Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-26

Of the proceedings OF the great legis-
lativc bodies OF the world hayc been
properly kept and preserved for a
relatively short period. For many /
centuries the British Parliament rigid
Iy excluded anyone corresponding in /
the remotest way TO the modern ncws- /
papcrman, and even such chronicicrs /
as would correspond TO tho present /
day official reporters or debates. I
Samuel II. Gray. one OF the official
stenographic reporters Of the House /
Of Representatives. has spent several |
years going into tho whole history
Of legislative reporting. with the re-
suit that remarkably interesting and
accurate historical account. has been
produced.
samuel johnson, who came to Lon
don to do any kind Of hack writing
That would insure him a fliving. was
the first real reporter Of the pro-
ceedlngs of the British Parliament.
and no had 10 do II In n roundabout
way TO avoid the legal consequences
of publishing anything that occurred
in Parliament.
In those days Edward cave was the
proprietor OF THE Gentleman's Mag
azine," and because OF an official posi-
ton he enjoyed, was privileged 20 hear
tho proceedings Of Parliament. From
the notes he made and from memory
he would sketch 70 Johnson what had
occurred, and johnson would not
merely outline It. but write out
lengthy debates, the language Of
which was his own, but the action por-
! rayed being painstakingiy correct.
/ In order TO dodge the legal conse-
quences, these debates appeared often
est when Parliament was not in ses-
sion. Also, as a further safeguard,
the accounts Of tho debates were
headed parliament Of the Empire OF
Lilliput." The names Of the speakers
were skeietonized or slightly changed,
but an intelligent reader could place
accurately each speaker. Johnson did
not particularly relish this job. and
told Boswell a few weeks before his
death that IL was tho only thing in
his writings Of which he was ashamed
Reporting From Memory.
Two remarkable men named Wood
fall and Radcliffe were the successors
To Johnson, By this time enforce
ment OF the rules Of the House Of
Commons had been so relaxed thai
people were admitted TO the gallery
but no notations could be made. Wood
fall, without taking single note
would write at the conclusion Of eacl
> session as much as 10 newspaper col
umns OF the debates and sell this Il
the afternoon newspapers publishes
the next day. Radcliffe performe'
even more remarkably. When tn
days session ended, he would pos
: himself between two compositors, an
!, from memory keep up a running fir
!, of dictation of two different portion
!, of the proceedings TO the two men q
y fast as they could set the type.
Two Englishmen named Cray an
:, Perry then purchased the "MOrnin
> Chronicle" and in order to get -
proceedings OF the Parliament 70
their paper, invented the relay systeT
a of reporters. This system is followed
Q In a highly perfected manner, TO thi
:. very day in every legislative body c
a consequence. One OF the men EN-
: ployed as a reporter was none othe
:. than Charles Dickens, before he 81
: all England laughing with Mr.. PICK
!. wick and Sam Weller.
Il Dickens had worked in ,:alila
II capacity on a sheet called '-1I.e sIiI
ror of Parliament" before the pul
|? chase of the Morning Chronicle
:. Perry and Gray.
.e Even now the House OF Common
n is not entirely reconciled TO its oftci
is reporters. ney are stationed in a sms
sc sort of a gallery, not having the priv
lie lege of the floor, as in our Senate ar
g House of Representatives. As 7
suit much of the actual wording
Is speeches is lost, and much of the re
'. sord of the British Parliament is wri
m ten in the third person on that 4
Is count. The newspapers have cor
u of stenographic reporters present ais
The official corps and the newspap
!? corps check their records one with vi
other.
ie There exists among the parliamen
- airy rules governing the British Pa
- lament provision that any meInb
- can call the attention Of the Speak
!, TO the fact that there are strange
: in the gallery" and the speaker th'
- must order the strangers remove
- This would clear the gallery Of I
- newspapermen. OF course, the II
~ has been allowed TO become a de
IA letter and i preserved more as
hi curiosity than anything else. Shot
he any member ever bring this Questi
up, Parliament beyond doubt wol
nd quickly nullify the ancient law.
S. Older Records Not Authentic.
III From diaries. memoirs, and perso
al papers Of old time members,
been possible 10 compile more
-, less fragmeptary record Of the pl
| ceedings of Parliament all the W
back to the Norman conquest of Ell
land in 1866. Some historians ha
taken these records as authentic q
hrst-hand, although they cannot
accepted in this class.
The first records of the proce
ings OF our own Congress were SCI
official. beginning in 1918. An ors
called the Congressional Globe '
II published with accounts of the p
ceedings of the House and Senate
nearly exactly recorded as was p
sihle then. The relay system
: introduced in England was emplo.
in reporting the debates of Congre,
Records of Congressional talk
action before this date We're comp!
II from newspapers and other unoffi'