Unfortunately the matter did not end here. Lord Winterton shouted
across the House to Mr. Booth : " Go back to your company promoting!" and then there followed a scene, little creditable to the House of Commons, in which the origin of the incident appears to have been entirely forgotten and members shouted abuse at each other across the House. For some reason not apparent, or perhaps merely because be cannot resist the temptation to join in any game of public taunts, the Chancellor of the Exchequer intervened in the unseemly dis- turbance in defence of Mr. Booth. We wonder whether Mr. Booth and his supporter, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, really think the dignity and influence of Parliament is increased by incidents of this kind. Perhaps we shall be told that Mr. Booth was only indulging in a heavy form of joking. If that is so, we can only say that his sense of humour must be of a very primitive order.
Previous page
