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Show The Honse of Lords. The worst upper chamber . conceivable to the mind of man is the house of lords, consisting as it does of hereditary land owners, who are recruited by additions of very rich men, or of men who have proved failures as statesmen and have been shelved. Notwithstanding the wealth of its members, they are net independent. in-dependent. Some of them fight and quarrel for posts of profit, and the greater number of them are poor, prejudiced creatures, who obey their leaders: like sheep and vote as they direct them. There is, moreover, a permanent Conservative majority in this 'assembly. 'as-sembly. This majority is used by the Conservative leaders to emasculate all liberal legislation, when they do not dare to run directly counter to it. That such a legislative assembly 6hould continue to exist under a truly, democratic demo-cratic 83'stem of government would be an absurdity. Nor will it. If one thing be more certain than another it is that the hereditary house of landlords is doomed. It may be that it will be held advisable to replace it by an elected upper house possessing some sort of temporary, veto upon the decisions of the lower house, but it is more probable that one legislative legisla-tive assembly will be deemed sufficient.-Labouchere, sufficient.-Labouchere, in Fortnightly Review. |