The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-12 00:00:00

Ely tourbribge ebener.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1876.

PAL'AMENTARY LABOURS.

The Augu3t Bank Holiday, since its estab-
lishment under Sir John Lubbock's Act of
1871, has generally preceded, by a week or ten
days. the -close of the session. The selection
of the first Monday in this month as a holiday
for the million, therehy making a break in the
long spell between Whiteuntide and Christmas,
was a happy choice, and the weather this year
was such as to amply juslify it But while the
iniilion wa3 enje-jinC; itself under the sunlit sky.
beth Houses of the Legislatnre assembled as
wi-oh a view of pushing onward etl work
whiAi remained to be accoMplished before the
worog,viln. I nlee.d, the earl,. flays of Atiriao
at way:4 a periies
ntg:cl,:fitobl...;.,l
Saturdaybti t litth
retiev r beat ed, for ou
for instance, a day devoted by large numbers
the pleatures of the h•Alf holiday movement, the
House of Ceminons assembled at noon, and sat
until nine o'clock in the evening. Two matters
of great importince occupied the attention of
the House—tha third reading of the Education
Bill and the mission ot a British Minister of
Cie Crown to Egypt which attrz.ictedso much
attention in the winter. Her M-fj.es,ty's.faithful
me
Cemmons havi indeed for so little tune past
bcen On duty SIX days in the Wrek, some of
thosti days uxsen,ling to inure tha.n twe.lve
hours, and one can wed understand their ahime.ty
for tho arrival of the .irrie when they are in-
formed in the mess we from the Throne that
returning to their respective counties they still
have important duties to perform, and when on
their return to their own Chamber, each shakes
hands with the Speakcfr, who then like a host
that his seen JI last ga ,st depai't, oily at
length get him to his own rest.
The session has been one of at least average

length, for it was opened on the Bth of February
by ner Majesty in person. As its closing days
have been signalised by many a contest over the
the clauses of a bill designed to increase educa-
tional faciliqes affecting the masses of the
people, its opening weeks were marked by many
a divisien ever a measure affecting the style and
title of the highest personage in the realm.
Another iflustration, this, of the truth that
Parliament is enabled either to pick up a pin or
to rend the political oak. It can make the
Queen of England an Empress, or it can devise
machinery for sweeping into the schools either
in town or country the children of the wry
poorest. While it is mindful of the lloiour and
' digniry of the Crown, it does not forget to pro-
vide means for the instruction of those whose
parents are unable through poverty to furnish
such facilities themselves. It confers a distinc-
tion upon the reigning sovereign of a mighty
empire, drawn from the land of Ormur and of
led, and its influence is felt in the remotest
corners of the rural districts. Nothing could
show more strongly the multifarious nature of
the duties devolving upon Parliament than two
measures like these affecting such diverse
interests. It is, at a glance, not at all an in-
complete picture of the work which falls to the
lot of the great council of the nation. _

Yet, with all its labours, every year makes it
more abundantly clear that the strength of Par-
liament is inalcuate to the &Ales expected
from it. No session ever passes, whatever
Ministry be in power, which does not witness
the sacrifice of many good measures. The ;
remedies which have been suggested for this are ,
iramerous and varied; and some of them are
scarcely practicable, although at first sight they
might appear reasonable enough. It has, for
instance, been argued that if the work cannot
be done by the second week in Angus% the
session could be prolonged, at all events for a
month. But it should be remembered that Par-
liamentary labour is very exacting, and that
when the work of committees is added to that
of nightly sittings in the House, a strong con-
stitution is required to withstand the strain. If
the House does not adjourn until two in the
morning, and a member has to be in the com-
mittee room again at noon, it is clear that he
has not much time for rest and recreation in the
interval. To sit into the middle of September
would be to take away a clear month from the
most enjoyable part of the holiday season. It
would interfere both with grouse and with
partridge shooting, and we may therefore rely
upon it that this plan will find no favour in the
eyes of our legislators. We have spoken of the
duties of private members, but those of the
Ministers of the Crown are far heavier, for they
have not only long days in the Government de-
partments, but long nights in the House of
Commons as well. The late Lord Derby once
declared that he would very much like to apply
the ten hours' system to the work of himself and
his colleagues. Ministers, therefore, like the
rank and file of the House, look forward to a
time of rest. Dismissing then the idea of pro-
longing the session, what chance would there be
for beginning earlier, as in France and the
United States ? Why not, it has been asked,
commence in November, and separate in May?
That would leave Practically tho whole of the
summer and autumn for the recess, and the plan
has been actually recommended by a select com-
mittee which sat to inquire into the matter. It
would have many advantages over the present
system, and wou!d relieve our Parliament from
the reputation which it now possesses, of being
the only legislative assembly of a great empire
which works night and day throughout scorch-
ing July and August.