On Monday Lord FitzAlan urged upon the Government the importance
of dealing promptly with this question. He pointed out that the Liberal Government which passed the Parliament Act had never regarded it as more than a Constitutional compromise. The War had 1118 accounted for the neglect into which the matter had 1120 fallen, but he now asked that an opportunity should be given for a " symposium of Constitution-framers." 1121 Under the Parliament Act, as it stood, the Monarchy 1121 could be abolished or Single Chamber government be 1122 established, if the House of Commons merely passed the proposal three times within two years. The Upper House obviously needed to be defended, but defence must be justified by reform. He made certain suggestions which were afterwards almost exactly adopted by the Lord Chancellor on behalf of the Government. This coincidence suggests that Lord FitzAlan had not acted without some foreknowledge of what the Government wished to do.
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