THE KING'S GARDEN PARTY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13728, 18 August 1908, Page 7

THE KING'S GARDEN PARTY

KEIR HARDIIj INSULTED.

SOCIALISTS UP IN ARMS.

What the Daily Chronicle describes as "a piece of tactlessness for which there is no "precedent in the reign oi King Edward." marked the Royal garden party at AVimlsor a few weeks ago. The garden party is a purely official function, to which it is customary to invite all members of Parliament, but this year three members failed to receive invitations. They were Mr Keir Hardie, Mr Victor Grayson. and Mr Arthur Ponsonby, the son of the late Queen Victoria's private secretary. Ot course their omission from tho list ot "vests may have been purely an oversight, aud it may be only a coincidence that the first two were foremost in criticising the King's visit to Beval, and that Mr Ponsonby voted with the minority in favour of the motion for tho reduction qf the Foreign Office vote, as a protest against the King's visit. But nobody really regards it as unintentional. The Chronicle assumes that tho King' is not responsible for thife very marked slight on members ot Farliainent whose personal character is irreproachable, but tho newspaper contradicts itself by adding: "Mr Keir Hardie and Mr Grayson will not be rendered less popular among the Socialists in the country by being thus marked* out as objects of the Royal displeasure." With regard to Mr Ponsonby, the fact that he voted against the King's visit seems to be the only conceivable reason why he was not invited to the garden party. "That visit," says the Chronicle, •'was a legitimate, topic for public discussion, and there was room for honest difference of opinion as to its wisdom in existing circumstances. Some members who deprecated it did so because of the high honour and respect in which they hold the. King. That they should be penalised for thus doing their duty, as they conceived it, is wholly repugnant to the. doctrine of the freedom of Parliament." Tho garden party incident is trivial in itself, but the principle involved is important Mr Keir Hardie has already challenged the authorities to explain why he received no invitation. An inquiry to the King's private secretary was left unanswered for nearly a week. Then Mr Hardie received a formal statement that his inquiry should have been addressed to tho Lord Chamberlain. Ho repeated his application to that official without obtaining a satisfactory reply. It is possible, according to the Clarion, that Mr Tlardie will even resign his seat •and ask for, re-election on a straight issue of King versus People.

Woods' Great Peppermint. Cur a fu« rviujrhs and Colds ncvor fails T '^ i"d 2/6.