The event of the week is the passage of the
Budget through the House of Lords. We cannot help believing that this fact may assist to remove from men's minds the most unjust accusations levelled against the Lords in regard to their alleged claim to a veto. The country now sees exactly the limit of the Lords' claim. The Constitution makes their concurrence in fiscal and all other legislative acts absolutely necessary. They hesitated to pass a measure based on prin- ciples so novel and so far-reaching as the Budget of 1909-10 until they were assured that it was the will of the people that such a Budget should pass. Accordingly the Budget was referred to the people, and a House of Commons was returned which has repassed that measure. It may be true that as a matter of fact a clear majority of the Members of the House of Commons have at one time or another declared themselves to be opposed to the Budget, but the Lords, very properly, make no attempt to go behind the votes of the Commons. It is enough for them that the Finance Bill has been returned to them after a General Election. They have thereupon withdrawn all opposition to the measure.
