AN HISTORIC DEBATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2708, 12 January 1910, Page 5

AN HISTORIC DEBATE.

THE REJECTION OF THE BUDGET MO A'ED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. A picturesque account of the historic scene and the historic debate which began in the House of Lords on Alonday night, Not'. 22, concerning Air. LloydGeorge’s Budget was given in the Manchester “Guardian” by Air. Harold Spender:— , TT “AVhen I looked down on the House of Lords fro mi the Press Gallery this afternoon my mind went back to the night of the defeat of the Home Rule Bill,” writes Air. Spender. THE CROAVDED BENCHES. “To-day the benches were filled literally to, overflowing. The noble lords had assembled for this great sport of Liberal-baiting from every part- of the country. They crowded every Dench until even the Lord C’liief Justice of England had to take refuge on one of the steps of, the throne. All demarcation of parties had been lost- in >the general overflow. The supporters of the Government were represented by a little island of men at the back of the front bench, but all around they were swallowed and engulfed by the vastcrowd of Tory new-comers. The Bishops, in their lawn sleeves, a white patch against the dark, sat to the lelt of the Government, and were notable as the only section of the House who were notfully represented. Less than a dozen bishops were present, but among them were both Archbishops. THE LOOKERS-ON.

“If the attendance of the Lords was great, so was that of listeners. The steps before the throne were packe<J with Privy Councillors, younger sons of peers, and Cabinet Ministers. The galleries around gave the great packed mass of dark-clad male humanity a pretty fringe of gracefully-dressed wo. men.’ The Diplomatic Gallery was full. Among the foreign listeners, indeed, included a king—the young King of Portugal—who may, perhaps, as lie gazed, have reflected somewhat sombrely on the perils of defying a people’s will. “■When the curtain rose, a group of peers was at the table busily employed in taking belated oaths in order to enable them to take part in the sitting. A general murmur of expectation filled the Chamber, and, in the midst of it, a figure or two stepped forward to perform these trivial functions which always seem in parliamentary life to arrest the main action —Lord Curzon to a£k a question, somebody else to give notice of motion, and so forth. “Then there was a sudden hush. The Clerk rose from the table, and uttered the mystic words —‘Finance Bill, second reading.’ From the left of the Clerk, in the middle of the Government front bench, rose a tall, well-groomed figure, whfch tilio House of Lords knows and fears —the Earl of Crewe. Ho lifted ln s hat. and said quite simply: ‘I bog to move that this Bill be read a second time.’ Then without another word, he sat down. LORD LANSDOWNE SPEAKS. “It was the beginning of the greatest political duel of our time. It was the ‘reply valiant’ to Lord Lansdowne s motion. Immediately after Lord Crewe had sat down there rose from the centre of the bench opposite a little, neat, amiable, bald-headed, damjer man, who placed on the table a slieaf of manuscript, and, turning very carefully towards the Press Gallery (as an old Parliamentary hand always should), be<ran to speak in slow, measured terms. It was Lord Lansdowne, at present ruler of the House of Lords. “Lord Lansdowne is not a man t-o arouso indignation. I cannot conceive hating him. nor can I conceive anvone being deeply moved to worship innv. Lord Lansdowne wears glasses, and uses them frequently. THE LORD CHANCELLOR’S REPLY “Then from the woolsack there rose Lord Loreburn, Lord Chancellor of th© United Kingdom, in his big, grey wig and long black robes, so stmngely like to Lord Halsbury when he is seated, so utterly different when lie is erect,” continues Mr. Spender. “For Lord Loreburn is a tall man, and he bears that aspect when standing which is usu-

ally described as ‘imposing.’ and yet I that is not quite the word to describe ■ the man one still thinks of as Bob lieid’ the bravest of clear-headed, sim-ple-hearted Scotchmen. No man could be better fitted to stem a rush or to meet this mob of British noblemen m their hour of heady intoxication. “First from the woolsack Lord Eoreb’nrn gravely recited the terms of Lord Lansdowne’s motion. Then he stepped aside from the great scarlet cushion •which goes by that antique name, and took his stand. A murmur of cheers came from the little band of Liberal Peers, who turned towards tue Chancellor. Lord Loreburn pushed aside the ends of his wig, swung his robes away from him, and faced the crowded House. He always spoke slowly and clearly, without a moment’s hesitation. He went straight for the constitutional point. He brushed aside Lord _ Lapsdowne’s sophisms. AVas this rejection of the Budget legal? Yes. AVas it constitutional? No. A ST. AUGUSTINE IN THE LORDS. “Then, very simply and very clearly, preaching like a St. Augustine to the barbarians, he tried to set forth to these ‘wild) men’ the elements of the British Constitution. First they laughed and sniggered, but in the end they listened. For it was with a touch of that old-world, noble enthusiasm that inspired Chatham and Edmund. Burke that Lord Loreburn spoke of that strange mystic entirety, the ancient ‘Constitution’ of these islands. The phrases fell like blows. This unelected Chamber will hold l the Government of the future in the hollow of its hand; ‘no man of spirit would submit to it;’ and then—in one short, quick sentence, which summed up all—‘Aly Lords, it is a step towards a constitutional revolution.’ “Lord Loreburn paused, and a pleasant little incident followed, showing that passions had not swept away courtesies. Lord Loreburn, standing there, away from the table, away from his own comrades, right in the midst of the Tory crowd, looked round for water. A Tory peer rose, went to the table, and fetched him a glass. The Lord Chancellor drank and resumed. LORD LOREBURN’S DEFIANCE. “Then he raised a piece of foolscap paper to bis eyes, and very carefully and slowly read what iollowed. In \ these moment-ous sentences the Cabinet picked up the gage of battle thrown down by Lord Lansdowne and returned it. Even the House of Lords realised that, and every sentence that Lord Loreburn spoke was listened to in absolute silence. Lord Loreburn read: — “ ‘lt will be, in my opinion, impossible that any Liberal Governmentshould ever again bear the heavy burden of office unless it is secured against a repetition cf treatment such as our measures have had to undergo for the last four years. “If we fail in the coming general election, it will only be the beginning of a contest which can only end in one way. If we succeed .shaU.M not flinch from which will have to follow. AYe have hot provoked this contest, nor at any time desired it. I hope that we will none of us fail to do our duty in preserving the Constitution of our country.’ ” This description gives the atmosphere of the debate which centred round Lord Lansdowne’s motion:— “That this House is not justified in giving its consent to this Bill until it has been submitted to the judgment of the country.”