There may in former days have been whatwascalled "A Landlord's Parliament." No such thing would be possible nowndays; but the landowning interest, the county gentleman's party, the agricultural knowledge, are largely, indeed fully represented. The legal profession, always of great consequence in a complex civilisation like ours, deserves adequate representation, which indeed it receives in more than a full mensure (the reason being that the Government has very often, perhaps even generally, selected men from the Commons for judicial status and preferment; consequently most of the justly ambitious barristers seek to enter the House). The Railway interest is of recognised importance; it is so fully represented in the House that complainants have, perhaps erroneously, declared it to possess over-representa li n. Consider the great businees classes; the heads of firms, of enterprises, of industries, of banks,' in every great centre of the Kingdom,—not only in the City of London, but everywhere at home and abroad, and it will be seen that each and all of them have mem-hers in the House. The cheapening of electoral expenses by law, securing on the one hand a reasonable chance for every nian of moderate competency, on the other hand precluding an open door for men of no means of their own, or men for whom no means would be subscribed—has had one distinctly beneficial effect. It has enabled retired Governors from India and the Colonies, Army and Navy men, administrators of many kinds, who had served the Empire beyond the seas, men of science, of historic lore, of literary renown, to enter the Commons." This has placed at the di poser of the House vase of unrivaled nowledye—only to be gained in danger and in the very stress of affairs—regardin; the concerns of a world-wide Empire, an that too in days when expansion in all directions is confronting us with momentous problems, wherein the great Powers of Europe are concerned. This too has imhued the House with much of the highest and most varied culture of the age. Happily the Universities of England, Scotland, and Ireland are still represented in the House, and so maintain the fafuence of trained intellect in the tonneily of the nation, Thus let any enquirer take name by name alphabetically in the list of any House of Commons elected since 188/—that is under the new system. He will perceive the muster roll of men eminent in science, in literature, in travel, in research, in imperial knowledge of every country in the British Empire or within the British sphere of influence. Ho will realise the vastness and variety of information thus comprised in the representation of the people. And this knowledge he would find reflected in the debates if he fully listened to them. He will also notice very many names already celebrated in contemporary annals and probably destined to become historic. Further, he will observe how many noble and aristocratic names are there, how many. scions of the ancient county' families—showing how many democratic constituencies prefer candidates whose antecedents are illustrious or whose families are popularly known. In my time it used to be said that there was no subject (save alone theology) under the sun, no branch of human knowledge, in which we could not find some member or other who would. make a speech of authority. In all these-respects @ comparison may be challenged:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.