The Dominion. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1911. THE PEERS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1184, 20 July 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1911. THE PEERS.

The cable messages of yesterday and to-day respecting the latest developments of the political situation at Home must be regarded as having in them more of conjecture than of actual fact. AVe were tolcl yesterday that "it was stated" that the Government had prepared a list of SSO names for the threatened creation of Peers, but' the authority for the statement was not given. Nor is there given any authority for the report that the swamping process is to be carried out by instalments, the first instalment of 50 new peerages being promised as the immediate result of the passage of the Bill by the Lords in its amended form. This is, nevertheless, a reasonable conjecture, for the Government would be very glad to create as few new peerages as possible, and would be glad to adopt any means to this end. There might lie a chance of reducing the House of Lords to sub-, mission by successive batches, and flic Government would naturally seek to economise its power'by using a fresh batch as a further "turn of the screw" at each stage in the negotiations until, realising the hopelessness of further resistance, the Lords decided to give in. Although such a process would injure the reputation .of British statesmanship by presenting it to the world as having descended perilously near to the tactics of the "poker school," it appears to be the only process open to Mk. Asquith if ho can secure the support of the Crown. There now appears to be a possibility that the Bill may be rejected altogether on the third reading, fifty Unionist Peers having expressed their determination to _vote against it, and it is not surprising that Lord Lanrdowne is as strongly undesirous of this result as is Lord Morley. Lord Lansd.owxe has admitted, by his treatment of the measure, the reality of the one valid complaint of the Liberals, namely, that there is a permanent Unionist majority in the present House of Lords; and the amendments actually made meet that complaint very fully. Under the Bill as amended a temporary majority in the Commons will not have the power, as provided in the original Bill, to do anything it chooses with the Crown and the Constitution; but it was not this power that the Liberals professed to want. Their only concern, they have said a thousand times, is to eecure an open pathway for their social "reforms, and-this pathway is left "open for 'them even in the amended Bill. That is a very great concession. Two years ago it would have been admitted as a full concession of. the Liberal demands. If the Bill is rejected, there will be an end of what Lord Lansdowne doubtless hopes will be the chance that-, in defiance of Mr. Eedjiond, the Government may recognise that the Liberal grievances aro remedied in the amended Bill. The Unionist leader will accordingly be no less anxious than the Government to, save the Bill. • The prospect of a compromise in conference at this stage is extremely small, almost nil, but no chance, however slender, must be imperilled. Wc arc told to-da.v of Lord Mobley's "whip" to the Liberal Peers emphasising the "truly critical" nature of the third reading division and the "momentous results involved, both immediate arid future," that the momentous results cmbrace the loss of the Budget and National Insurance Bill and the necessity for a prorogation. This is a reasonable interpretation of the carefully-worded circular, but it is just possible that Lord Morley's anxiety may have another origin— his belief that compromise is not after all impossible. At the present time the tide of opinion is unmistakably setting in a direction that the Liberals cannot like. The turn of the Unionists is coming (and those far-sighted Liberals whose Liberalism keeps in view the true interests of the nation will not altogether regret this). If Lord Lansdow.ve finds that the calculations of the Liberals indicate rigidity as tlie best policy for them, he will probably advise the acceptance uf the original Bill before the swamping process is completed, for the Bill inu-t a Liberal dominance of the Second Chamber will make it possible for the Government to force a Home Rule Bill or any other Bill through in one session. The power

of delay will in that case have gone as well as the power of rejection. It may appear a strange thing to Kay, but nubndy who has thought about the realities will doubt that the Liberals are not anxious to enjoy that power and tluis give. Mil Redmond an excuse for demanding an immediate Home. Rule Art. "You can give us the Act right away,'' ho will bo able to say;. "and we want it." There is in this consideration a reason why the Liberals will ho very glad if they can avoid, even by stooping to compromise, the complete swamping of the Unionists in the House of Lords. It is one of many such sub-surface considerations which show that the position is not the plain and simple one for either side that superficial critics may imagine.