The causes of these obstructions and delays are various.
One is the general incompleteness of the machinery of the House. The members are occupied, as a body, in doing, succes- sively and imperfectly, a great many things, which, if divided into a number of smaller bodies, or Committees, they could do simul- taneously and well.
Another is the irregular attendance of the members. Not only do the decidedly Idle members attend irregularly, but the business of the House is most vexatiously interrupted by the want of regularity on the part of those who take a share in it. A question of the highest importance is postponed because there are not forty members who choose to attend ; and, on such occasions, be it observed, not only 3s this the case, but the precious hours of a whole Parliamentary day are lost to the Country. Again, it is by no means uncommon, when an important motion is to come on, for the mover himself,
who perhaps has been too indolent to prepare himself sufficiently,. or wants to be away upon his own business or pleasure, to appiy for its postponement. On another occasion, the discussion is de ferred, because somebody gets up and remarks that an honourable gentleman or noble lord, who is concerned in the matter, and has a something to say touching it, is absent—and therefore requests it may be postponed. Thus does the House allow itself and the Nation to be trifled with by its own members.
The quantity of time wasted in bootless discussions on Petitions, particularly Irish Petitions, is another cause of the obstruction of real business.
The quantity of time spent in speech-making, in general, has the same effect.
To these obstructions may be added another, which, though not an improper practice in itself, produces much inconvenience in the present system—this is the practice of giting precedence to the steps of Government procedure. It often happens that the Ministers have such a variety of measures in progress, that their various steps, day after day, occupy the greatest part of the time of the
ore House ; and, as they take place of every thing else, the measures of individual members must be deferred, over and over again; and thus a grievance, the evils of which we have already pointedt o i the evil is greatly aggravated. Ministers, too, sometimes d
evil unnecessarily, by taking clandestine measures to prevent the House from meeting.
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