The words of enactment were preceded by a preamble with three
recitals, which read:
“Whereas it is expedient that provision should be made for
regulating the relations between the two Houses of
Parliament:
And whereas it is intended to substitute for the House of
Lords as it at present exists a Second Chamber constituted
on a popular instead of hereditary basis, but such
substitution cannot be immediately brought into operation:
And whereas provision will require hereafter to be made
by Parliament in a measure effecting such substitution for
limiting and defining the powers of the new Second
Chamber, but it is expedient to make such provision as in
this Act appears for restricting the existing powers of the
House of Lords:”
The second of these recitals has an historical explanation, given below.
The standard words of enactment were used, since both Houses had
consented to the measure:
-4-
“Be it therefore enacted by the King’s most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as
follows …”
6. Although this appeal turns on section 2(1) of the 1911 Act, which
is considered in more detail below, that section must be understood in
the context of the whole Act which, save for the short title in section 8, I
think it necessary to recite:
“1.?
(1) If a Money Bill, having been passed by the House
of Commons, and sent up to the House of 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 it is so sent up
to that House, the Bill shall, unless the House of
Commons direct to the contrary, be presented to
His Majesty and become an Act of Parliament on
the Royal Assent being signified, notwithstanding
that the House of Lords have not consented to the
Bill.
(2) A Money Bill means a Public Bill which in the
opinion of the Speaker...