________________
nistrative and social structure threatened by the wash of the lancing waters. The uneasiness engendered in the more richly pp tie lelasss by this advance
the destroyer has come to a head as a result of the provisions of the Budget by which the land, emblem and guarantee of English Conserva
, of the inviolability of private property and the survival of the dd world society in its most vital
tures, hat been subjected to substantial taxation. The innovation creates a probability of cont nibbling until under the map's of a growing Socialism, Land is nation dised, its proprietors bought out, and aristocracy des The Lands have either to troverd sist the process in its first step. mike their minds to up gradual extinction.
or
The question for the Upper His how they will resist. It is open to them either to reject the Budget altogether a measure ot too drastic severity, to throwout. the Land clauses, a device which will expose the Pens to the charge of violating the unwritten Constitution for the selfish purpose of saving their own pockets and throwing the burden of taxation on the middle class and the working
KARMAYOGIN.
sition everything to gain by this confusion of issues.
upon
tho
The second device is being urged Prime Minister by some of his supporters who are rather shortsighted politicians than men with the outlook of the
posterity as having betrayed the people of England and the future of democracy by such a sacrifice of the palladium of British liberty. Mr. Asquith may either dissolve as soon as the Lonis refuse to withdraw theif amendments or he may ask the King to create a number statesman. The temporary difficulty of Liberal Peers large enough to would no doubt be surmounted, but it is a matter of unfailing expertswamp the Conservative majority in the Lords, or he may at once ence that Liberal Perss so created gravitate in a very short time to bring in a bill for the limitation of the veto of the upper House and Conservatismo. It these Peers hal dissolve upon it so as to raise defini- to be actually created, the Liberal tely the question of the veto as Ministry would very soon be face to the one real issue before the elec face again with a similar situation. tors. The first course has this great and the drastic remedy of doubling the bulk of the House of Lords disadvantage, that the real issues may be covered over by the clamour could not be repeated ad infinitum of the Conservative party against On the other hand, if the Peers the socialistic trend of the new yielded in order to avoid so great taxation and by the ery of Tariff Re- an indignity to their rank and order. form. By dint of repeated iteration they would do so under the met the conservatives have created an rigorous compulsion and be all the inpression in many minds that more eager to hamper and distress their victors in less vital notters. the present Ministry is deeply tinged with Socialism and the Bud- Mr. Asquith would avoid a patiget a deliberate attack on property. cular difficulty, but only to perp The effect this ery is having on tuate the great stumbling blocat the mind of the wealthier classes all Liberal Ministries a permi is shown by the number of defections nently Conservative Upper Hons. On the other hand he has a chi in the Liberal ranks, not so many, however, as might have been ex- if he boldly seizes on this su the weake pt4lth diminution ofheading a fight on Liberal vote at the bye elections. points of the Budget, of foreing " The Budget 'opens the do to the forefront a great constitutional issue in which every thing h Socialism, but is in none of its provisions Socialistic.. the only real or even truly conservative in Eng novelty of importance being the land ought to be on his suic, an lan I taxes which have their counter- destroying at one blow and for e. part in countries the reverse of this perpetual thorn in the side of Sialistic. The Ministry is itself Liberalism and obstacle to radical legislation. a curious conglomeration of Moderates, Radicals,and extreme Radicals, but there is not a single socialist in its ranks and many of its members are avowedly anti-Socialistic in their temper and opinions. Nevertheless, the ery is having its effect on the susceptible British elector and, unless it is met, will ime il a great number of Liberal seats. The cry of Tariff Reform has its charm for artain number of working men, but is not in itself so formidable as the catchword of Property in Dager. To dissolve upon the rejection of the Bget will have the effect of preventing a clear issue fron being raised and confusing the public mind by the entang lement of three separate questions, Socialism and the Budget, Free Trade or Tariff Reform, and the veto. of the House of Lords. The Ministry have everything to lose, the Oppo
nor to amend the Budget so as to lighten the land taxes and deprive thea of their more: inoffensive Patates. The last device has the disadvantage of being no more than a palliative, while it amounts to a serious a breach of the financial privilege of the House of Comons as the others. The omens point 1 a rejection of the bill by the Peers, but we doubt whether they will care to incur the odium of so disturbing the finances of the county. In all probability they will amend and leave to the Ministry the responsibility of dissolving ParIntent with no Budget sanctioned and the insecurity to the taxpayers resulting from this unprecedented and anomalous Situation. The burden of choice will then fall
upon the Commons, who must either
submit to the destruction of the first and most essential safeguard
popular liberty in England, the popular control of taxation and the Ex-loquer, or take up the challenge ve by the Peers. The first course is unthinkable. No Liberal Ministry especially, would care to go down to
3
The drastic device of swaping the Lords with newly created Label Peers will be too much needed host ly to be thrown away now. Where ne the new Paulament, the bill to the limitation of the Perses ve has been carred through the Cen it will have to be curd thon h the lands as well here it receive the King's startin become Law, and, since the Land is they are will not consent Ex... own nullification, it is only by th swamping dovie that this al resolution can be tool. T only question is whether the l should be brought in before on postponed till after the con To bring in the bill before, pass it formally through the without permitting much debate and immediately dissolve for a mandate from the country, would ba
Commons
