The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-21
CABINET MUZZLE
FOR BRITISH PRESS
Failure Of Ministers to Main-
tain Secrecy Cause Of
Action.
PENALTIES ARE PROVIDED
Specio, Correspondence to THr srS.

LONDON. April sb.-InC klnE nClu n
privy council at Windsor Castle Tor the
purpose az signing an order in council
prohibiting the publication or any refe--
ence to the secret sessions OF the two
Houses Of Parliament. except tho report
officially communicated through the
Press Bureau.
The order is n Natural complement to
the signiican, departure from tho nor
NAL ways of tho Legislature. 1t is
noteworthy that the prohibition Is ac-
rompanicd by another regulation which
fs Of even wider scope. II IL 20 he an
OFFENCE in future TO publish any
eport OF or to purport 20 describe ar
90 refer 10 the proceedings at any meet
Ing Of the Cabinet" This means starva-
ton TO the. political gossipmongers and
mote writer's and will even largely
affect the leader writer.
For this last restriction Ministers
have only themselves to thank. The
leakage of information has grown to be
a scandal. All Cabinet deliberations
take place under the seal .of confidence.
nevertheless much has pcrcolated
through to persons outside the charmed
circle. and eventually has appeared N
the press. The press is not to blame-it
takes what It can get-bu Ministers
have the difficult task set them OF hold
anG their tongues
A secret sitting OF Parliament is nv
no means an innovation. For many
years the House OF Commons Tough,
hard to keep Itself to itself. permitting
m official version of its votes and pro-
cecdings" To go forth, hut prohibiting
tho publication of it's debates. Origi-
nally the motive OF this reserve was
fear of the Crown. As the British Con-
stitution made its progress fear Of the
Crown passed away. but fear of tho
constituencies took its place. and
- ~p,.0hrn, ,a= 80 ,h, asuttonp,I ,at-
fury most Of tho reporting was done
eurreptitiously. 1t was not until after
the destruction Of the Houses Of Parlia-
ment by fire W 1894 that reporters were
allowed a gallery.
Even now IL is clear that the reporters
hre present on sufferance and that q;
any moment the House can exclud
strangers and clear the reporters gal
lery. Al one time this could be done
at the will OF a single member of tn"
House and there was a tremendous com.
motion in 1875 when Mr.. Biggar effected
the temporary removal from the gallery
of the Prince OF Wales. The rule was
accordingly altered. and 1t was pro-
vided that though any member might
still "cspy strangers their removal
should be a question on which the House
should div!de
This rule was first put into operation
In 1878. when the House sat in private
: Tor three hours on a question arising gu:
of q murder in ireland. In quite modern
Times two galleries or boxes behind the
Speakers chair were placed at the dis.
pOsa; OF permanent officials whose near
presence to the Treasury bench WAS an
obvious convenience. and it Was for a
d, time a game among Parliamentary
sportsmen like Lord Winterton to espy
them and to force a division on the qucs-
ton Of their withdrawal from a place
4 which was technically within the House.
. Political views about the secret session
nre largely colored by party bias. but
even the most level headed politicians
fear that secret sessions may kill the
authority OF the House OF Commons.
- Its whole claim to n position Or
:Huthority in the country is that IL IL
',,,kupposed to renew It's strength by more
frequent contact with the electorate. A
! secret session makes the Commons q
p branc of the Executive. 1t becomes II
larger and more cumbrous Cabinet. Like
the Cabinet II has its secrets from the
people. ON the other and 1t Is with
tout the continuous experience OF affairs
and the advice Of the permanent officials.
(which are the chief strength OF the Gov
: ernment. In secret session It Is neces-
rHArily a Greek chorus. commenting on
action in cryptic gcneralities, which
every one is at liberty to interpret Diff
ferently.
After all the real crux of the situa-
will come later. when the Labor
members of the Government have 70
seek approval from outside Parliament,
II they fail to get 1t nothing remains Tor
Them but to resign, and the coalition
would be broken.
500, The press Is not taking supinely the
-:tfrastic restriction Of it's liberties oc-
- ca stoned by the Order in Council. The
- nature OF the Limitation is seen in the
second part Of the order:
III ut shal not be awful for any person
In any newspaper. periodical. circular
= or other printed publication. or In any
public speech. to publish any report OF
or to purport to describe or 10 refer to
inc proceedings at any meeting of the
Cabinet, or without lawful authority to
publish the contents of any confidential
document belonging TO. or any coniiden-
tial information obtained from any
Government department or any person
in the service of his Majesty"
In a letter to the Times to-day ~.
W. Massingham. editor Of the Liberal
Nation. says:
~ hope it will not he assumed that
journalists, Liberal or Conservative,
Socialist or independent. acquicsce In
an Order in Council which crowns the
withdraw, OF free criticism In Iarlia-
inent with the suppression of free
criticism Of the executive,
us every statesman from Mr.. Asauiih
to Mr.. Law and from Mr., Lloyd George
TO Sir Edward Carson to he prohibited
from tho kind OF guarded hut idcn-
tial intercourse with the chief directors
Of opinion IN the newspapers which now
prevails here and in every civilized
country I'm the world" And If this inter.
course In to cease, what can follow but
an ignorant and therefore a worthless
press"
In the Daily Express the following
comment Is made
''rhe second clause OF the Order IN
Council, which prohibits the publication
OF practically every pubic document, is
"a highly dangerous innovation, and W
earnestly hope that II will at once lie
radically modified. We are fighting Il
preserve our liberties
Reference to the subject was also
made IN the Westminster gazette yes
terday. In a leading article that %journa'
said
III the proceedings Of the cabinc'
= may not he referred to by tho press. II
follows logically that they must never
he alluded TO by Ministers thcmselves-
a double cmbarGo which IL altogether
TOO artificial and remote from reality t'
stand the test Of tim" and experience"
cow CHARGES BABY BUGGY.