REFORM OF THE LORDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 343, 19 March 1910, Page 5

REFORM OF THE LORDS

LORD LANSDOWNES VIEWS. A SCHEME OF CONTINUITY HEREDITARY PRINCIPLE DEFENDED. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Received March 18. 9.25 p.m. London, March 18. Lord Lansdowne emphasised that uobody objected to Lord Rosebery's resol.ilions going to Committee, inasmuch as such an attitude was equivalent to declaring the House was' perfect. He dwelt upon the seriousness of the proposal to ask a large number of Peers to surrender their duties and privileges, and hoped Lord Rosebery would submit, ultimately, a scheme of continuity, keeping on the right side and line between reform and revolution. The House of Lords was a going concern with considerable goodwill, which ought not to toe sacrificed. If new blood were introduced, the old traditions should be retained. He would greatly regret any change in the name of the Hous«, a name whereof the country had no mson to be ashamed. He trusted refom *rould be on an equitable and reasonab'e basis, and not excluding the hereditary principle. The country's recent verdict was no -wholesale condemnation of the principle. The verdict meant that reform should be simple. OVERSEA REPRESENTATION. He Temarktd that one picturesque and attractive but impractical suggestion favored including representation lrom the oversea dominions. Surely, he sa : d the Imperial Parliament was one thing and a Second Chamber another. He •would ask those familiar with the opinion of the great colonies whether the latter greatly desired to be associated with the Motherland in every-day work and legislation. He did not think the| dominions would part with their best men for the purpose of attending, nor •would they be grateful for the amount of representation granted, which necessarily must be small. He concluded by reviewing the various practical methoas of reform. Lord Courtney discussed Lord Rosebery's resolution from the standpoint of the divergence of the two Houses'. He incidentally criticised the House if Commons as not being a true council of the nation, owing to the absence if representatives of some of the great elements, just as some of the great elements were absent from the Home of Lords. He concluded by detailing his scheme of representation in the House of Lords, by capital, labor, d the Nationalists. WHAT WAS UNPOPULAR. THE UNCONTROLLED EXERCISE Ob' HEREDITARY POWER. Received March 18, 9.45 p.m. London, March 18. The Earl of Crewe (Secretary of State for the Colonies) did not oppose the resolutions, but the primary and urgent question concerned the relations of the two Houses. What was unpopular was not the hereditary principle, but 'he uncontrolled exercise of the hereditary power. The resolution was then agreed to, and <Jhe House went into Committee and adjourned till Monday. "POLITICAL GAMBLERS." Received March 18, 9.45 p.m. London, March 18. Lord Curzon, speaking at the Jun : 'ir Constitutional Club, and referring to th* elections and the Government's positio i. said there was no greater instance o£ Budden catastrophe and disintegration. He remarked that the Government's tactics were intended to prolong their existence. They were meant to postpoi" defeat, embarrass the finances, produee •onfusion, and'.put their enemies in a false position. The country expected broad-minded and dispassionate statesmanship T& did not expect the Government's policy would be actuated by a spirit of the political gambler. The country did not intend the Lords to po. The Government was not exactly a Cromwell's—competent to destroy one of the two Houses. It could not be by a sham Robespierre's revolution that anj great revolution could be carried. The lords should follow on broad aad generous lines. He hoped the approaching elections ■would return a party strong • enough to carry such reforms in the Constitution as were required and pass sound measures of fiscal and sociai reform. AN ELECTIVE CHAMBER. Received March 18, 10.35 p.m. London, March 18. The Times says the Government's present plan of electing a Second Chamber is to subdivide Britain and Ireland into seventy-five enbrmous constituencies, each returning two members, a senior for eight years and a junior for four years; the members elected to replace the latter and serve the remaining four years. THE VETO CAMPAIGN. ANXIETY OF THE NATIONALIST!. Received March 18, 10.30 p.m. , London March 18. Mr. Redmond speaking at an Irish banquet in London, said the Nationalists were anxious to prevent the failure of the veto campaign, but did not intend to participate in a sham battle. Tney demanded a straight fight, and not a fabian policy. Come weal or woe, they would stand by their pledges. He did not know whether they would sucwed or whether the Irish cause would have to once more wait. Mr. T. O'Connor, M.P., in a speech at Liverpool, said in the fight with the House of Lords the Budget weapon ought to be fearlessly used. Mr. Herbert Samuel, Master of Elibank, speaking at Basingstoke, said the hereditary principle must go. LORD CURZON'S SCHEME. London, March 17. The newspapers interpret Lord Curzon's proposals to mean: Firstly, nomination of an undisclosed number of peers by the Government of the day; secondly, elections of English peers Should be conducted on the same principle as that on which Irish and Scottish peers are chosen; thirdly, that county councils and great corporations should be formed into electoral colleges to select eighty-four representatives to the Upper House,