THE HOUSE OF LORDS PROBLEM.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—There is one little point about the present proposals of the Radicals which appears to be escaping the attention it deserves, but which involves a problem which will require solution. Any man who because he is an English Peer is to be deprived of his present right as a Peer to vote as a Peer upon what is to be known as a " Money " Bill must of course be allowed to be elected for, and sit as, a Member of the House of Commons in respect of " Money " Bills, or he would be deprived of one of the cherished birthrights of every Englishman; and it is to be hoped that the country would not assent to such a gross injustice. But for any person to be a Member of both Houses would seem anomalous, and would involve the inconvenience that such a Member might be prevented at some critical juncture from sitting and voting in either House because of the urgent need for his attendance in the other House. Again, if the Upper House is to be deprived of its present rights, it is obvious that bare justice requires that any Peer should be at liberty to renounce his rights of sitting in the Upper House, and be eligible for election to the Lower House. And bow would Liberals and Radicals like the idea of some considerable number of able Peers, all possessing influence, contesting their seats ? And any so- called reform of the Upper House would seem to involve the same problem, and the necessity of admitting Peers to the Lower House. Possibly the Radicals propose to treat them as outlaws. But if that is to be done because of their sup- posed wealth, there are a great many other people possessing wealth who ought for the same reason to be deprived of the right they now have to sit and vote in the House of Commons. And surely even the Radicals will not assert that because a man is the eldest son of a Peer he is therefore unfit to become or continue to be a Member of the House of Commons. But the country should be told something on these points before
another Election takes place. It might then be more gener- ally recognised that Ministers are not trying to improve the Constitution in order to ensure the easier passing of Liberal measures, but are striving by hook or by crook so to arrange that they, and they alone, shall now and for ever govern the House of Commons and rule the country without fear of let
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