THE PARLIAMENT BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 270, 5 April 1911, Page 5

THE PARLIAMENT BILL

MR. AStJuiTH'S ULTIMATUM. COMMONS MUST MAINTAIN UNDISPUTED SUPREMACY. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 5, 12.5 a.m. London, April 4. There was a crowded house during the debate on the Parliament Bill. Mr. G. Younger's amendment was rejected 296 to 207, limiting the deprivation of the Lords' power to reject money Bills for three years, on the ground that the Government should reform the House i of Lords before then, and it was unreasonable to deprive the reformed House of Lords of the powers possessed by foreign and colonial second chambers. The Opposition taunted the Government with insincerity. Mr. Asquith said that, whatever changes were made in the Lords' constitution, the House of Commons must retain undisputed supremacy in finance. The people had assented to the Parliament Bill as a whole, and the Government was bound in honor to give effect to the preamble in due time. Mr, Balfour declared that the ordinary financial work might be left to the House of Commons if the reconstituted House Of Lords was not entirely elective; otherwise it would be ludicrous to deny them a voice on finance. ! Sir J. H. Dalzicl (Liberal) regarded the preamble as the pious opinion of <fce Government, which was unauthorised and would be ill-advised to make proposals to reconstitute the Lords. Mr. Churchill .said the Government did. not propose to embark on the reconstitution of the Lords while the veto remained unsettled.