RETURNS—ACCUMULATION OF PAPERS.

remarkable example occurred during the discussion of the first and second editions of the Reform Bill ; when the Returns under the Population Act in 1821, which had been in the hands of members for nine years, furnished, in the way of excerpt, no fewer than twelve sepa- rate Returns. This mode of publishing, under various shapes, dupli- cates, triplicates, and even quadruplicates of the same paper, and the extent to which the House, in its eagerness for information, has pushed the practice of moving for Returns,—have swelled the amount so enor- mously, that in a few score of years the whole world will not contain the Returns that are called for and printed. The following Table shows the number of volumes of Sessional Papers, Bills, Reports, and Returns printed by order of the United Parliament. yat.ustEs OF SESSIONAL PAPERS ORDERED TO BE PRINTED BY THE 'roust,: OF COMMONS FROM 1801 TO 1831 INCLUSIVE.

sos:.

Vols. Sess. Vols. Sess. Vuls. Sess. Vols.

.. 7 ... 1809 .. 12 1818 .. 17 ... 1926 .. 29 -9

..7 ...

1810 .. 15 ... 1819 .. 18 ... 1897-8 .. 26 Iso9-3 .. 10 ... 1810-1 .. 11 ... 1819-20.. 4 ... 1828 .. 27

11 ... 1812 .. 11 ... 1820 .. 12 ... 1829 28

11 ... 1813 .. 14 ... 1991 .. 23 ... 1830 .. 33 1.06 .. 19 ... 1313-4 .. 14 ... 1892 .. 22 ... 18304 .. 16

.. 9 ... 1814-5.. 13 ... 1893 .. 19 ... 1831 .. 00 19o; .. 5 ... 1816 .. 19 ... 1894 .. 24

1Se8 .. 15 ... 1817 .. 17 ... 1825 .. 27

Like all other matters connected with the House of Commons, the bulk, if not the value of these Papers, has swelled very greatly of late years. The average of the first ten years in the above table, is only 13 volumes ; while the average of the last ten years is 26. The entire series of House of Commons Papers from 1701 to 1800 are contained in 15 volumes large folio. [Mr. HANSARD'S Letter to Sir R. IL Inglis, Sess. Paper 600-1832.] So that the House now print as many papers in a year as they formerly did in a century.

The relation which the Bills and Reports bear to the other papers is not constant. The following is a statement of the distribution of tile three parts for the last six sessions above quoted.

SESSIONAL PAPERS PRINTED DURING THE SIX SESSIONS, COMMENCING 1826-7; DISTINGUISHING BILLS, REPORTS, AND PAPERS.

Sess. 11. U. P. Sess. II. H. P. Sess. B. It. I'.

1896-7 .. 9 .. 11 .. 13 .. 1829 .. 2 .. 12 .. 12 .. 1830-1.. 2 .. 2 .. 12

1828 .. 3 .. 12 .. 12 .. 1830 .. 3 .. 13 .. 17 .. 1831 .. 3 .. 9 .. 8 Some of the volumes of Reports are exceedingly heavy; the single Report on Scotch Schools [Sess. Paper 95-1826] occupies 985 pages.