The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-08 00:00:00

aim in the Rae:lisle Hesse of Commons, than
in the Amerisan Heels of Assembly, because
se a pa et the legislation of the
States iert toadested by the legislatures
of vspective states" Yet it does not
, men to have occurred to any member of the
eslientelse to ask whether a portion of the
Zaup and accumulating business of the
sh House of Commons might not be trans-
sod as well, or better, elsewhere and by other
pairs? Night after night they see the beet spirits
sr their number ovettuked and outwore, sank in
Isesltude from four o'clock, when they are released
fame committee, till ten, when they are compelled to
take part in the wrangling of the house, like male-
factors in the intervals between the application of the
rack, and dismiss the subject with the paring tri-
bute of a sigh." They see the Bceotians of the house
bungling through the public business in the early
part of the evening, and the able legislators address-
ing an audience who are yawning bedward the rest
of it, and never inquire whether by relieving the
house from mere personal and local questions, its whole
intellect might be brought to bear fresh and concen-
trated upon the business of the general empire?
The truth is that the House of Commons
might with great advantage be relieved from
the bulk of its committee business; and conse-
quently from the discussions raised in the house on
committee reports. During the session which has
just terminated members were compelled to serve on
28 election committees; 14 committees on groups of
tailwav bills, 17 committees on groups of other pri-
vate bills, and 112 committees on special private bills
of various kinds,. Now some of these committees
were on divorce bills : the members who sat on them
were acting in a judicial, not in a legislative, com-
mittee. Why is not the task of deciding on ques-
tions of divorce transferred to the law courts, whose
proper business it is, as is done throughout the rest
of civilised Europe? The business of the election com-
mittees aught also to be referred to judicial tribunals.
Others of these cournitteee were on bills relating to
patents or projected companies for working patents.
The members thus busied are, in nine cues oat of ten,
engaged in framing decoys to catch gullible share-
holders; they are about as respectably employed SS
the executive government when, by selling its stamps
to venders of patent medicines, it goes snacks in the
profits of quackery. The remainder of the com-
mittees we have enumerated set either on railway
bills, or road bills, or harbour and dock bills, or
paving, lighting, and watching bills. From the lest-
men class the house might be relieved by
passing. emu general act embodying a mode/ frame
lof municipal government, under which the inhabit-
ants of every town might meet and orgsniss a local
constitution fur themselves. Parish, county, and
district roads and bridges Vila might advan-
tageously be left to district or county elective
councils empowered by act of parliament to
decide in such matters. And with all de-
ference to those who deem dock, harbour, and
railway policy too abstruse for any intellects but such
u are to be found in the supreme legislature, it ap
pears to us that most questions relating to snob con-
structions might expediently be relegated to subordi-
nate district beards, placed by the elective principle
under the due control of local public opinion. To
bring every local and personal question before the
supreme legislature is quite as absurd as it would be
to bring all police oases into the supreme nouns at
Westminster.
We are tree to confess that we are of opinion there
is a good deal of exaggeration and humbug is the pic-
ture the committee have drawn of the over-tasked

members of ILL; ciegi.Taa. committees. From an
analysis, of which we submitted the results to our
readers an Wedimoday, it appears that the committee
work of last assure, if fairly distributed amoog the
members, would have kept each engaged about twelve
days, of five hoots each, during the session. If every
member had taken his fair share of the work, and if
all the members had made their arrangements jedici-
osely, they might have got through this business
without being so horribly fagged. But though we
lend only a qualified belief to the story of senatorial
exhaustion, we are nevertheless of opinion that the
beat results would ensue front the transference we
have recommended of the bulk of the " private Wi-
nged' of the house to local and subordinate legislative
councils. The " private business" of the hmse is
one of the most fertile sources of parliamentary
jobbing and corruption. Many men vote, and can-
vass, and bribe. and intimidate for the return of a
ouididate, not became they believe him to be qualified
for legislation, but because they believe he will help
them with their private bills. Many a member is
tempted, if not seduced, to ensure his seat by com-
promising his integrity on questions relating to
private bills. The " rivets burliness" of a jadiaial
character is less likely to be satisfactorily de-
cided by the laymen of the House of Commons
than by professional judges. And lastly, all quo-
tions relatiog to roads, bridges, and the wWle of that
alms of "private besieges," might be decided on the
spot with mush more insight into the merits of the
cases, and at much lees expense, than in London.
Regard to a wise economy, to the efficient and satis-
factory despatch of Winos, and above all to the in-
tegrity and respectability of the supreme legislature,
air combine to demand that it shouli be refined as
soon as pomibis from the burden of this kind of work.