PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION: AN INTERNATIONAL DINNER.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."1 Sia,—May I direct the attention of your readers to the international dinner in support of the principle of propor- tional representation, to be held at the Holborn Restaurant, on Wednesday, December 3rd? Its purpose is to demonstrate the growing acceptance of this principle in all democratic countries, and, at the same time, to emphasize the need of making effective provision for the representation of minorities in those constitutional rearrangements which now seem to be inevitable. The composition of the influential Committee which, under the Presidency of Earl Grey, is organizing this international demonstration, gives some indication of the remarkable progress the movement is making in this country. The list contains Unionists of all types, among them being Lord Milner, Sir William Anson, Mr. F. E. Smith, Lord Robert Cecil, and Mr. Leslie Scott; representative Liberals, including Lord Loreburn, the ex-Lord Chancellor, Sir Alfred Mond, and Mr. Thomas Burt; Labour leaders, such as Mr. G. H. Roberts and Mr. Philip Snowden. But, in addition to those actively engaged in politics, many persons of high distinction in law, in literature, in science, and in movements for social amelioration have joined the Committee. Among them are Sir Edward Fry, Sir John Macdonell, Sir Frederick Pollock, Sir Henry Erie Richards, and Professor J. H. Morgan; Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and Mr. H. G. Wells ; Lord Rayleigh, Sir Felix Schuster, Mr. John A. Hobson, Mr. Seebobm Rowntree, and Mrs. Henry Fawcett. Promisee of attendance have already been received from distinguished members of foreign parliaments. The repre- sentatives of Belgium—they will be able to speak from fourteen years' experience of proportional representation— will include Count Goblet d'Alviella, Vice-President of the Senate. The French Parliamentary group for electoral reform, which is engaged in passing its Bill through the Chamber for a second time, will send its chairman, M. Charles Benoist, and a considerable number of senators and deputies. Full particulars as to the dinner and information as to the aims of the Proportional Representation Society will gladly be forwarded on application.—I am, Sir, &c., Westminster, S.W. Secretary, Proportional
Representation Society,
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