Parliament was prorogued at midday on Wednesday. 'The King's Speech
enumerated the very large number of Bills passed, and the Government organs have laid great stress upon their achievement in this respect. That they have every right to be proud of the extent of their legislative output we do not deny ; but we do deny that they can at the same time declare, as they are wont to do, that as long as the House of Lords has the power to reject or amend legislation sent to it from the Commons the Lords are the real rulers of the country, and that the Commons lie prostrate at their feet. The Liberals cannot have it both ways. In truth, a great many of the complaints raised against the Lords are purely factitious, and those who make them are at heart glad that owing to the Lords' amendments they have been able to escape from legislation which in reality they judge too extreme in its nature. There are a great many Members who are secretly glad at the loss of the Scotch Valuation Bill, though no doubt they will in the constituencies denounce the House of Lords for its action. As we have said elsewhere, we do not believe that the agitation against the Peers has any vitality about it. The nation does not take seriously the Prime Minister's policy for dealing with the Upper House.
