Tuesday's Times contains an interesting and important letter by Lord
Midleton on the "Reformed House of Lords." Lord Midleton points out what would be the practical effects of the Rosebery Resolutions which have already been adopted by the House of Lords were they carried into practice. The House of Lords would be reduced from over 600 to, say, 400 Members, half chosen in various ways from the existing hereditary Peerage, and half by election from outside. Of this scheme Sir Edward Grey went so far as to assume that out of the 200 hereditary Peers the Govern- ment would only command 20, which would leave a standing majority of 160 Unionists to outvote those chosen from outside. What, asks Lord Midleton, are the true figures P The Rose- bery Committee proposed to establish three classes of Peers (1) Those qualified by special public service to sit; (2) those selected by the whole body of the Peers; (3) members of the Government selected by the Prime Minister. The "qualified" Peers included Cabinet Ministers, ex-Cabinet Ministers, Viceroys, Ambassadors, high officers in the Judiciary, the Army and Navy, and the Civil Service, and Peers who had had ten years' service in the House of Commons.,
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