The Imperial Liberals—the " naughty boys of the Liberal Party,"
as one of the speakers described them—mustered in force at a banquet on Monday under the presidency of Lord Brassey. The chairman, who claimed that there was nothing new or antagonistic to the essential principles of Liberalism in their organisation, justified its establishment as a protest against and answer to the action of the disloyal section within the party. As for their political creed, it was that of the late Mr. W. E. Forster, while, for their leader, they believed that the union of all sections could best be accomplished under Lord Rosebery. Meantime they could help and promote the good government of the country by criticism, by suggestion, and, when necessary, by silent support of the policy of the Government. Mr. Perks, M.P., adopting a somewhat more mili- tant tone, claimed one hundred and forty-two Liberal Members of the new Parliament as virtually Imperialist Liberals, and said that the first thing they desired to see in the new Session was union on the Front Bench ; while Dr. Heber Hart observed with regard to Lord Rosebery that " he believed that when they were worthy of him, and when they showed it, they need not fear but that they would obtain his leadership." It is only right to add that the references of the other speakers to the leadership question were not marked by this tone of self- prostrating obsequiousness.
Previous page
