This charge created a furious outbreak among the supporters of
the Government, and for a considerable time Mr. Balfour was unable to proceed with his speech. Ultimately, however, the Speaker declared that, though the charge would have been out of order if applied to individuals, the term applied to a political party was not one to which he could take objection. This appeared to amuse the House, and, finally, Mr. Balfour was allowed to finish his speech. Mr. Asquith, in reply, took up Mr. Balfour's challenge, and scornfully repudiated the charge that the Government would never have brought in the Parliament Bill if they had not been dependent upon the support of the Nationalists. The functions of the Second Chamber, he declared, should only be the functions of consultation, revision and delay, subject to proper safeguards. The body to execute these functions should be relatively small, it must not rest on the hereditary basis, and it mast not be a body influenced, as the present House of Lords was by partisanship tempered by panic. As we have said elsewhere, it is exceedingly difficult to understand why it should be worth while to go to the trouble of creating a body armed with functions so small as these. A set of Standing Orders in the House of Commons, devised to cause delay, would work quite as well as such a Second Chamber, and we should save the salaries of the House of Lords officials and of the -Upper House housemaids !
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