Federation was beginning to realise that part of the work they had to do lia-d reference to the House of Lords. (Cheers). It was time to think about it again. (Cheers). It had recently given a reminder of the mischief that was in it. It was time to begin to scrutinise calmly the claims of the Lards to override the will of the peo-, pie. (Loud and prolonged cheers). He had always felt that the House of Lords was a great standing menace to progress, aaid he had never felt it Se much as si no© he bad take n his share as a responsible Minister. It was like a skeleton at the Cabinet table. It would not reject great measures. The Lords would hardly dare to, but there were other measures which large sections of the community demanded in their own interest apart from the rost of the people. These they could eject with impunity. Still worse, they could disfigure and mutilate them. (Shame). That was where the mischief of this House came in. The House of Lords represented the idleness of the country. There was not a workman there. Why should not his friend Mr Vivian be Lord Birkenhead ? (Laughter). Why should not he (Mr Lloyd George) be Lord Carnarvon. (Great laughter and cheers). The gentleman known by that name had never been inside the town. (Laughter). He would not so much mind about the House of Lords if they were men of superior intelligence. (Laughter). There were, it wa® true, men of great intellect among them, but they had mostly gone up from the House of Commons. (Laughter). The only part of the art of life that the peers knew was the expenditure part of it. Partly by the accident of birth they ®at in judgment as a co-urt of appeal upon those representing millions of 'people. It was an intolerable

piece of arrogance. (Loud cheers). No Liberal -Government could possibly sit under it, if th© Lords continued toput forward their claims to decide the fate of this or that Bill. (Cheers). It was not too early to begin to consider carefully, and calmly, before the hour of anger and real indignation came, what claim an assembly cf this sort had to set itself up as a court of appeal in respect to the decision arrived at by the people. There was a Bill —the Education Bill—which would go up to the Lords by and by, and that was why he was talking about them now. No Cabinet ever considered a measure with greater care than the Government considered every item of this Bill before they introduced it. The Government thought that they had met the ju k demands of the case. (Cheers). The outcry against it was but natural. He did not object to the protest which was made, but he did object to it being made in the name of religion. (Cheers).