The House of Commons never looks more foolish than when,
under the pretence of privilege, its members engage in re- criminations with the Press. An incident which took place in the House of Commons on Wednesday is a proof of what we mean. Mr. Booth, the Liberal member for Pontefract, called attention to the Spectator article of last Saturday suggesting that Mr. Lowther should be asked to resign the Speakership and be chosen as Leader of the Unionist Party in the Com- mons. One might have thought that precedents so memorable as those of Addington and William Grenville would have been known even to a Radical M.P., but apparently they are not. At any rate, Mr. Booth asked the Speaker whether our words did not reflect upon his high office. The Speaker's answer was admirable. He did not, he said, understand the object of the hon. member's remark. If he wanted to raise the matter as one of privilege he was about four days too late. "If he merely raises it in order to have my opinion I shall be very glad to give it to him—in private."
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