The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-03 00:00:00

EARLY CLOSING IN TILE COMMONS.

'fen Hors) of Commons cot:lime:iced its
tings tinder the now Relives ee to opening and
losing on Monday Feet, d. judgir g from
the comparative exec:die ion eispiayed in the
deepateh of leeisletive bueinees on that and
subsequent occnsions, as well RR from the
evident jey of the members at being free
from Parlee-nentery duties at en. heur when
London stree#44 were still thronged, and even
pnblicane had open doors, the amundid ar
rangemente. SUMS likely to work very satis-
factorily. On the whole, +-here wits practi-
sal agreement between Government and Op-
posit:on 83 to the urgent nece6sity for tile
adoption of seine methods of fur the/. facilit-
ating the deliberatione of the representativee
of the people, the establishment of some
fresh system designed for assisting the
House in overtaking its ever accumulating
arrears of legislative work. There WILI little
time wasted, therefore, in factious opposition
to the plane proposed by the First
Lord of the Treasury to reach the end arrive('
at; and the eminently refreshing spectacle
of Mr. Gladstone and Aft.. H. Smith on corn.
plots agreement on e matter of great im-
portance was witnessed. Not only the first
and perhaps most valuable of dm /tale, of
Precedure which we have just seen estab-
lished, that fixing the earlier daily meeting
and rising of members, was thus welcomed
in every part of the House which for the
future is thereby to ho. governed ; bat the
other end more contentions regulations
drawn up with the view of checking the
tlood-tide of senatorial talk when it tends to
become inconsequential, were permitted to
become Standing Orders without any deter-
mined dissent Henceforth the House can
get ahead with what it has in hand with
alacrity, and no knot of recalcitrant ob-
structionists obstruct they never so cun-
ningly will be able to prevent, pro-Fees.
It is well; well in every wee,. Oar Leila-
tors will be all the better for qniCing St,
Stephen's when twelve bas newly btnack ;
and better for getting into harness and for-
ward with busi nese an hour sooner in the dey
than has previously been their praetice. The
speeches delivered in the morning houra have
been but as so much sweetness waited on a
desert aie; for the hind of the 'reporter ie
then at rest, and all the laboured eloq119110::
of the honourable member for this boroaeh
or that division never in consequence re tchel
his constituents. Under the new regime, how-
ever, any utterances of note will be duly
chronieled in the dailies of the folio vin,
morning's issue, and everything, thoagh the
alteration of hours is really not great, will
• brought within timely limits. There will be a
space at the anamencernent of the sittinee
when Qaeen's Counsellors and City men will
be conspicuous by their alesence, be&tase of
business engagements; but the loss of their
presence ,to the
.House will be the gain of
le cis promj,noni .vrlvi will be a'nle to
cruhrsett 010 opp.)rtnnity ailforded of °afore-
ree. some pat pint for which otherwise they
e laid not well laevo obtained a heering.
Many of oar legislators are busy Mei in
everyday touch with the whirl of conem.'r-
ciel and .profeesional life. To thorn three"
o'clock is aa incenreeiently early attenclanoe
iiezure ; hit the reimeroas men of leisare who
h ire seats in Pari:amout find the new hour
of openine a.i oonvenient as the midnight
eereoese of debsee is pleeeant. Of course
eee.ry gentleman who leis given hirre;elf to
the e.rvice of the romate-y ie net in a positian
to deveie :ttte LAT 315 to r'l.! Imeie
aaei o: the -;1-1 eHe ee e 'Petri A O'Brien,
w eee Jae; of hiving bni prceont to
'eta. -11 Cie int...r .e 4 ef thee lie repeeieaes
eveei time the Speekor took the chelr I:st
seesion, nud who was :a& in his piece ,Tee:Ach
(u.siort thit tit* First Commoner of Britn.in
-Nee te leave the precinete of rerliaruent
define the 8,2,me period But 00 one Will 0010-
plain of the appEcation of t:4•.; bulk of Cie
iaerel,ere to the work thay have neepted
t'av bargesses 4,rhosf, sucr- they
; e.pr in tell re-4pect one tit,liatU'i coin-
p tve Inuit fa ••••intrably with those of any other
uouutri, and that without fee or :Inv re-
ward beyond the honour accruing to their
position, anti the couseiousuess of end. :avour
State B;teingi of an aver-
lon•ith of ah >a t nifle. hears rer a se4sion
extending usua!l.v for six months re?resent
thtl dav itiene of am it:Zia:loll:4U amoent of price.
l's cApavity to tlw control of the Britieli
Oovernmental netehiee. Deducting holidaee,
t :IC [titian House of Oeputies sits for halfef
te or
.year, but its deliberetions are wader
hoer in 111 TI (Ll!amicca. The Danish
har lot I Ts etieieri of on n-
-0' y-SiK .113. A of four nn.l a- half
each : the I of It, ,sen-
e4itt.;!ll.lo,4 itit delibenttion4 ii:1.1;14
o 4n4 li on: of every .two!ve, 14,t
s• tings aye brief, usa-All.) toeitir ti,r o
,nr• in Oa I)..ptltiesi
e iii mltB ti thrum its duties in
fico eeeitlis oevery-ye:Jr by sit ties,:fr riAr,
hour.; follorva preoisr...ly the
to the United States the 'douse
f :epreeeeektivcs does not stick te law.
eieeiee, we ;1 ziearly the n-eeidity •‘. the
ri I lowie of Commons ; mi curiae
•,f cu iudeed clai pre-i minonce
jn the world for application to duty. At the
same time there is no oompariion to oar
"forme of Commons anywhere in the matter
of late and all-night sittings, and this latter
it eray eeell be said is e distinction of very
deubbfal Value, new removed with every-
holy-'s approy y the - New ittelee. In res-
pell el bL*&eti 4olausration4,tLie anareau ap-•

rronch to ; t. Stephen's will te ;4 n -id in the
United 1..-;.tes, where the representatives
s3metimec st 61 t.en at night, though they
do not than $.8,0 Table before halFq:ast seven,
and have a short Session also. Why cannot
we set oum?lvls to attempt the task of law-
rning by dayli:Jit. ir. the way it is accom-
rlishud in nii.ny other countries of extent
and i tuportar ( e. l'he great t_lerrnan .Reihstag
'oegins bnsies.-; at eleven in the iro.ning and
c!osi:s it doors at four in the attercion ; ir.
aungary the Represente.tives meet an hour
etirlie:-, rising at two ; Austria obierves
similar hours fo its
.colossal kindred neigh-
bour gov,rned from Berlin ; Sweeden and
Norw.,y 170th begin legislative work at ten .
in morning; the mem‘lara or the Swiss
National Council are assembled together for
' for di,icas3ion clariner three months of the
rear when most English middle-class families
are at breakfast—.e, between nine and ten
o'clock ; and even the French Deputies have
their Par:iaatentary wok over in time for
Id nner before adjourning to the opera.
-These are but representative instances, the
, number of whieh might be largel r extended;
i but we have given sufficient to show that
the reform of sitting aocomplished in our
House of Cotnmons this week still leaves us
a ling way behind other countries. It is a
: move, however, distinctly in the right
dircction.