PEERS AND PEOPLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7867, 1 August 1911, Page 5

PEERS AND PEOPLE

“STALWARTS” DWINDLING CREATION OF NEW PEERS UNLIKELY. By Tvilccrraph—Press Association—Copyright, LONDON, Juiy 30. Every day increases tho number of peers supporting Lord Lansclowne. Already three hundred and live have given in their adhesion, and several have withdrawn from Lord HaJsbury’s list of peers intending to vote against tho Parliament Bill. Tho creation of peers is considered unlikely, even if Lord HaJsbury forces a division. . Lord Winchelsea declares that he and others are wilting to vote for tho Parliament Bill, which they dislike, in order to prevent the creation of “blackleg ** peers. Many of tho Unionist clubs encourage Lord Halsbury to persevere in his opposition to the measure. ME. BALFOUR’S POSITION WILL NOT’ ACCEPT RADICALS’ CONSTITUTION. LONDON, July 30. Air A. J. Balfour, tho Opposition leader, writing to a constituent, said tho country ought to 1 thoroughly realise that the Unionist party would not acquiesce in Dio Radicals’ now constitution,, and would regard tho modern Ministers’ abuse of tho Royal prerogative as no loss fatal than the Kings’ abuse in olden times. THE IRR ECONCILA BLES ARRANGING PUBLIC MEETINGS. LONDON, July 30. Tho “stalwarts” have arranged for public meetings, tho first to bo held on Friday next, to protest against the surrender of Die Lords’ amendments. A “STALWART” M.P. Mr H. Pike Pease, Conservative member for Darlington, addressing a Primrose League meeting at Woking, in Surrey, said Die suggestion that Unionist peers would vote for the Parliament Bill was unthinkable.

POWER OF THE LORDS TO REFUSE TOTES TO-NEW PEERS. (Received August 1, 0.55 a.xn.) LONDON, July 31. Lord Stanmore, writing to “ The Times,” suggests that the Lords still possess power to discharge a now peer from tho service of the House during the remainder of Parliament. Ho' instances tho refusal of a vote to Lord AVensleydale in 1856. Lord Wensleydalo was created a life peer. A peerage for life only, with the title of Lord AVensleydale of AVensleydale, was granted to Baron Sir James Parke, an. eminent lawyer, on January 10th, 1356. The House of Lords opposed his sitting and voting as a peer for life, and on. July 25th, 1856, he was created a peer in the usual way, with the title of Lord Wensleydale of AValton. 'He died in 1868. The late E. A. Freeman, the historian, urged that tho right of the Crown to create peers for life only had. never been surrendered nor abolished nor doubted,' but had gradually gone out of use. He considered tho Wensleydale incident showed "to what a height of presumptuous aggression the newer element in the House, the hereditary element, had grown. Freeman notes that subsequently the hereditary peers had to submit to receive colleagues whose blood had not been ennobled, since law lords not holding peerages now sit and vote in the House which refused a seat rto Lord AVensleydale. A Bill for . creating life 'peerages was read, a second time in the House of Lords on April 27th, 1869, hut was afterwards rejected. The “law lords!' in the House are the Lords of Appeal, whose number is limited to four.