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Show THE LORDS DEFEAT THE BILL. Tho House of Lords of Great Britain, b3 an overwhelming majorit3', has rejected re-jected tho .financial budget put up to it 03' the House of Commons. Q'ho dispatches say that this is the first time such a thing has occurred in three hundred years, and a three hundred 3'cars' lapse might well be construed ns forbidding such an action, prcciso-I3- as a like long lapse of time has put it out of the question for the King to voto an3r measure passed by Parliament. There was much fine speaking during tho consideration of the bill. But Lord Lansdowno's motion, which was tho one adopted and which defeats tho budget, appealed direct- to tho pookcts of tho Peers, and tho pocket argument prevailed pre-vailed over the arguments of tho orators ora-tors of tho House of Lords. So far as the telegraphic reports to this countiy havo given us the debates, the weight of eloquence and of argument was decidedly de-cidedly against Lord Lansdownc. However, How-ever, it ma3' be that wo got more of that sido of tho case because that is the side that would bo supposed to appeal ap-peal most powerfnlh' to tho American people. In this county wo do not believe, be-lieve, nominally at least, in xintnxcd privileges and properties in private hands. We oxempt from taxation in this country a good deal of church and charitable propert3'. but seek as far as possible not to exempt aii property held 1)3' persons or estates. Nninralty, therefore, tho argument in favor of taxing tho properly of the peers nnd doing away with the exemptions nnd privileges heretofore provuiling would be supposed to bo particularly welcome in this country. Lord Lansdowne, as we judge from a nolo printed in those columns 3-estcr-day morning from Mr. Morcton Frewcn, considers that the election in Bormoud-ecy, Bormoud-ecy, a large radical London doctorate, indicates that tho voters of the kingdom king-dom will justiiV nnd sustain the Lords in their rejection of this revenue measure; meas-ure; and Lord Lansdownc is said to bo a good politician with "his ear close to tho ground." It will, therefore, bo a question at the ensuing elections whether his judgomnt is good or not. Of course, if tho Hoti6o of Lords is sustained in tho January elections, the Commons give way; but if the Commons aro sustained then tho very existence of the House of Lords is in jicril, as was pointed out b3' Jjord Roaeberv. Mr. Morlc3', Lord Hereford, Lord Cromor, tho Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorlr, and other leuding mombors of tho Houso of Lords. And that is, the risk that fcho Lords in the upper house of Parliamont take in rojecting this budget. bud-get. If their judgment is good, that they will be sustained l3r tho counlr-, then of courso U103' aro safe; otherwise, not. And if tho Commons prevail then there is likoh to be such an upheaval in tho politics of Great Britain ns has not; boon witnessed since tho da3's of Cromwell. |