§ 57. Mr. THURTLEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he will consider the possibility of giving a site within the precincts of the House for the erection of a tablet to the memory of the late Charles Bradlaugh, to whose efforts the freedom of Members to affirm when they become Members, instead of taking the oath, was largely due?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Lieut.-Colonel Sir Vivian Henderson)The First Commissioner of Works is unaware of any considerable demand among Members of this House, for the erection of a tablet such as is proposed, which would lead him to assent to the suggestion.
§ Mr. THURTLEIs the hon. and gallant Member not aware that many Members of this House who take an interest in Parliamentary history regard Charles Bradlaugh as a great Parliamentary figure?
§ Sir V. HENDERSONI am quite aware of that fact, and, if it were shown to the First Commissioner that there was any great demand for this proposal, I have no doubt that he would be willing further to consider it. What the hon. Member does not perhaps appreciate is that there is no precedent for erecting a memorial to a private Member in this House who has died within living memory. I would point out that Daniell 424 O'Connell and Baron Lionel de Rothschild and Alderman Salomons are as equally entitled to memorials for the attitude which they took up in regard to the oath as Charles Bradlaugh.