12. PARLIAMENT ACT, 1911. This im portant measure was introduced by the Asquith administration in April 1910, with a threefold object: (1) to reform the House of Lords by substituting a popular or representative basis for the hereditary one then (and still) existing; (2) to restrict the vetoing powers of the Lords in regard to money and other bills; and (3) to reduce the life of a Parliament from seven to five years. Though the entire measure be came law, no step had been taken up to 1918 to alter the constitution of the Upper Chamber; the two other provisions are in force. The measure was forced through the House of Commons on 15 May 1911, after a series of stormy debates lasting 23 days, thus bringing to a close the historic struggle which had raged between the two Houses of Parliament for 18 months. See POLITICAL PARTIES.
The act provided (1) that if a money bill, having been passed by the Commons, and sent up to the Lords at least one month before the end of the session, is not passed by the House of Lords without amendment within one month after being so sent up, the bill shall become law, notwithstanding that the Lords have withheld their consent. It was left to the speaker to decide what is or is not a money bill, and his certificate to that effect must accompany the bill on its journey to the Lords; (2) if any bill other than a money bill is passed by the House of Commons in three successive sessions (whether of the same Parliament or not), and is rejected by the Lords in each of those ses sions, it shall become an act of Parliament on its third rejection. This provision, however,
does not take effect unless two years have elapsed between the date of the first introduc tion of the bill and the third passing•in the House of Commons. If the House of Lords does not pass any such bill without amendment, it shall be deemed to be rejected unless the amendment meets with the approval of both Houses. It will be seen at a glance that the Parliament act not merely °restricted" the veto of the House of Lords, but relnoved it alto gether, leaving in its place only the power to °hang up" a measure, in other words, to delay a legislative proposal without being able to make any alterations or amendments unless the other House agrees to accept them. The House of Lords being at all times overwhelmingly con servative, it had long been a legitimate griev ance of Liberal administrations that their legis lative measures suffered far more severely than did those of the Conservative or Unionist party, when in power, at the °revising" hands of the Lords. After weeks or months of fierce Parliamentary fighting, the Liberals had fre quently carried some highly contentious bill through a third reading in the Commons only to see it °thrown out" or extinguished by the Lords in a few minutes. The Parliament act removed that obstacle with one bold stroke.
A committee was appointed to inquire and report on the nature and limitations of the legislative powers to be exercised by the re formed Second Chamber, and the best mode of adjusting differences between the two Houses.