THE PRIME MINISTER'S ADMISSION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 March 1910, Page 3

THE PRIME MINISTER'S ADMISSION.

TWO CHAMBERS EXPEDIENT

HISTORIC DEHATE AT WEST-

MINSTER

Mil BALFOUU'S BITTRU

TAUNTS

[IIY KI.ECTHIC TEIiEfSRAPn--COPYRIGnT.]

I,I'KR PRKSS ASSOCIATION. J

LONDON', March 30. The Prince of Wales, the, American Ambassador, many Peers and diplomats witnessed the, debate in the House of Commons when the Prime Minister (the lit. Hon. H. H. Asquith) inoved: "That this House resolve itself into a committee to consider the relations of .the two Houses and the duration of Parliament." In doing so he said tho Government desired to see the maintenance of the House of Commons' predominance in Wislaticm. but his resolutions were no final or adequate solution of the problem. The Leader of the Opposition (the Ht. Hon. A. J. .Ilalfour) attributed Mr Asquith's projjosals, whicli would neither end nor mend the House of Lords, to divergence of views among the members of the Government regiirdiing reform of the Lonl.s Tlie Lords passed tho Trades Disputes Hill because the feeling of the community was strongly in its favour. The Lords would , have preferred the Trades Disputes Hill a.s it was oriintroduced, and , : so would tie Government. The Government gave- it up—why? To save their skins. Ca!)inet Ministers had skins equally with Peers, and were as anxious to save- them. Tt wns not surprising that the Tiords had resisted and delayed the measures of a revolutionary Government, but there had been no deadlock. The Commons were now disked to prevent the Lords from nirain rejecting Home Pule. Mr Asquith'.s scheme was an al).surd experiment with the Constitution. His opinion was held by all the great free .self-governing States. id) insfcaiiiced Poutli Africa and Australia.