On the Government side the Bishop of Hereford spoke, as
he always does, with a deep sense of conviction. The answer, he declared, which would come back from the people was : "Never again,—never again in this country shall the funda- mental liberties of the people be endangered by any privileged class." That that is the determination, and ought to be the determination, of this country we no more doubt than the Bishop; but it is strange to think that party feeling should so dim the eyes of the Bishop as to make him imagine that to insist upon the people being consulted is an infringe- ment of the liberties of the people. If the House of Lords took up the line that they have the right and the power to prevent bad legislation becoming law, that the Finance Bill is bad legislation, and that therefore they will refuse to pass it, no matter what the opinion of the people, the Bishop's words might be justified. But look at the facts. The willingness of the Lords to bow to the will of the people, whatever it may be, has been admitted and emphasised in every speech against the Finance Bill delivered during the course of the debate. A satirist, indeed, might twit many of the speakers with using the language of the American politician : " These are our sentiments, but if they don't suit they can be changed."
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