PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. (To THE EDITOR OF VIZ "SPECTATOR.]
Stn,—From what was said in one of your recent numbers, I gather that you do not approve the payment of Members of Parliament, the effect, probably the object, of which would be further to increase the representation of Labour in the House of Commons. I have all my life voted for the Labour candidate when a good one presented himself, and cheerfully contributed to his election fund, deeming it in the interest of the whole community that Labour should be directly repre- sented in the councils of the nation. I heartily welcome the Labour vote for the• reduction of armaments. But I confess that what I have seen on this side of the Atlantic leads me to share your misgivings about anything which can give public life more of the character of a trade. The Parliament of Great Britain would surely lose dignity by the change. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, I venture to think, when he points to the Colonies for a justification of the measure, hardly takes into account, at least so far as Canada is con- cerned, the difference in social structure between Great Britain and a Colony. We have here no such class of independent men of means as that which hitherto has largely filled your House of Commons. The leaders of our commerce cannot afford to leave their business for Parliament; or if they do, it is apt to be in the interest of their business rather than in that of the community at large. We thus find it necessary to pay for the labour of representation. I am sorry to add that, while Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, if he wants an example of a worthy people, cannot do better than look here, if he wants an example of political perfection he might look more profitably elsewhere. He probably did not watch the course of the last Session of our Parliament, and mark the ominous concurrence of the facile passing of a sinister party measure with a large increase in the salaries of Members of both Houses, the granting of a salary to the Leader of the Opposition, and the creation of a number of pensions. Study your own circumstances, shape your own course; we can lend you little guidance here.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Toronto, March 28th, 1906. GOLDWIN SMITH.
[We most certainly do not approve of payment of Members, and mean to oppose suoh payment with all the power at our command.—En. Spectator.]
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