BEGBIE (Harold, 1871-1929, Writer on Politics & Morals, Biographer of General William Booth)

Autograph Letter Signed to the Revd. (Sir) James Marchant, 1867-1956, saying he is "in entire agreement with Mr. St Loe Strachey's speech; he expresses the masculine ideas of men who loathe lubricity while they have no sympathy at all with the provincial excesses of Puritanism ... I rejoice in your successful prosecution of an obscene paper", telling how in Southern Ireland "the Roman Catholics ... where they cannot influence newsreaders", seize the "disgusting Sunday newspapers from England" from the train "& publicly burn them", and describing a vulgar china ornament he saw for sale in Swanage, "the police ... have no power ... is it really impossible to suppress such ... exhibition ?", 3 sides 8vo., Newton Cottage, Swanage, no date, c. March

Strachey, 1860-1925, was editor of the Spectator. In 1912 he led a deputation of London publishers, booksellers and others, including Murray and Longman, to Home Secretary McKenna, asking for the law on obscene publications to be strengthened. Marchant was secretary. McKenna said that 'indecent' was being added to 'obscene' in a draft bill to revise the 1908 Act. (See the Times, 24th January 1912, under 'Demoralizing Literature', and the heated debate that followed).

Item Date:  1912

Stock No:  20162      £45

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