The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09

thority of the house. Maxse, whose
father was the famous seadog, Admiral
Maxse. the close friend of the late
George Meredith, and who is said to
have attacked in print more people
than any other writer living. took the
lead in making charges of graft against
the Asquith government in connection
with its recent wireless contract with
the Marconi company, and in the pages
of the widely read review which he
edits, accused all parties concerned
therein with corruption in one form
or another
But when, after his ally, w. r. Law
son. the financial expert" upon being
examined by select committee of
the house of commons, had recanted
practically all his allegations of "culm"
Maxse in his turn was placed on the
gridiron, he. too. proved unable to pro-
duce any direct evidence to substanti-
ate his charges against the postmaster
general. Sir Rufus Isaacs, the attorney
general, whose brother Is British di-
rector of the Marconi company, and the
other public men concerned In the deal.
Maxse declared that he had had letters
| in his possession which bore out his
charges, but that he had destroyed
name the authors of these communica-
tions, and this he refused to do Such
a refusal constitutes contempt for the
authority of parliament as represented
| by Its select committee, and it was ex-
pected that the speaker of the house
of commons, ON demand from the prime
minister. would proceed to wreak sum
| mary vengeance on the recalcitrant
Maxse, whose action in Withholding
the names of his informants Is upheld
by the opposition press as vehemently
as 1t is denounced by the ministerial
organs. Asquith. however. intimated
at the last sitting of the commons be-
fore its adjournment that he proposed
to take no steps against the editor of
the National Review until after the
beginning of the next session.
1t seems to have been assumed pret-
| ty generally that the worst fate that
can befan Maxse should he persist in
defying his parliamentary interroga-
tors. would be Imprisonment in the
| famous "Clock Tower" of the house of
commons. during the speakers pleas
ure" as the old formula runs, but the
present writer has been looking up
old records to ascertain how the house
treated in bygone times witnesses who
trifled with the authority of the house
of any of its committees and as re-
suit stands appalled, at the punishment
If the speaker cared to follow pre-
cedent.
i 1t seems, for example. that in 1921
one Edward Floyd was guilty of con-
tempt Of parliament and here Is the
little sentence that. was passed upon
him.
mot to henceforth bear arms or to
be competent witness in any court
of justice; to ride from Westminster to
Tower Hill with his face to the horses s
tail, and holding the tail in his hand
to stand in the pillory in Cheapside; to
have his ears nailed; to be publicly
whipped at the carts tall; to be fined
$4,000 and to be imprisoned for life
in Newgate."
1t is bit disappointing to discover
that, after all, the house of commons
of that time weakly but graciously
agreed to forego the mailing" of
Floyd's ears. while carrying out the
rest of its mandate upon him.
Even as late as 1906 We find a cer-
tain sheriff of Middlesex. who had
committed no greater crime than
Maxse's, being committed to the Jail
lat Newgate-a common receptacle of
lvagabonds, there to remain prisoner
as a signal proof of the power and JUS
tice Of this house." and it seems, too,
that parliament has power to fine a de-
linquent in any sum up to 100000.
4 So IL Maxse escapes with a short
term. of confinement in the Clock
Tower-whose last occupant was the
late Charles Bradlaugh---or with no
he may thank his lucky stars that he
lives in the twentieth century and not
in the seventeenth.