. A deputation of Members anxious that Members should be
paid, including Mr. John Burns, Mr. Broadhurst, and Mr. Havelock Wilson, waited on Tuesday on Lord Rosebery, and expounded their ideas. Their desire was that every Member of the House of Commons without distinction of means should receive £300 a year, and that all election expenses should be paid by the State or the locality. Lord Rosebery replied that he thought all his colleagues in the House of Commons had already voted for the principle of the reform; but that accord- ing to constitutional experts, it must be passed by Bill, and not by resolution ; that it would logically draw after it the great charge involved, in a second ballot; and that the Govern- ment had already before them six great Bills which they must bring forward. He would, however, bring their proposal and their urgency before the Cabinet, and give it "every consideration." This, according to the Press Association, was done at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday ; and of course it was resolved that the payment of Members could not be taken up this Session. We have discussed the language used to this deputation elsewhere ; and need only remark here that if the Labour Members really want to carry their point, they must consent to limit payment to Members who need it. The country will not pay Lord Her- tingtons even £300 a year. The objection that this arrange- ment would involve a stigma is nonsense. No Cabinet Minister can obtain a pension unless he makes a declaration that he has not enough for decent support in his position. The time for being ashamed of poverty was the last century, not this.
Previous page
