THREATENED LORDS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6382, 3 December 1907, Page 6

THREATENED LORDS

PROSPECTS OF AN ENGLISH ELECTION.

LONDON, October 11

Although Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-man has committed his party to an attempt to limit the' powers of the House of Lords, it i<s very doubtful whether he will bo allowed to pursue the attacK on the bold lines he has suggested. Many of tho Liberals, almost the wholo of the Labour party and the younger Radicals view the prospect of an early election with doubt, and in some cares with strong disfavour. A huge programme of legislation has been promised for 1908, including the Education Bill, licensing reform, Welsh disestablishment, old age pensions, and further measures dealing with Scottish land settlement, Irish local government, land taxation, plural voting, and other questions, it is seen that ir only a fourth of this mass of work is to be done, a dissolution next year roust ho avoided, and it cannot be avoided if the agitation against tho House of Lords be pushed to its inevitable conclusion. The position is a peculiarly awkward one for the Government; the of a backdown would be almost as injurious as a rash forward would be risky. There are men in all parties who believe, with Mr Snowden, that a majority cannot be obtained either in England or in Scotland for a proposal which would virtually leave the Government of the day free to force any kind of legislation on tho country within the limits of a single Parliament; that, in fact, by precipitating another general election mainly on Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's cry, tho Liberals would probably be “committing suicide in tho most expeditious manner possible.” Moreover, ns tho next election will bo to a largo extent a fighc against Socialism, it is certain that a considerable section of the Liberal electors will he strongly tempted io rote against tho Government, as a result of tho practical sympathy it has shown towards Socialistic aims. Tho’desire and need for reform of tho Upper House will remain, but in proportion as the Socialists succeed in improving their Parliamentary prospects, the middle class electors and all others who have anything to lose may bo expected to exhibit loss and le&s inclination to give unlimited legislative power to the House of Commohs.

"Socialism,” says tho "Daily Chronicle” (a paper which claims to be an authority on the subject, and which has at intervale given a large amount of its space to the writings of Mr Ramsay Macdonald and other Socialists), “is repugnant to tho English character ond hostile to English traditions. When its champions in this country encumber themselves in addition, with au antiChristian propaganda, the prospect of their winning any large measure of success becomes very remote.” That may prove to be an over sanguine view. The test has yet to come. The Socialists are extremely active in Liberal, as well as in other constituencies, throughout tho country, and there can bo littlo doubt that the Liberals will suffer at tho next election through their prominent association in legislative work with the Socialist section of tho Labour party. Tho Prime Minister is, however, willing at present to face the risk of sacrificing at least a portion of his majority in an electoral fight against tho Lords. He seems to think that delay would involve more danger than a bold plunge. The "Westminster Gazette" telle aim as much, and is all for decisive action. It remarks that, "in regard to the Education Bill, it rapidly became clear that a passive policy would transfer a large part of the indignation against the Lords to tho Government itself, and, unless feeling is greatly misjudged in Scotland, a similar policy in regard to the Scottish Bills would have been equally discrediting. The House of Lords has, in .fact, tho power, of either discrediting a Liberal’ Government with the keenest of its own supporters, or of compelling it qnito early in its existence to stake its life on tho constitutional issue. That is what has happened in the last two sessions, and safety now lies in seeing it clearly, and accepting tho consequences fearlessly and whole-heartodly.". The ’ outlook is none the less discomforting to Liberals, w’ho .are threatened with opposition in their constituencies by Socialists, as well as by Unionists, and who feel that, when the Government goes to the country it ought to attempt something more attractive than to reduce to impotence ’ a ’ legislative chamber which, in spite of its anomalous constitution, is held in high respect by a large section of the electors. .Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, aware of this uneasiness amongst the rank and flic, is prepared with a tactical device which will enable him, if the conditions of work during nest session should favour such a move, to avoid an appeal to the country until the early part of 1909. For tho present he is allowing it to be inferred that the Government will bo ready to dissolve within the next twelve months, if necessary. In the interval it will be open to the Lords to upset his calculations by bringing forward and adopting, in the form of a Bill, a scheme for the reorganisation of their Chamber, which -could easily bo made much more acceptable to the country than tho merely destructive pjan recommended by the Government. It is no small disadvantage to the Liberals that their former colleague. Lord Rosebery, is at the head of a House of Lords committee which is now engaged in preparing materials for such a Bill.— Melbourne “Age."