The majority of the House are not enamoured of the
suggestion that the length of speeches should be compulsorily limited. Maxima have an uncomfortable habit of becoming minima, and to lose some perorations would be to forgo the best part of the speech. Actually the average back-bench speech seldom exceeds twenty-five minutes. The Privy Councillors are an easy butt, yet with the exception of Mr. Churchill they speak seldom. At least three-quarters of the House would rather listen to Mr. Churchill on any subject than to a back-bencher, however expert, on his own. Mr. Lloyd George never bores his audience, whatever else he may do to them ; his exceptional position and experience alone warrant him a hearing. Mr. Eden's speeches since he resigned have all been short ; Mr. Duff Cooper has never obtruded. The real difficulty is that there are three front- benches. If Sr Archibald Sinclair would delegate the ex- position of the Liberal attitude more frequently to some of his able lieutenants the House would cease to nurse a grievance against him. But for really important debates it ought to be possible to give more time. Soon there must arise in an acute form the question of how Parliament's pro- gramme is to be dealt with expeditiously and efficiently.
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