(Continued.) PARLIAMENTARY REFORM

The first work the House of Com mons is to be invited to apply itself to, however, is not bankrupcty, elec tion, or land reform, but the amend ment of its own rules. The Cabinet thinks that the usefulness of the Legislature is curtailed and its |iu nuence injured by the dilatory way in. which its work is done. It is poss ible to admit that the legislative har vest has been deficient both in quality and quantity, and still not admit that Parliament itself, the palladium of our liberties, has become effete. The House of Commons is a rough but faithful reflex of public opinion, and if legislation does not proceed at a sufficiently rapid pace, the people — ■ its creators — and not the members, are to blame. Water cannot rise above the level of its spring, and if [the political or administrative spring

s low, the level of the legislative work will be low also. The forms of Parliament speedily adapt themselves to popular desires when those desires are definitely and decidedly expressed. "When the steam is fairly up, there is no engine which answers more readily to pressure than the House of Com mons. The fault, therefore, is with the electors if the legislative machine is deficient in motive power. A reasonable adaptation of the rules of the House to the ever-altering con ditions of the time is what all admit to be necessary. The work of Par liament has increased, and is increas ing. Both its character and its com position have changed. All these circumstances suggest the desirability of re-arrangement, the demand for which is not new but has been urged for years. So far, there is unanimity. But when the necessity for amend ment is admitted, agreement _ ceases. Bespecting the means for giving ef fect to this amendment, scarcely twjo persons, who have thought at all on the question, think alike. It is, too, a subject of infinite detail, and one on which it will be difficult, if not im possible, to excite public interest. To spend the best hours of a new session in the consideration of such an intri cate and unattractive theme is open to question as a piece of party strategy. 