1830.] The Opening of the Session of Parliament. 243 



and firmness, no class of men can be named who receive a larger share 

 of the love and veneration of their countrymen ; but there is none 

 whose dereliction of duty is visited with more mortifying alienation and 

 neglect." 



The sentences that follow are equally pithy. 



" When a popular body begins to degenerate, it affects to deprecate 

 all injudicious harshness and austerity, when the end can be equally 

 attained by being more measured both in their language and resolu- 

 tions. The people perceive the change ; and, after a while, an evident 

 abatement ensues of the expectations which are formed of their delibe- 

 rations. After this, they become so idle or inattentive, that they suffer the 

 business which comes before them, to pass too much as a matter of 

 course ; and this, in its turn, causes their proceedings to be treated with 

 carelessness, and sometimes with disrespect." 



Then comes on the more formidable declaration, partaking of that 

 style 



" When old Experience doth attain 

 To something of prophetic strain." 



" In the last stage of decay they serve merely as a pageant, and are 

 despised, as only serving to register the decrees of the Executive 

 Government, which they have neither the virtue to modify nor to resist." 

 The Review then remeasures its steps ; and stating that there are im- 

 portant individuals who still think the danger chimerical, proceeds to 

 fix its speculations to the particular object, and inquires " whether it 

 be really so certain that this branch of the Legislature (the Commons) 

 possesses the character that it once did, for either ability, attention to 

 business, or independence." On those points it is declared that 

 " whether it be that the House has sunk, or the well-educated c6mmu- 

 nity has risen, it would be difficult to maintain, that as a body, they 

 now constitute the choice of the Commons of the Realm, in the same 

 sense in which they did some time ago/' The next hit is " unkinder 

 still." " Let any person listen to their ordinary conversation or reasoning, 

 or sit down to the perusal of the thoughts they may have committed to 

 writing, and they are not only found inferior to many private indi- 

 viduals among their contemporaries, but one seldom recognizes the 

 grasp of mind and statesmanlike qualities which the representatives of 

 a free and enlightened country might be expected to possess/' 



Then ensues a comparison with the proceedings of the Upper House, 

 in which the Lords beat their unfortunate compatriots hollow " for 

 gravity, precision, and judgment." " Another quality, in which the 

 Members of the Lower House are thought likely to have somewhat 

 declined, is efficiency. Whether this be originally the fault of the House 

 or of the neglect or hurry of the Government, by whom the necessary 

 measures ought to be prepared, can make no difference. The main, 

 purpose of the House of Commons is, to see that the business of the 

 nation be done, and its grievances redressed ; and if, year after year, they 

 meet and separate without seeing this accomplished, their efficacy must, 

 for all useful purposes, be regarded as diminished. All real business is 

 drowned in debates and reports. It is astonishing, at the end of a Ses- 

 sion, to see how much has been said, and how little real business has 

 been transacted." 



So far has gone the estimate of the Legislative diligence, information, 

 and ability. It is, certainly, not given in the shape of flattery, and we 

 are, unfortunately, not at present furnished with materials for the over- 



2 I 2 



