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Show THE CONTENTION OF THE LORDS. The issue that will be presented to the British people a"t tho ensuing election, elec-tion, which will probably occur in Jauuarj-, is not as to the makeup of tho House of Lords, for that House has already conceded the remodeling of tho membership of its body. Heretofore Hereto-fore the hereditary peers have all been members of the tinner JIousc of Parliament. Par-liament. Now the number is to bo ro-duced. ro-duced. The hereditary principle is limited, and the poors themselves, in co'-operation with the king, will sclocf from their membership those who will be -legislative peers and thus -members of Parliament. This rcconstitut ion of the Houso of Lords being settled b3 the consent of the lords themselves, tho issno to be presented at the coming election is as to the power of tho Houso of Lords over financial bills. The House of Commons says flatly that it will not tolerate' the interference of the House of Lords in matters financial or in rovenue bills, not ovou to tho point' of amendment, -let alone uou-concur.rcnco, which is now tho prerogative of the lords, The Commons say that this power of tho upper house must go, and the lords must submit to the -dictum of the Commons in-all matters relating to revenue and nionev .' Th.- nrntiosltiim which the lords submit in place of the absolute supremacy of the Houso - of Commons in. thes'o matters is as fol-. lows: .11 is'Uesirable thai, provision bo mad) for -cttllns differences that may arise between the House of Commons and this Moiwe as reconstituted, reduced in jiuin-hen; jiuin-hen; In accordance with, the r-cent resolutions reso-lutions of tills House. That iia to bills others tjmu money bills such provision should be 'made on the following; lines: If n difference arises between ihc houses In i-ard lo any bill other than a money bllj in two successive sessions and during; an interval of not lrs than oie year, and hucIi differences are unable to bo adjusted' by other mekns, It shall be ."eltled Ht a joint sitting composed- of Ihc members of the two Houses, provided that if tho measuto relates to a" matter of great gravity and has not been tfdcifimtely Hubmltted to th" judgment of the people It shall not be refemJ to a Joint Hlttiiis-. but submitted for decision to l ho electors by a referendum. That hh ro monoy bills the provision should be orr the following Hue: The lords are prepured to foics-o their constitutional right, lo reject and rimend money billn whUli arc of a purely financial finan-cial character, provided effectual provisionals provis-ionals made against "tacking"; and provided pro-vided that If any question arises as to whether a blll or any of the provisions thereof are of a purely ttnuuclal character, charac-ter, that question nhull .be referred .to a Joint committee of both- Houses; with the speaker of the J-lnuyo or Commons as chairman, and who shall have a casting vote only. If the committee holrin that the bill or (lie provinlonfi. In question-nro not of a financial character, they shall la dealt with forthwith at a Joint silling sil-ling of the. Houses. . But tho Liborals hold that, 'under this programme masters would remain prncHrnlly ns thoy are; that the lords wuulij slill enjoy their privilege of dis sent or amendment to financial bills. And so tho proposition will go to tho country squarely on tho power of tho lords to intorfcro in those bills at all, or in the alternative inlerfcronco proposed, pro-posed, by tho above plan of tho lords as introduced by Lord Lansdowne, tho leader of the Unionists in the upper House. Jt is to be hoped that (he issue rhay go squarely before the people of Great-Britain Great-Britain on this clear point alone, and that it will not bo mixed up. with tho tariff, with the suffragette contention, with Irish home rule or other and minor questions, which, pressing as they are. after all do not reach what amounts, in fact, to a very radical amendment of the British constitution. |
