REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14786, 19 March 1910, Page 8

REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS

LORD CURZON'S PROPOSALS. Pies« Aißocittifln—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 17. The newspapers interpret Lord Curzon's proposals to mean, firstly, the nomination of an undisclosed number of Peers by the Government of tho day; secondly, the election of English Peers should be conducted on the same principle as the Irish and Scottish Peers are chosen; thirdly, that county councils and great corporations should be formed into electoral colleges to select 84 representatives to the Upper House.

SPEECH BY LORD LANSDOWXE. ' March 18. (Received March 18, at 9.25 p.m.) Lord Courtney discussed Lord Rosebery's resolutions from the standpoint of the divergency of the two Houses. Incidentally he criticised the House of. Commons as not being a true council of the nation owing to the absence of representations. Some of the great elements were ateeht, just as great elements were absent from the House of Lords. Ho concluded by detailing his schcme for representation .J) the House of Lords—Capital, Labour, and Nationalists. . Lord Lansdowno emphasised the fact that nobody objected to the resolutions going to a- committee inasmuch as such an attitude was equivalent to declaring that the House was perfect. He dwelt on the seriousness of tho proposal to ask a large number of' Peers to' surrender their duties and privileges. He hoped that Lord Rosebery would submit an ultimate scheme for continuity, keeping on the righ> side, of the line between reform and revolution. The House was going into the concern ivith considerable goodwill, which ought not to be sacrificed, If new blood were introduced the old traditions should be retained l . He would greatly regret, 'any alteration in the name of the House—a name whereof there was no reason to be ashamed. He trusted that tho reform would be carried out. on an equitable and reasonable basis, not excluding .tlie hereditary -principle. Tho country's recent verdict wac not a wholesale condemnation. The principle ol reform should be simple. Ho remarked that one picturesque and attractive, butunpractical, suggestion favoured including representatives of the oversea dominions. SuTely on Imperial Parliament was one thing and the Second Chamber another. He would ask these who were familiar with the opinion of the great colonies whether the latter greatly desired, to be associated with the Motherland in the every-day ,vork of legislation. He did not think that the dominions would part with their best men for the purpose of attending, nor . would they be grateful for the amount of representation "ranted, which would necefsai'ily be small. Lord Lansdowne concluded by reviewing the various practical methods of reform. '■RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED. (Received .'lurch 18, at 9.45 p.m.) Lord Crewe d'ld' not oppose the resolutions, but said the primary urgent question concerned the relations between the two Houses. What was unpopular was not the hereditary principle, but tlie uncontrolled exercise of tho hereditary | power. He added that the House of Commons must have a say regarding any j reform of the Lords.

The resolutions were then agreed to, and the House went into committee and 'adjourned till Monday." •• •• .

THE .GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. ( ' LONDON/ March 18. • (Received March 18. at 10.35 p.m.) 'Hie Times'states that the Government's present plan for electing the Second Chamber is to subdivide' Britain 1 and' Ireland into 75 enormons constituencies, each returning two members (senior) for eight-years and a. junior for four years. The members elected to replace tho latter will serve for the remaining four years. HEREDITARY PRINCIPLE CONDEMNED. LONDON, March 18. (Received March 18, at 10.35 p.m.) Mr Herbert Samuel, speaking at Basingstoke, said the hereditary principle must go.