Thursday's papers contain a letter by Sir Edward Grey which
was read at the meeting of the Berwick Liberal Association. After calling attention to the first four para- graphs of his election address, Sir Edward Grey declares that the first part of the policy there advocated in regard to the Lords is embodied in the Resolution which the House of Commons passed last week respecting the control of finance. As regards ordinary legislation, he desires to see the House of Lords replaced by a Second Chamber
"constituted on a popular basis, equipped with powers which will be sufficient to prevent large changes from being effected hastily by small and doubtful majorities, but not so great as to obstruct or defeat the will of the country when clearly expressed by the decided opinion of the House of Commons. In order to carry this purpose into effect, it is necessary to have some means of overcomin the resistance of tho House of Lords, and with that object I support the proposal which is now under discussion for restrict- ing the existing powers of that Assembly. Indeed, if the choice for a final settlement lay between maintaining a House of Lords, on the one hand, with powers such as the Opposition now claim for it, equal or—as I maintain they would be in practice—superior to those of the House of Commons, or, on the other hand, the Resolutions now under discussion in the House of Commons, I should prefer the latter. But I do not consider that either of these alternatives can be a final settlement, and the full policy of the Government is that contained in the King's Speech at the opening of Parliament."
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