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Show Anticipated Action of Peers' Makes Illegal Collection of Taxes for Government. WILL NOW BE ISSUE IN A GENERAL ELECTION Six Days of Debate Marked by Brilliant Oratory and Intensity In-tensity of Feeling. LONDON, Nov. 30. Tho house of lords tonight, for the first time iu 300 years, refused its formal assent to the budget, thereby making it illegal for the king's agents to collect taxes with which lo cariw on the government. This actiou of the peers was taken in direct disregnrd of the advice as such able members as Uoseberry, !MorIey, Lord James of Herford. Lord Cromer, Lord Balfour of Burleigh, the Earl of Lyt-ton. Lyt-ton. Lord Courtney and the Archbishop of Canterbury and York. Now Before People. The budget will now go before the country for its approval or rejection; that is, the crowu, through the ministry, min-istry, will dissolve the houso of commons com-mons and order a general election. Whether the presqnt Liberal house and ministry shall be sustnined in insisting on tho "budget will be tho issue in the contest at the polls. After six days' debate, notable for the high standard of tho oratory as well as for arguments for aud against the budget, and pleading in every possible pos-sible light the great constitutional o,uc3-tious o,uc3-tious involves, the house of lords cleared for division at half past cloven o'clock tonight. The scene was impressive, but in. no souse exciting, except that the houho was packed to its utmost capacity. A great array of strange faces was Been on tho benches, as numbers of peers were present who appear in the house only in most exceptional cases. All Goes Quiotly. None would, havo supposed that the evept: proceeding was destined, not. only on-ly to prove memorable iu tho annals of British history, but possibly would involve far-reaching changes iu the British constitution. True there was unusual animation in the public galleries, which were crowded crowd-ed with peeresses, members of the house, of commons and embassadors. But on the floor itself complete calm prevailed. The vote was on Lord Lnnfidowne'a amendment that tho house was not justified jus-tified iu giving its consent to the bill until it had oeen submitted to Iho judgment of tho country. Nearly fifteen fif-teen minutes wero occupied in elonring tho house, tellers for division being Karl Waldegrnve. "Viscount Churchill, Baron Donman and Lord Colebrookc. When the voto was announced, just before midnight, as 350 to 75 iu favor of the amendment, a few mixod cheers wero liea rd. Tho -Earl of Growo immediately im-mediately moved an adjournment, and the house rose. Au eager crowd was awaiting the re-Continued re-Continued on Pago Two. I HOUSE OF LORDS REJECTS BUDGET Continued from Page One. suit in ill i; central hall, and when (he vote became known Micro was a slight if tempt at counter-demonstration. 'Officials, 'Of-ficials, however, speedily cleared the hall, and in a few minutes the lobbies nid precincts were emptv. Significant Incident. It is worthy of note that Lord St. Aldwyn, who. as Michael I licks-Beach. 1 was one of the ablest chancellors of tho exchequer of the conservative side. 1 has ostentatiously absented' himself Hl from all debates "on Lord Lansdowno's j resolution, and this morning he au- lounced his intention not to go to the louse for division. His abstention was iue to disapproval of Lord Lans- 1 lo who's course, and, together with that j )f other weighty conservative- peers, .vill have great effect in the country. Hj mong thoso peers who cniuo down es- iccinlly to vote was tho Earl of iVemyss and March, who is in his nine-y nine-y -second year. When division was taken there wns iraclically no excitement in the streets, ilthough earlier in tho night crowds gathered near the house and attempted -o pro-budget demonstration. A forco f police was in readiness and so soon HJ as the crowd showed n tendency' to be- come unuiauagable, they dispersed the lemonstralors. being assisted by a aenvy rainfall. The fiual debate, wns distinguished hy oratorical excellence, particularly in iho speeches of Lord Curzon of Kodles- j Ion, former viceroy of India and of the Archbishop of York. Tho Archbishop's j speech was his maiden effort; in the house of lords and its eloquent periods added to Dr. Lang's fino presence and beautiful voice, made a deep imprcs-sion. imprcs-sion. The Archbishop strongl opposed j Lord Lansdowno's resolution, doclaring Mint it would bo unprecedented for tho lords to reject a finance bill passed by the house of commons with such a 11m-jority. 11m-jority. I Lord Curzon Sick Man. Lord Curzon was plainly suffering from his recent indisposition and had Hi lo ask the indulgence of tho house, but, j Respite physical weakness, which sev- cral times in his nincty-minnto speech 1 threatened to overcome, ho spoko with 1 his accustomed vigor and art. lie main- 1 taincd tliat the lords had an absolute right to reject tho finance bill, and he argued that tho country was on tho eve Hi of a momentous struggle, which might I lead to the reform of tho ' house of HI lords. H Claims of Opposition. HI Earl Cawdor, former lirst lord of ad- HI miralty, who wound up the debate for J the opposition, maintained that there I had been an attempt to evade the lords' H ancient right io reject each tax bv H placing all taxes on ono bill. It was H idle to protend, ho said, that such a H change of procedure by the house of M commons could affect one iota rcsponsi- H bilities and duties of the second cham- j ber. Ho quoted "Premier Asquilh as H stating on assuming the premiership H (hat tho function of 1 he house of lords j was to check slovouly and precipitate j legislation. This Earl Cawdor thought, H fairly represent 2d the action the lords I proposed to take. lief erring to tacking on license pro- posals and land valuations-to tho bud- get, ho said that, as both fheso had H previously been rejected by tho house H of lords, it would destroy all tho power of the upper houso if "tho lords were H unahlo lo vefo the finance bill, in H which these wore not included. He- as-I as-I Ecrfed the budget already had driven H capital from tho country to alarming extent, hnd stunned tho building trade j t. Hid had increased unomolovmcnl. I Thcv were told that the "rejection of I I lie bill would cause financial chaos, but I Lord Lansdowno's offer of assistance j to avoid inconvenience, had not been cordiallv received bv the government. ' 'JA ere fore, ho Vaid. if chaos ennio tho Aspnnsibflily would rest upon tho min- i;try. The government wanted a single chamber, independeiit of any check, H tvhilo tho lords had been fighting for ono principle, namely, tho separation of tho judicial and administrative functions. func-tions. The people. Lord Cawdor concluded could get rid of the decision of the second chamber by an election, but they could get rid of an autocratic single chamber only by revolution. The ICarl of Crew", secretary of slate for the colonics, and' lord privy seal, closed the debate in a speech frequently interrupted by ministerial cheers. Lord Lansdowno's amendment, he contended, was the negation of all precedent and flouted all usage. All agreed that it was necessary this year to raise a largo amount "of extra money by taxa tion. necessitated bv the claims of nn tional defense and the adoption of old-age old-age pensions. The sum total of the long debate, he declared, was that the opposition considered tho government's method of raising money illusory and that that justified revolution. |