The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1931. LABOUR AND THE LORDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1931. LABOUR AND THE LORDS.

Tin-he is reason to believe, according to the Manchester Guardian, that too Labour Government will make the constitution and powers of the House of Lords a vital issue at the next general .election. Recent utterances by the Prime Minister and other members of the Government have been construed into threats on its part oi legislation to diminish the influence m a chamber that, has been thorn in its side ever since it assumed office. Ji Mr MacDonald and llie colleagues take steps in this direction it will not be unexpected. The House of Lords lately rejected entirely the Education Bill, it lifts ailichded the Agricultural Land Utilisation Bill first of all. by throwing out the first two clauses and how by rejecting the whole of an important part of tile Bill, and jt has treated other Government measures with considerably less respect than their sponsors considered they deserved. This action has been described by the Socialists as a challenge to the electors, ami although it is questionable whether such an allegation by a minority Government, should carry much weight it is highly likely that an attack upon the hereditary chamber will receive a prominent, place in Mr MacDonald's electioneering when lps Government goes to the polls again. The inclusion in the Budget of a tax on land values is shrewdly regarded as a fresh invitation to the House of Lords to precipitate a conflict on constitutional issues. The Government seems, indeed, to ho preparing ground for the- election contest that will be as favourable as possible for itself. It would be more reasonable, however, if it were to eonconn itself with the reform of the House of Lords rather than with any interference with its powers. I,b is idle to suggest that in this democratic age the hereditary right to legislate is widely accepted, and it may bo suggested that if the House of Lords is to enjoy full and proper powers of Parliamentary revision the composition of it, as a legislative chamber, will have to he greatly modified. As at present it , is , almost entirely all hereditary chamber:—that is lo say, members sit there by hereditary right, with the exception of Scottish ft ltd Irish peel's, a limited number of whom am elected by votes confined to themselves alone, and the twenty-six representatives of the Church of England, In this respect it must he conceded that a case for the reform of the Chamber exists. The first reform that suggests itself is that the personnel of the House, in its legislative aspect, should be considerably reduced to comprise only peers who are actively interested in and connected with politics. While, under existing conditions, all peers of the realm in England hold seats in the House of Lords, only a small proportion of them, m actual fact, regularly avail themselves of the privilege of attending its sittings so that a reduction in the dimen. sions of the House should he readily attainable for parliamentary purposes. Tt is not desirable, nor, it may he conjectured, would it he the wish of the electors that the ancient and traditional hereditary principle, which still nossesscs its value, should be abolished altogether. It is essential that, whatever the basis upon which a reformed House of Lords is constituted. it must be different from that of the House of Commons. All shades of opinion are required there, and it is important that members should not he subservient to party considerations. There can be no question that the neea for reform is urgent, and it is significant that among the peers themselves it is cordially acknowledged that the House of Lords cannot continue in its present state without courting the risk of some undesirable change. The peers have, however, been unable to agree as to the nature of the rerorm that should be adopted. If Mr Ramsay MacDonald can offer any solution of’the problem of the constitution of the House of Lords which would reduce it to what may be called a. workable size for legislative purposes, lie will he credited with an achievement greater than he can ever hope to aceompnsn by seeking to weaken the powers of a' branch of the legislature of which, apparently, the cluef fault is that it entertains different views from those held by the Government.