27 FEBRUARY 1886, Page 2

At the dinner given by the Labour Representative Union in

honour of the representatives of labour elected to the House of Commons on Wednesday, Lord Hobhouse in the chair, a singular scene followed the toast of "The Queen." According to Mr. Oswald John Simon, who says that he was present, and who writes to Friday's Times on the subject, the toast was received with hisses, entire tables not rising at all when the company rose to do it honour. If that be a true account of the matter, we think that Lord Hobhouse should at once have left the chair, and refused to preside at the meeting. We suppose that the insult is due to the unpopularity of the Parliamentary votes asked for for various members of the Royal family on their marriage. But that is absolutely no excuse. In the first place, the political responsibility for these proposals falls on the Ministers who adopt them, and who, no doubt, usually originate them. In the next place, to refuse to do honour to the head of the nation, is to do dishonour to the country which she represents. We are perfectly sure that this insult wholly misrepresented the feeling of the labouring classes in this country, and we deeply regret that Lord Hobhouse did not at once censure, and separate himself from, the men who could be guilty of it.