§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAYI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether he is aware that while other societies, such as the Royal Archæological Institute, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the British Archæological Association, were each formally invited to submit names to serve on the English Historical Monuments Commission, no-such invitation has been sent to the Society of Antiquaries of London, which has thus no official representation on the Commission; and whether he can state the reason why the Society of Antiquaries has been ignored.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fifeshire, E.As I was unaware who among the members of the societies referred to by the hon. and gallant Member was best suited to assist on the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments, I invited these societies to submit 133 names to me. The prominent position of the Society of Antiquaries made it unnecessary for me to follow the same course in their case, and in accordance with the usual practice, I used my own discretion in the selection of members from that body to serve on the Commission. The fact that out of the eleven members of the Commission five are Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries—one of them having been President of the Society for many years—should, to my mind, be sufficient proof that neither in intention nor in practice has the Society of Antiquaries been ignored.
§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAYWill the right hon. Gentleman let me have the names of the five members?
§ MR. ASQUITHYes, they are well-known.