AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT COMPLETED. SPEECHES.
consider whether there is a demand for this enormous production,
beyond all moderate bounds by unmeaning 'verbiage ; are contra- wish to vote on the question according to its own merits, never dictory in their several clauses, full of ambiguous or unintelligible dream of discovering those merits in the long pieces of my-stifica. expressions, and often impracticable in their provisions There is thin which are produced by the leading speakers on either side, hardly a leading Act of Parliament on any point of municipal law A plain man finds those speeches so full of audacious misstate- which can be said to have acquired a fixed and definite import, till ments, disingenuous subleties, and appeals to passion, ignorance, its " true intent and meaning " has been fixed by a long train of and prejudice, that he resolves not to be guided by them, and re- decisions by the Courts of Law. Hundreds of families are ruined jects, it may be, even sound argument in such disreputable compani; by lawsuits, arising from its having been found impossible, either Such a man, in forming his opinions, seeks better guides than by our traders or by their law advisers, to discover what the Legis- Parliamentary harangues. The speeches of Parliamentary orators,
lature intended, till the Courts, after many fluctuations, solemnly accordingly, being no longer even intended to influence the deli- adjudge that it means something which, in all probability, its fra- berations of the Representatives of the People, are levelled at the mers never thought of. People themselves. Thus the very end of representation is defeated.
The truth of this description will be acquiesced in by all who The People depute a certain number of enlightened men to delibe- have had much occasion to study the Statute-book. For the rate on matters of deep importance, with that calmness and capacity benefit of those who are less conversant with that moles indigesta, which the People, as a body, are aware they themselves do not pos- we thought of giving. some specimens of the verbiage, Moo- sess. Yet, when these deputies meet to deliberate, they are employed herence, and bungling construction of the Statutes; but this in listening (or not, for it makes no difference) to speeches, the would lead to details and quotations for which we cannot afford object of which is to stir up the People, or particular portions of space. As an instance, however, of the amplification of language the People, to interfere clamorously in the decision of questions which forms the usual style of this species of composition, we which they had committed to their Representatives. We accuse give them the following clause of an Act passed in 1814 (the no party in particular of this practice, and we except none. It same year in which the last Statute respecting Literary Property has gradually become more and more inveterate; and has arisen was passed), giving to statuaries, like authors, a property in their from the great source of almost all the abuses of Parliament, that works. the House of Commons has not truly represented the People. " Be it enacted, Scc. that from and after tie, passing of fhig Act. every porcnn nrellne; it Wflg, that the different bodies of the community, having or persons who shall make or cause to be made any new and original sculpture, no confidence that their interests were safe in the keeping of those or model, or copy, or cast of the human figure or human figures, or of any bust pseudo-representatives, felt a feverish anxiety for the result of or busts, or of any part or parts of the human figure clothed in drapery or other- every question affecting them—an anxiety which the Parliament- wise, or of any animal or animals, or of any part or parts of any aunnal com- bined with the human figure or otherwise, or of any subject being matter of ary orators of one party or another always made it their object to invention in sculpture, as of any alto or basso ielievo, representing any of the inflame. Would such floods of intolerance and bigotry have been matters or things hereinbefore mentioned, or any cast from nature of the human poured out upon the Catholic question, had the reason of the figure, or of any part or parts of the human figure, or of any east from nature of members been the object aimed at? or would O'CONNELL have any animal, or of any part or parts of any animal, or of any such subject con- attacked the conduct of Government in relation to Ireland in a taming or representing any of the matters and things liereinbefore mentioned,
whether separate or combined, shall have the sale, rii4lit, and property of all and in every such new original sculpture, model, copy, and cast of the human figure or human figures, and of all and in every such bust or busts, and of all will not say, that, whilst the House of Commons falsely assumed and in every such part or parts of the human figure, clothed in drapery or other- a character which it did not possess, it may not have been some- wise, and of all and in every such new and original sculpture, model, copy and times useful, and even necessary, to appeal to the sense of the cast representing any animal or animals, and of all and in every such work re-
presenting any part or parts of any animal combined with the human figure or People at large, in such a question as that of Reform, the merits otherwise, and of all and in every such new and original sculpture, model, of which stood on the plainest grounds of common sense. But copy, and cast of any subject being matter of invention in sculpture, and of all this was an exception, and an extreme ease. In the general case, and in every such new and original sculpture, model, copy, and cast in alto or such appeals to the People, and their consequent interference with basso relievo representing any of the matters or things bereinbefore mentioned, the conduct of their Representatives, are at variance with the and of every such cast ain nature, for the term of fourteen years, from first principles and well-working of a representative system.
putting forth or publishing the same," &c. Our readers may amuse themselves (it will be as good as a
charade or a riddle) with trying to make sense of this, and en- listened to. The Representatives of the People will meet for the deavouring to render any meaning they can devise consistent bond fide purpose of deliberation; and their debating will be di- with itself. rected to its proper object, that of convincing each other. Speech- " Take up whichever volume of the Statute-book one will," says the Qin-Er- making will thus be at an immense discount. Oratory will be terly Review,* "at whatever page it opens, and .however plain the subject may be to which the enactment relates, one is overwhelmed with a quantity of divested of her ample robes and cumbrous magnificence, and will verbosity and tautology, of which it is not easy to speak in terms of becoming be clothed in simple and "succinct attire." Plain, concise state- moderation, and which, with all deference to the authority for such 'damnable merits of facts, luminous expositions of principles, and close and iteration,' we believe to be quite unparrelleled in any other book. If it were not logical deductions, will be the staple commodities in Parliament. impossible to entertain the suspicion, one would be tempted to think that in- This kind of debating will be as .useful throughout the country stead of expressing its meaning with the utmost clearness, the legislature had
some end to serve by involving it in the greatest possible obscurity. Indeed it as within the House. Brief speeches, containing the pith and would be unaccountable how men of such rank and education, as tfiose of which marrow of every question, will be easily and accurately reported; and the two Houses of Parliament are composed, should have so patiently sutrared will carry sound political knowledge into every corner of the land. such undigested compositions to be so long ushered into the world under the sanction of their names, unless experience proved, that the most enlightened bodies frequently do. that in their collective capacity without the least compunc-
tion, for which there is not a single individual among them that would be TI1E Returns furnish the House with copies of such documents as are responsible in his private character. reposited in the Government offices, and of such accounts as are kept by Many of the absurdities and inconsistencies in particular laws, the officers in the various public departments of the State. Occa- it is true, have at different times been corrected; but no general sionally, the Returns extend to matters with which the House is but improvement has taken place in the manner of drawing them remotely connected, and its right to inquire into which may be doubt- up. Even in the last session, Mr. JEFFREY'S Cholera Bill was ful. The completeness or incompleteness of a Return will depend on brought back for amendment, a few days after it was passed: and the accuracy and fulness with which the books of the returning party are kept, and not unfrequently on the information and judgment of the the very Reform Bill itself contains, in many of its clauses, too member that moves for it. "A Return will be moved for, for one much ambiguity and indistinctness of expression—it is defective year from January to January- then there will be the same Return in lucid arrangement—it has an air of obscurity from which moved for from that January till the next April ; and then some other popular legislation ought to be free, and which may give rise to member will move for the same account, including part of the period al- a good deal of dispute and litigation before it can be made to work ready returned." [Mr. VARDON'S Evidencelow the Library Commit- smoothly. - tee, Sess. Paper, 600-1832.] Of this plan of nt wing first for a whole
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