Trafficking in Honours
The first prosecution under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act of 1925 has led to the conviction of Mr. Maundy Gregory for attempting to obtain" money from a retired naval officer " as an inducement for endeavouring to procure for him the grant of a dignity or title of honour." The offence was a serious enough one in itself, but it is well to remember that the promoters of the Act had in mind still more serious abuses Which had their origin in high quarters—and which we should like to think could not be repeated to-day. Until a few years ago the sale'of honours was a scarcely concealed method for repleniShing the coffers of the party in power. The Chief Whip held the purse, and the Chief Whip had his own list 'of 'persons who were to be honoured by the King. The practice was handed on from Governments of one complexion to Governments of another complexion —from the Conservatives to the Liberals and from the Liberal§ to the two wings of the Coalition ; and it appeared difficult to see what pressure could effectively be brought to bear to stop it when all parties were tarred with the same brush, and when the offence of the pur- chaser could so easily be disguised as " public services."
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