Mr. Chamberlain, in the House of Commons on Wednesday, refused
a day for a debate on the question of the Honours List. He rejected the proposal that a Joint Committee should review the recommendations made by the various departments for the award of Honours. He suggested that the matter might be raised on the vote for the Prime Minister's salary, but the Speaker ruled that this would be out of order. Mr. Chamberlain is probably unaware of the very strong feeling excited among men of all parties—not only " Die-Hards " or Socialists— by the lavish and seemingly reckless bestowal of titles upon persons, some of whom are wholly unknown to fame, while
others, to speak plainly, have no qualification but their wealth. The best friends of the Coalition are, in private, the loudest in their complaints. If the Government have any good reasons for preparing these swollen Honours Lists, a frank explanation in debate would clear the air and dispose of the cynical rumours that are current. We trust that Mr. Chamberlain will recon- sider his refusal to let the House discuss the question, for legislators are certainly not overworked this summer.
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