Mr. Asquith and Mr. Morley made more than one speech
at Newcastle-on-Tyne on Wednesday, but said very little of interest in their morning speeches. At the great meeting in the Olympia of Newcastle in the evening, where five thousand people were present, they both spoke again, Mr. Asquith, as the guest of the evening, at greater length than Mr. Morley, but with less than Mr. Morley of special interest. He predicted that the main subjects to be brought forward by the Government in the coming Session would be Welsh Disestab. lishment, the Veto Bill, and the reform of the Registration, and that the House of Lords question would not be raised until the House of Commons had disposed of these other questions in the sense of the Government. On the House of Lords question, Mr. Asquith insisted on the old point, that a House of Lords which is a check only,—and almost a final check,—on what it thinks rash Liberal legislation, and no check at all on rash Tory legislation, is not in any true sense a security to the Constitution. Very well ; then why does not Mr. Asquith give in his adherence to some recast of the House of Lords which would not be open to this objection P Yet that is precisely what he most fears and objects to. He has told us in former speeches that he is not at all disposed to permit any improvement of the House of Lords. He wishes to keep it in the form in which Liberals can most effectually ridicule it, in order that it may not earn the character of a security against all rash proposals, instead of considering bow it may be freed from that charge and made an effective drag on the rashness of either party. He is far more anxious to protect the flaws in the House of Lords than to protect its usefulness. In opposition to any attempt to legislate against the immigration of pauper aliens Mr. Asquith delivered a very able and effective protest.
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