e disregarded at pleasure. It
would take the genius of a satirist to treat the whipping-up machinery
as it might well deserve to be treated. We are here concerned with a
graver view of it--namely, to inquire whether the institution of oral
debate may not be transformed and contracted in dimensions, to the great
relief of our legislative machinery.

Of course, no one is ignorant of the fact that the great body of members
of Parliament refrain altogether from weighing individually the opposing
arguments in the several questions, and trust implicitly to their leaders.
This, however, is merely another nail in the coffin of the debating
system. The theory of independent and intelligent consideration, by each
member, of every measure that comes up, is the one most favourable to
the present plan, while, even on that theory, its efficiency breaks down
under a critical handling.

It is time now to turn to what will have come into the mind of every
reader of the last few paragraphs--the reporting of the speeches. Here,
I admit, there is a real and indispensable service to legislation. My
contention is, that in it we possess what is alone valuable; and, if we
could secure this, in its present efficiency, with only a very small
minimum of oral delivery, we should be as well off as we are now. The
apparent self-contradiction of the proposal to report speeches without
speaking, is not hard to resolve.

To come at once, then, to the mode of arriving at the printed debates,
I shall proceed by a succession of steps, each one efficient in itself,
without necessitating a farther. The first and easiest device, and one
that would be felt of advantage in all bodies whatsoever, would be for
the mover of a resolution to give in, along with the terms of his
resolution, his reasons--in fact, what he intends as his speech, to be
printed and distributed to each member previous to the meeting. Two
important ends are at once gained--the time of a speech is saved, and
the members are in possession beforehand of the precise arguments to be
used. The debate is in this way advanced an important step without any
speaking; opponents can prepare for, instead of having to improvise
their reply, and every one is at the outset a good way towards a final
judgment.

[DEBATES INTRODUCED BY PRINTED STATEMENTS.]

As this single device could be adopted alone, I will try and meet the
objections to it, if I am only fortunate enough to light on any. My
experienc