The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-01-16 00:00:00

•Si)e 3tourbribge eberser4

SATURDA.Y, JANUARY lt3th, 18s6.
_
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.

HER MAJESTY'S Elevebth Parliament has
assembled under curious conditions. Its
makeup is most singular The Government
is numerically much weaker in its support
than the Opposition, and there is a Third
Party about whose vote nothing is certain,
excepi that it will be given solidly in any
direction deemed most likely to help the
hand of Mr. Parnell. Such a state of things
points to the probability that Queen Vic-
toria's Eleventh Parliament will be the
shortest of the reign, shorter even than that
of 1857-9. It may be that some unforeseen
solution of the political difficulties now aps
' parent will arise, and, if so, the country
cannot but be well pleased, for electioneer-
ing excitement is most unprofitable and dis-
quieting. The new House of Commons
differs widely from its predecessors in that ,
it is composed of legislators elected by what
is virtually the whole people of the king-
dom. The work of so truly representative
an assembly will be interesting indeed, and
the attendance of the Sovereign at the com-
mencement of its first session is a fitting re-
cognition of the significance of the historical
landmark the occasion forms. All will wish
that the business of such a Parliament shall
proceed with as little waste of time as is
possible and to that end members will
doubtless soon be occupied with the forma-
tion of new rules and regulations of debate.
Those now existent are certainly inadequate.
Obstruction has the power to put a stop to
all useful work, and the lamentable loss of
time which we are accustomed to see in the
Commons is scandalous in the extreme. De-
sultory discussions arise on every conceiv-
able subject, and the asking of questions oc-
cupies ten times as lone.'' as is really necees-
sary. Of couese, we have the cloture, over
which so much word-warfare took place ;
but there is scarcely a man in the House
who likes it. It will always be unpopular,
however long it may remain on the statute
book, because of its repugnantly un-English
character. The Rules of Precedure will
have again to be amended, so that the
Speaker may be able to effectually check ir-
relevant talk. It is a delicate business, for
the proper priviliges of members must on no
account be interfered with. Parliament
would not, we think, be inclined to adopt
the suggestion ef a prominent member of the
Opposition, and give to the chair the right
to close debates without first taking the
opinion of the House. Latter-day Speakers
have everyone's good word for fairness and
impartiality, but even they could not be en-
trusted with absolute authority. We
should rejoice to see some plan adopted
whereby a heavy penalty might be imposed
upon any member who directly aimed at ob-
struction ; even though that penalty reached
the magnitude of the permanent expulsion
of the recalcitrant person. A man who wil:
deliberately waste the time of Parliament
for party purposes or for no purpose at all
is unfit to write M.P. after his name. Lo-
quacity has of late assumed serious propor-
tions at St. Stephen's. In a recent session
more than 4,000 questions were asked and
answered a gre t number of them altogether
unneeessary. One irrepressible member
setnally addressed the House 591 times in
154 days. Why should not the answers of
members of the Government to questions
put to them be printed in the notice papers
along with the questions themselves. The
plan would greatly economise time. It has
been objected that the Ministerial replies
would sometimes be so evasive as to render
the repetition of the query necessary ; but
plenty of that obtains under the present
system. It is outrageous that one, and ever:
two hours should be taken up by "Question
time" before the real work of Parliament
can commence. Writing before the Minis-
terial programme is accurately known to the
public, we are unaware that Government
purpose taking in hand a measure for the
safeguarding of the precious moments of
Parliament. It would have been well for
them to have done so, for they are by virtue
of their office, the trustees of Parliamentary
order. There can be no question but that
the followers of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach
are quite as cognisant as the Liberals of the
evils of the present system of much diluted
chlture, as they were evident in the old Pat-
lieu:sent. How very much more will ob-
struction be likely to assert itself in the Par-
liament now opening cannot but be patent
to Conservative and Liberal alike. The
drastic rule—as it was at first considered—
that in a House of forty any motion for ad-
journment should have the support of a
score members will be made a dead letter,
for the Nationalist flock of 86 would doubt-
less find it convenient to impede all legisla-
lation not to their liking, and could use sl:
the existing regulations of Procedure as
weapons to secure their own ends. Mr.
Gladstone and Lord Hartington have both
expressed themselves strongly convinced of
the necessity for narrowing down the oppor-
tunities for frittering away the time of the
House : and though there is as yet no indi.
cation of an official handling of the subject
by the responsible Ministers of the Crown,
they are known individually to be fully per-
suaded that something will have to be done.
Why, then, cannot we have an agreement
between Government and Opposition in the
direction of accomplishing the common ob-
ject? If the representatives who are in
agreement with the leaders of the great
parties coalesced as they have done before,
Mr. Parnell and his support would speedily
be rendered impotent for evil. Indeed, a
House combined against him would rob the
Nationalist leader of his right to a hearing,
if unfairly and unjustly employed. But the
fairness and justica which characterise the
Commons Rouse of Parliament of the United
Kingdom would not permit a tyrannous sup-
pression of a:minority. So long as the Na-
tionlists embrace constitutional methods of
placing their grievances before the eye of
the House, they will have fail and anx'sus
consideration ; but if they resort—as su:_le-
times in the past their predecessors have
dons—to brutal obstruction and such-like
disgraceful tactics they will only discredit
an I retard their own cause. We shall hope
toeit e the new Parliament address itself to
thi3 Procedure Amendment in an united and
statesmanlike spirit.

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