Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-19
Ministers Called Upon to Defend
Their Personal Honesty
before Parliament.
LEADERS AGREE TO TRUCE
Liberals Threatened to Resur.
rect Short Comipgs of Con-
servativcs il Attacked
UnreasOnably.

London, Juno 18.-For the first time In
many years British cabinet ministers
We're compelled to-day to defend their
personal honesty before Parliament. Tho
attorney-general, Sir Rufus Isaacs and
the chancellor Of the exchequer, David
Lloyd-George, excused their dealings In
American Marconi shares on the floor of
the House, and the final scene in the
Marconi affair which their political enc
mics had attempted to magnify into a
scandal Nvallng the ranama debacle.
was tense and dramatic.
The galleries were filled with neers
and diplomats and all the seats and
standing room on the floor were occupied.
The two ministers admitted that they had
acted thought essly unu mistakenly, al
though without dishonest intention, and
regretted their failure to dlvulge all the
facts when they had made their denials
to the House last October of buying Eng
lish Marconi shares.
Having finished their defense, in defer
ence to the tradition that the House
should he left to discuss their conduct
without the embarrassment of their pres
ence they walked from the chamber to-
Gether. \ great cheer from their parti-
sans followed them and members stand
Ing on the benches waved handkerchiefs
and papers.
The resolution introduced by George
Cave. unionlst, in behalf of the opposi
tion which brought about the debate.
went no further in It's censure than to
express the regret Of the House at the
transactions of the ministers and the
lack of frankness displayed by them
towards the House.
SPIKE OPPONENTS GUNS.
BY expressing their regret, thereby
agreeing with the resolution. the two
ministers spiked the guns Of their bit
terest opponents. who regarded the case
as an opportunity to make political CAPT
tai
This comparatively tame ending to n
fierce controversy was apparently the re-
suit of a truce between the party leaders
to protect the good name of the Parlia-
ment. The liberals were threa tening. If
attacked unreasonably. to resurrect all
the buried short comings Of the con-
servative ministers Hicks-Beachs sale of
Salisbury Plain to the government for
a maneouvrng ground, the Chamber
lain family interest in the Kynoch arma-
ment works during the African war and
directorships held by other ministers in
firms making contracts with the govern
ment. from almost forgotten graves.
The attorney generals statement of
the case was like that of a judgment
on the bench. He emphasized his de-
sire to take all responsibility for
ha fhn Of
quer and Lord Murray Of r'1ihark into
the affair.
Chancellor Lloyd George could not
refrain from denouncing the Journal
lots who had spread runners OF corrup-
ttor and said:
"Ai,hcugh the charge of corruption
he's been exploded, the dcadly after
damp remains and the noxtous fumes
are poisoning the blood of tho people
now engaged in considering the minor
ctatScs.
u am conscious cf having done Hoth-
ing to bring any stain on tire honor Of
tic ministers of the crown. n You
will, l acted thcushtlessly. l acted
mistakenly, hut ! acted inrocentiy.
openly, honestly"
ANTI CLIMAX TO DRAMA
Af.or the t9vo ministers had collect
el their papers and retired from the
sCcne of tho drama, there came an Gnti-
climax. Lord Robert Cecil. who hat
made tho minority report OF the in
Vesugating committee censurinG the
ministers created a small sensation by
replying 20 Chancellor Lloyd Georges
charges. He tried to make the case
erainst the minister's as bad as possl-
BILE, saying:
IL wished l could have made a
really flaming report. l could have
said great many more things and l
am quito ready to tell any member
privately of some things | rejected
because | did not consider that the
evidence justified mo in putting them
before the House or the country"
Leo Chio2za Money. liberal, shouted:
You ought to state them" Lord Rob
ert Cecil replied ~ do not think Il
fair to state in public things which
there is not enough evidence to JUS.
tify."
Mr., Money--"Mr. Speaker the noble
lord has made them q matter OF iunu.
endo."
The Speaker-"Tho honorable MON.
her is not entitled to interrupt be,
cause ne does not agree with the no.
Bile lord"
Stanley owen Buckmaster, liberal
moved as an amendment that tho
House should express it's reprobatiou
of the false charges of corruption
DENIES REPORT WAS BIASED
Sir Frederick Banbury, unionst, repre-
senting the city of London, denied tina,
the minority report was biased,
The Rt. Hon. Alfred Lyttleton referred
to the early bankruptcy of Sir Rufus
lsaacs as "a stock broker, otherwise, he
said, his career had been on the highest
honor.
The Rt Hon, II. H. Samuel, postmas
ter-gcneral whose name was linked with
those of the attorney and tho
chancellor of tho cNchequer in the earlier
newspaper stories, repeated his denials
OF any dealings In Marccni shares