Two important amendments to the first clause of the Par-
liament Bill were considered on Tuesday night. The first of these, moved by Lord Hugh Cecil, proposed that no Bill for instituting or increasing payment of Members should be regarded as a Money Bill. Mr. Asquith refused the amend- ment on the ground that it struck at the very principle of the Bill, for under the existing constitutional usage the Lords would clearly have no right to deal with a measure for the payment of Members. An amendment of a similar character, but wider in its scope, was moved by Mr. Hume-Williams to the effect that a Bill that was "political" in its character or objects should not be considered a Money Bill. Mr. Asquith dealt with the proposal at some length, and declared that it would take out of the hands of the House of Commons a large number of measures closely resembling those which had hitherto been always regarded as constitutionally with- in its exclusive control. Mr. Balfour replied that the Prime Minister's speech destroyed the whole scheme of the Government. Without this amendment they could not give effect to their own declaration that tacking was not to be permitted.
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