Mr. Forwood, the Secretary to the Admiralty, made a good
speech at Wavertree, near Liverpool, yesterday week, in which he remarked that the condition of Parliamentary business was the great question of the hour; that in the Session just closed, seven Members had amongst them made seven hundred speeches, or an average of one hundred for each of the seven;
and that if the remaining Members of the House spoke up to the same average, one Session carried on on that scale would last for five Parliamentary years, counting only ten minutes for each speech. Of course, that is a red echo ad absurdum of Parlia- mentary institutions, and some means must be found to stop the excessive talking of such Members as Mr. Labouchere and Dr. Clark, who had each of them spoken nearly 124 times, Mr. Labouchere having exactly completed that score. Mr. Forwood suggested that the Session should begin with Supply, which should be continued de die in diem till it was completed, so as to postpone all private Members' nights till Supply had been voted. This would have the effect of shortening debates on Supply which are now continued only for dilatory purposes, as it would be to the interest of the private Members to get as soon as they could to that period of the Session at which they could bring on their motions. That appears to be a sug- gestion of real pith and moment. Though it is not one at all adequate as a remedy of the evil, it would at least attenuate its magnitude.
Previous page
