The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 845, 17 June 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

The cable messages dealing with the political situation in Great Britain have for days past recorded a conciliatory spirit violently in contrast with the heat and excitement that was suddenly chilled by King Edward's death. The contrast, indeed, is so violent as to emphasise nothing so much as the sharp and fundamental differences which it is sought —or which the parties want the public to believe they arc seeking—to compose. That their natural wish for a peaceful settlement has made the party leaders put tactical considerations out of their heads is difliciilfc to believe. Nor is it at all likely that a compromise satisfactory to the heterogeneous elements of the Government majority ean be. arrived at. The preamble of the Parliament Bill declares that it is intended to substitute for the House of Lords

a Second Chamber constituted on a popular basis but that "such substitution cannot be immediately brought into operation." The Government has hitherto refused all invitations to indicate what the reform alluded to will consist of or when it will bo carried out, but at any conference that takes place frankness as to this point will obviously be essential. Unfortunately for the Government, the embodiment in explicit terms of the sort of new Second Chamber proposed will only bring out in deeper colour the absurdity of sterilising this new House beforehand. According to the Times, the Ministerial view is that a compromise is impossible so far as the Lords' "financial veto" is concerncd, and that the only matters open for discussion under this head are "tacking" and the nature of the authority to be set up to decide what are Money Bills. On the question of the Lords' authority in respect of general legislation there is certainly room for compromise, and the minimum of compromise will be the provision that an election must intervene between the three submissions of any disputed Bill to the Lords. In point of fact the Lords have never ■disregarded the mandate of the people when that mandate has been quite clear, nor have their enemies ever contended otherwise. Provided, therefore, that the right of reference to the people is safeguarded, the Unionists can have no objection to this part of the Parliament Bill. The real trouble will come from the fact that the Nationalists will not be content, as Mi:. Redmond, indeed, has made clear in so many words, with anything loss than the complete destruction of every chance that the 'Lords may forcc an election in any circumstances whatever. Mr.. Asquith, so a cable message printed •to-day seems to indicate, is going to the conference convinced that he can count on the support of every section of his majority. But time, and a short time, will show how far he can carry his allies with him: he will be very lucky if his confidence is justified, for the Welsh members have now to be added to the Labour wing and the Rediiondites as extremists naming a price for their support. The great difficulty at the conference will arise over the definition of Money Bills. -So far as the official Liberals are themselves concerncd there need be no difficulty, but the extreme Radical and Nationalist wings will require their friends to leave a door opon for "tacking," and will base their demand on Mr. Asqditii's own statement at the opening of' the session respecting the necessity for preserving the honour and freedom of the representative Chamber. It does not seem possible that the conference will bring peace, despite the excellent spirit in which it is approached by the party leaders.