THE TWO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT 135

commerce or industry. Men who have distinguished themselves
in the fighting services, colonial administration, or learned
professions are sometimes made Peers, and ex-Cabinet Ministers
frequently retire to the Lords when they feel themselves too old
for the strenuous life of the Commons. So the House of Lords
is a large mass of property owners, many of whom are not greatly
concerned over politics, seasoned with groups of men of excep-
tional talent and experience.

It is not surprising to find that the great majority of the Lords
do not attend the House at all; usually there are less than fifty
members present. The sittings of the House are neither as
frequent nor as long as those of the Commons. The Lord
Chancellor presides, sitting on the Woolsack, but he does not
enjoy the authority of a Speaker of the Commons; the Lords do
not address their speeches to him, but to "My Lords", and the
small size of the audience makes strict rules of debate unnecessary.

Even on ordinary occasions there is a substantial Conservative
majority, and, if necessary, a sufficient number of "backwoods-
men" can be induced to attend to ensure a Conservative victory.
To non-Conservatives, then, the House of Lords is a natural
enemy; to Conservatives it is unsatisfactory because its unrepre-
sentative character might at some time provoke a strong wave of
radical feeling. Why, then, does it persist? Chiefly, because if it
were abolished, two questions would arise: Is there to be, in
future, one House or two? If the latter, what is the Reformed
Upper House to be? No Government will tackle these questions
unless it finds the Lords an intolerable nuisance, and enjoys the
certain support of the people; and there has not been any
Government since the War which fulfilled both these conditions.

ONE HOUSE OR TWO?

The arguments for a "bi-cameral" system of Government can
be stated thus:—(i) The Second Chamber can revise the Bills
passed by the First, to see that their language is clear and that
they do not contain unperceived dangers. To do such work