e of public bodies suggests but very few; and I think the
strongest is the reluctance to take the requisite trouble. Most men
think beforehand what they are to say in introducing a resolution to a
public body, but do not consider it necessary to write down their speech
at full. Then, again, there is a peculiar satisfaction in holding the
attention of a meeting for a certain time, great in proportion to the
success of the effort. But, on the other hand, many persons do write
their speeches, and many are not so much at ease in speaking but that
they would dispense with it willingly. The conclusive answer on the
whole is--the greater good of the commonwealth. Such objections as these
are not of a kind to weigh down the manifest advantages, at all events,
in the case of corporations full of business and pressed for time.

I believe that a debate so introduced would be shortened by more than
the time gained by cutting off the speech of the mover. The greater
preparation of everyone's mind at the commencement would make people
satisfied with a less amount of speaking, and what there was would be
more to the purpose.

We can best understand the effects of such an innovation by referring to
the familiar experience of having to decide on the Report of Committee,
which has been previously circulated among the members. This is usually
the most summary act of a deliberative body; partly owing, no doubt, to
the fact that the concurrence of a certain proportion is already gained;
while the _pros_ and _cons_ have been sifted by a regular conference and
debate. Yet we all feel that we are in a much better position by having
had before us in print, for some time previous, the materials necessary
to a conclusion. At a later stage, I will consider the modes of raising
the quality and status of the introductory speech to something of the
nature of a Committee's Report.[19]

The second step is to impose upon the mover of every amendment the same
obligation to hand in his speech, in writing, along with the terms of
the amendment. Many public bodies do not require notice of amendments.
It would be in all cases a great improvement to insist upon such notice,
and of course a still greater improvement to require the reasons to be
given in also, that they might be circulated as above. The debate is now
two steps in advance without a moment's loss of time to the constituted
meeting; while what remains is likely to be much more rapidly gone
throu