REFORMING THE LORDS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10768, 17 May 1911, Page 4

REFORMING THE LORDS.

[By: Electric Telegraph—Copyrioht.]

(Per Press Association".) Received May 17, at 0.5 a.m. fc London, May 16. The House of Commons read the Veto Hill a third time by 362 to 241,. the Radicals and Nationalists rising in their places and waving their handkefcliiefs. Mr F. E. Smith taunted the Government with rejecting'the only allies who were able to help them to redeem their word of honor in the matter of reforming the second chamber. Mr Asquith ridiculed the idea of the people being indignant at' the so-called revolution. He only detected a-n occasional yawn of weariness 'over tho prolonged discussion. Tlie Opposition were profoundly mistaken in thinking tho popular hostility to the House of Lords was duo to aversion to the hereditary principle. It was due to what the House of Lords had done. The Opposition now wanted a second chamber working iu the same spirit, but less obtrusively one-sided, with the hereditary principle deleted. The Liberals were quite contented with the principle, when, as is the case, the monarchy performs its efficient, functions in the constitution. The political fortunes of, the Liberal Party made it necessary.that it should undertake the reconstruction of tho House of Lords during' tho present Parliament.

Mr- Balfour said, the delay the Bill prnvyled was «a feeble referendum wifchoiit the instrument, enabling the people to express their opinions. The Bill was thoroughly undemocratic. 'Mr Churchill concluded. that he was almost aghast at. the Government's moderation. The House of Lords would still wield formidable menacing powers; nevertheless.the Bill was territory'conquered by the masses from the classes. Received May 17, at 8 a.m. London, May 16. Ih the House of Lords, Lord Lans-dnn-iici said that though there were great difficulties, he did not despair of arranging for the representation of other religious denominations beside the .Anglicans. Nothing was further from the thoughts of the*' Opposition than that the Government- should accept his Bill as an exchange for the House of Lords accepting the Veto "Bill. Lord Mprlcy twitted Lord Lansdowne with ruling 400 members who were ineligible. The iirst essentials of any groat scheme wero stability and simplicity, and Lord Lsm'sdowne'a 'Bill gave neither. It satisfied'iio one. What thn Government wanted to 'know was the relation of this Bill to the Veto Bill. .The first misiness-iof l'the-Govern-ment was to carry the'latter.

The Duke of Devonshire, and "Lords Solborho and Willbugliby de Broke supported Lord Laiisdowuq's Bill, and Lord BYnssey opposed it, while Lord Lamington' advocated the incorporation of colonial'rerireseutntinn. The. debate was adjourned.