TRAFFIC IN TITLES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1978, 7 February 1914, Page 6

TRAFFIC IN TITLES.

MORE ALLEGATIONS* BROKERS AND TnEIR COMMISSION. By .Telegraph—Press A£sociation~Copyrielrt ~' London, February 5. ;Mr. Gibson Bowles, who has sat both with'tho Liberals aiid Conservatives in' Parliament, 'has supplied a candid review of the alleged purchase of titles. He asserts that the Conservatives' fund, which in 1874 totalled. £20,000, rose to £80,000 in the 'nineties, while tho, Liberal funds,'which wero very low in 1876, reached £7000 in 1877, and stood at half a million in 1901. It was now estimated at four millions.

Mr. Bowles declares that £50,000 has ■been paid for a baronetcy, and anything from £150,000 to £400,000 for a peerage. He says that on one occasion correspondence passed between the party Whip and a would-be peer. The latter refused to pay the required'eontribution for the honour sought,, and the' Whip thereupon wrote expressing a fear that his: claim to a peerage could not be considered. Tho disappointed applicant, ■however, threatened'to publish the correspondence if his i name was not included in the next list of .honours, and ■when finally tho list .was published the name duly appeared.,' ' " Mr. Bowles further asserts that city brokers "tout" for baronetcy honours, their terms being £4000, with £6000 lodged in the bank if an honour is given, besides 10 per cent, commission for the man who introdticcd business. DISCUSSION IN'; CANADIAN PARLIAMENT' (Rec. February; 6,- 11.10 p.m.) Ottawa, February 5. ■ Mr. Burnham, in the House of Com-' mons, proposed a Bill to abolish titles .granted through,. the Government of Canada. He did not object, he said, to the King; exercising his prerogative, but ', lie objected_ to Cabinet recommending people for titles.. It was contrary to the present-day spirit of.democracy to.perpetuate class distinctions. Mr, BurnJiam declared that there was u regular system of barter or sale of honours ex- . isting in England. He did not wish to seo the introduction of- any such system in a democratiq country like Canada. Mr. Foster (Minister of Commerce) Explained that the Canadian Parliament bad no authority'to abolish any titles. However,, ho thought tho people' who served the Stat&;Well,-were/, entitled to somo recognition for, their services. Sir Wilfrid Laurier (Leader of the Opposition) pointed out tlhat the United States tendency to seek titles was grow- , ing. ..'.■.'•■ , \ ■.-'.' The/second reading of the ; Bill was lost.