§ Mr. WEDGWOODMr. Speaker, I desire, with your permission, to raise a point somewhat personal to myself, and I apologise to the House for doing so. In the course of the Debate yesterday the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Pretyman) made a charge against the United Committee of receiving the sum of £5,000 from Mr. Joseph Fels. I shall not trouble the House as to that, seeing that it was so ably replied to by my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Raffan), but I will refer to the facts which have a peculiar and personal reference to myself. This is not the first occasion upon which that charge has been levelled against myself personally, as well as against the United Committee. I am sure hon. Members on both sides of the House will sympathise with me as a public speaker when I say that wherever I go to speak I find the hon. Member's Land Union there, with a newspaper paragraph placards, and sandwich men conveying the information to the public that Mr. Wedgwood is a member of the United Committee, that the United Committee gets money from Mr. Joseph Fels, and is paid by Mr. Joseph Fels. If that sort of suggestion were made by Members of my party against Members of the Opposition it would be followed im- 1066 mediately by libel actions. Personally, I am not in a financial position to indulge in libel actions, and neither am I backed up by the funds of a strong financial union like the Land Union. Nor, indeed, do Liberal Members at the present time much appreciate visits to the Law Courts.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would remind the hon. Member that the only explanation it is now open to him to make is in reference to any charge, if there was such, which was made here yesterday against him. He cannot go into the question of things said outside this House, and take the opportunity of being a Member of this House to reply to charges made outside.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODThe charge made yesterday was that we used this money for our own purposes in the United Committee.
§ Mr. SPEAKERPerhaps the hon. Member will allow me to refresh his memory. What was said yesterday was:—
I think it is rather tempting when £5,000 is placed at their disposal for propaganda to spend it for the advantage of the principles in which they believe."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 14th February, 1911, col. 931.]That was the statement made by the hon. Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Pretyman).
§ Mr. WEDGWOODIt was applied to 143 Members who signed the memorial. I say in any case it is a gross piece of unfairness to charge hon. Members with receiving money from other people when they do not make any use of that money for their own purposes. The United Committee, which I had the honour to form, was in existence before Mr. Joseph Fels came on the scene. It will exist long after I or Mr. Joseph Fels have gone, and as long as I have any connection with it, I shall be a contributor to its funds, and not a receiver.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman is not entitled to take advantage of a very exceptional opportunity which is given to hon. Members to make a personal explanation with reference to statements made in this House to enter into a defence generally against criticisms made outside. If the hon. Gentleman has anything to say with reference to anything which he conceives to be a charge made against him yesterday in this House, I am sure the House will be willing to hear his explanation.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODI am sorry I have to rely on exceptional opportunities such as this. I wish to say, clearly and emphatically, that I do not benefit in any way 1067 whatever from the money of the United Committee. Every Member of this House knows that I give up my time and my money to the work, and I say that this is a grossly impertinent charge.