<P> The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created on 1 January 1801, by the merger of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union 1800 . The principle of ministerial responsibility to the lower House did not develop until the 19th century--the House of Lords was superior to the House of Commons both in theory and in practice . Members of the House of Commons (MPs) were elected in an antiquated electoral system, under which constituencies of vastly different sizes existed . Thus, the borough of Old Sarum, with seven voters, could elect two members, as could the borough of Dunwich, which had almost completely disappeared into the sea due to land erosion . </P> <P> Many small constituencies, known as pocket or rotten boroughs, were controlled by members of the House of Lords, who could ensure the election of their relatives or supporters . During the reforms of the 19th century, beginning with the Reform Act 1832, the electoral system for the House of Commons was progressively regularised . No longer dependent on the Lords for their seats, MPs grew more assertive . </P> <P> The supremacy of the British House of Commons was established in the early 20th century . In 1909, the Commons passed the so - called "People's Budget", which made numerous changes to the taxation system which were detrimental to wealthy landowners . The House of Lords, which consisted mostly of powerful landowners, rejected the Budget . On the basis of the Budget's popularity and the Lords' consequent unpopularity, the Liberal Party narrowly won two general elections in 1910 . </P> <P> Using the result as a mandate, the Liberal Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith, introduced the Parliament Bill, which sought to restrict the powers of the House of Lords . (He did not reintroduce the land tax provision of the People's Budget .) When the Lords refused to pass the bill, Asquith countered with a promise extracted from the King in secret before the second general election of 1910 and requested the creation of several hundred Liberal peers, so as to erase the Conservative majority in the House of Lords . In the face of such a threat, the House of Lords narrowly passed the bill . </P>

What are the representatives of each house of parliament called