The Marquis of Salisbury is eminently suited to the task of piloting through Parliament a Bill for the reform of the House jot Lords. Proposals for reform been frequently made and, jonly last year, Lord Salisbury himself presided over a represen tative committee which, com-of Conservatives of both reported on the subject, most people nowadays perceive the advantages of a second the hereditary principle has lost favour (mainly ecauise the sound reasons which dictated it have been weakened by the changed conditions), the present Parliament is essentially one which should tackle this often discussed but long-postponed problem, Moreover, the critic cism now directed against the "other place," on the ground that the ever-increasing volume of Public business has seriously restricted its efficiency, would be met by the modification of the constitutional practice which debars the House of Lords from contributing its often superior knowledge "and experience to legislative deliberations, In addition to the Salisbury Committee's report, Lord Bryce in 1918 and Lord' Cave and Lord Birkenhead in 1927 brought forward measures ivsignid to reduce the number of mambors the House of Lords from the Present unwieldy figure about 740 to 327 and 300-350 respectively. The—Salisbury Report, which merits special consideration in view of the sponsorship of the latest Bill, Proposed that the House should Consist of about 320 members: 150 members elected by proportional representation by the hereditary peerage from their own body; 150 appointed from. outside by' the election of memers of county and borough councils, Sex disabilities were ito be removed and Labour representation si Provision of funds to make good a Labour peer's income up to the total of £600 a year, Peers not having a seat in the Upper House would become eligible for election to the Lower House. The remaining 20 members would comprise the Peers of the Blood Royal, the two Archbishops (with three Bishops elected by their brethren) and Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. The system of election for the 150 "outside" peers was not widely favoured and nomination was proposed as an alternative.
'A good deal of nonsense has been written about the House of Lords. The hereditary clement its composition has been exaggerated out of all proportion to its actual significance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.