A VOLUME with such a title, coming from the pen
of a distinguished architect, could, it might seem, be nothing but domestic and structural. But Mr. Bossom is also a well-known Member of Parliament, so that his sub-title—" An Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure "—need in fact cause no surprise. Actually his subject is wider than that, for after running quickly through the history of Parliament he describes not merely the procedure in the Chamber, illuminating all sorts of surviving customs by explaining their origin, but also the average M.P.'s day, all of which may be admirably spent in the interests of his constituent though he hardly devotes an hour to listening to speeches. Mr. Bossom has done his work extremely well, conveying clearly and agreeably information not all of which will be familiar to close students of Parliament. Every voter should know roughly how the Parliamentary machine works, and no one who reads this well-planned volume need any longer admit ignorance. To pick on slips is an ungracious business, but they are slips that are worth correcting in a new edition. The date of the Model Parliament was 1295, not 1296. An hour and a quarter is surely short measure for the average Budget speech, even though Mr. Gladstone's five hours finds no emulants today. An M.P. presenting a petition carries it from his place, not from the Bar. Vacant seats in the Strangers' Gallery are filled up at three o'clock, not four. But these are only minor flaws in an admirable performance.
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