In regard to the home crisis, we can only continue
to assert our confident belief that the Parliament Bill will now pass with- out a creation of peers. Possibly a sample batch may be produced on Tuesday, but we do not think that likely. On Thursday, in the House of Lords, the Parliament Bill as amended was read a third time and passed. The general effect of the debate was to show that the course of events will be as follows :—When the Commons receive the Bill on Monday Mr. Asquith will move to disagree with the whole or practi- cally the whole of the Lords' amendments. There is still a possibility of some concession being made in regard to a com- mittee to help the Speaker coming to a decision as to what is and what is not a Money Bill. Mr. Asquith will also make it quite clear that if the Lords insist upon their amendments, sufficient peers will be created to carry the Bill. The Bill will then be sent back to the Lords, and on Thursday or Friday next, according as they desire one or two days for debate, the Peers will have to decide whether or not to insist on the creation or whether the show of force made by the Govern- ment has been sufficient to justify them in giving way. Every- thing will depend upon the advice which Lord Lansdowne will give the House, for we see no ground whatever for believing that any considerable number of peers will refuse to accept his advice and prefer to be led by Lord Iltdebury si Lord Willoughby de Broke.
