Mr, H. Marks, the Member for Thanet, made a personal
explanation in the House on Tuesday. He recalled the fad that last autumn, on certain charges against him being brought to the notice of the Speaker, he had pledged himself to take action to vindicate his honour. Statements bad recently been made that he had violated this pledge, and let the matter drop; but this was not the case. On November 30th he had written to the president of the Thanet Conservative and Constitutional Association pointing out that allusions made to his paper, the Financial News, in the case of "The King v. Young and Jonas" formed the only new element in the situation, and that be placed himself in the hands of the Association. On December 11th he received a reply stating that the Central Council of the Association fully approved of his statement in the House of Commons, and held that for him to institute an action for libel was inad- visable, and would "stultify themselves and cause the electors of Tbanet to be objects of ridicule." They also held that Mr. Marks had come " triumphantly " through the ordeal of
the Court of Inquiry of 1904 and the election of 1906, and were unanimously of opinion that the new charge was utterly false. The Council accordingly forwarded resolutions expressing their unabated confidence in Mr. Marks, and their conviction that the question of his fitness as a Member of the House of Commons is purely one for the majority of the constituency who twice returned him as their representative. Mr. Marks's statement was listened to in chilling silence, which was natural enough, and it has been treated with silence in the Press, an attitude which is less easy.to justify. It will be noted that he personally denies none of the charges brought against him, refuses to clear his character in a Court of Justice, and parades as a vindication of his honour the resolutions of a local political association. His pledges given last autumn are unfulfilled, and will remain so until be confronts his libellers in Court or demands a full inquiry from the House which he compromises by his presence.
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