SHORT SPEECHES.
MR. SPECTATOR—TO the numerous plans which have been sags gested for expediting the public business in the House of Commons, allow me to add another—that of restraining, by law, the wordy pro- pensities of honourable members. Let a time-keeper be appointed, and let every member who addresses the House be compelled to bring his observations to a close within a quarter of an hour, or even twenty minutes, of the time of his rising. It has been calculated that an indi- vidual, speaking not rapidly but fluently, utters from five to six columns of a newspaper in an hour; and therefore in twenty minutes, from a column and a half to two columns might be inflicted upon the House. In two columns there is " ample room and verge enough" to discuss. almost any question which comes before Parliament ; but as exceptions might occasionally occur, the Speaker should be armed with authority to grant, on such occasions, unlimited freedom of speech to any member who might be able to show proper cause for the indulgence ; care being. taken that no member should be allowed thus to revel in rhetoric more than once in the course of a session. There can be no doubt that a mea- sure of this description, if not absolutely opposed by the Minister, would be triumphantly carried ; the (fumbles, to whom such a plan would be. particularly palatable, can always command the majority of votes.
C. B.
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