HOUSE OF LORDS ABOLITION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 9

HOUSE OF LORDS ABOLITION.

FORECAST OF CABINET SCHEME MEMBERS AND POWERS OF SECOND CHAMBER. In view of Mr. Asquith's declaration that lie will himself at the earliest opportunity, and certainly within tho lite of ■ this Parliament—which probably means next' year—proposo a Bill-to replace tho present House of Lordß, it may be useful (says the London "Daily News and Leader") to give an outlino of tlie measure now under tho 63rious consideration' of a powerful sub-committee of the Cabinet. , ~, , In May, 1911, Lord Lansdowne tabled a Bill from which there may be derived tho suggestion that the jiame "Houso of Lords" be retained for tho new Second Chamber. Lord Lansdowne has himself furnished a formula whereby the House of Lords as we know it can be most conveniently abolished. His measure opens with, tho words: A writ of summons to attend or to sit and voto in the Houso of Lords shall not be issued to any Lords Spiritual or Temporal unless ho is a. Lord of Parliament within the meaning of this Act. This general enactment clears tho red benches of alt present occupants, and leaves, in Mr. Herbert Samuel s phrase, no vestige of the hereditary principles behind. Lord Lansdowne proposed a .new House of 81G persons, thus: 1. Qualified Lords of Parliament elected by their Peers 100 2. Elected Lords of Parliament ... 120 3. Nominated by Crown ..S 100 4. Princes of the Blood 3 5 Bishops I (i. Law Lords IB Total '. 848 The qualifications for (1) were .high office at home and abroad, previous membership of the Commons, the offices of Lord Mayor, Lord Provost, or of Privy Cbunoillor. The number of peers so qualified is about 300, of which 100 only could be chosen. In tlia case of (2), the Lords ,of Parliament were to be elected by Provincial Colleges of Commons members voting by proportional representation with the single transferable vote. In the case of (3), tho Lords of Parliament so nominated must bo in the proportion of parties in the House of Commons. In tho case-of the 7 Prelates, 2 would bo Archbishops and the remaining 5 would be elected by tho Bishops' bench, tho prefee.it system of rotation being abolished. It is enough to say (adds the ."Daily News") that this House would be as "tpry as the present House, and that tlie lioverr.ment will proceed on simpler lines. Scope of Government Scheme. Tne reconstituted Second Chamber will consist not of 346 persons, but of 150 to 200 persons. With trifling exceptions, all these persons will be directly elected for constituencies based on the Parliamentary register. The choice of candidates will be as unrestricted as it is for the House of Commons, but tho size of the constituencies and tho possible application of proportional representation will tend obviously to limit candidatures to persons of acknowledged position. Tho person so elected will be styled a Lord of Parliament, and will be entitled to wear robes suitably appointed. Ho will be summoned by writ, and will hold office for a period of years, a most interesting point being wliother tlie whole House will be submitted for election at one time or sections of tho House at shorter intervals. In order thai Labour may have full opportunity of securing admission to the House of Lords, it is at least very possible that payment of tho elected Lords will be proposed. It may ba that Labour, being committed to Single Chamber government, will take no part in providing candidates for tho Second Chamber. There is a tope in roanj; quarters that tho Higih Commissioners of the great Dominions may sit in the Upper House as well as one or two representatives of the great, ruling Houses of India. Future of the Peerage. Peers of tho Realm will pontinuo as at prerent tocnjoy'all their titles and claims to precedent. They will, like Irish and Scotish Peers, rank at Court and in Society as superior orders to Baronets and: Knights. Their only disqualification- will be in the matter of destroying valuable legislation. A special provision will enablo them to stand as candidates for the House of Commons, and otherwise tako part in Parliamentary elections. An important detail is the future of tho House of Lords as a supremo legal tribunal. There is, even in Tory circles, a strongly-expressed desire that the Supremo Court should oease to be political in character. It is most probable that tho Lords of Appeal will, liko other peers, bo released of ' writs of summons, and will constitute a separate court—on tho lines of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, with whiolr there might be an amalgamation.

Right of Ministers. A further matter of subsidiary importance is the right of Ministers to spealc in both Houses on legislation for which they are responsible. One way or, another this point will have to be decided. The number of peers who aotually attend the Upper Bouse is now not more than 100, and for all of these it should be possible to find seats. Tho peers to bo ■excluded are merely the backwoodsmen, who constitute a militia reserve for tho destruction of Liberal Bills. The powers of the new Second Chamber will be:— , , Over finance—nil. Over ordinary legislation—the right to reject or amend Bills in'the first session—subject always to a joint sitting to decida disputed points in the second session. To "this extent tho Parliament Act would be superseded. In all cases where a Government can sccure a majority on a joint sitting the two years of delay is reduced 'by, say, si:? to nine months. The procedure to be arranged for joint sittings is by no means ■ simple. _ There must be adequate safeguards against obstructive tactics. Voting on tho Bill aa a whole or on particular disputed amendments opens up a new vista of rulings and standing orders, for which there must be a determining Speakership. It is, of course, possible to reconstitute the House of Lords without interfering with, tho powers of tho Parliament Act, and this course da likely to be strongly pressed upon the Government from van* ous quarters. The plan of joint sittings is, however, the one at present favoured.