BUSINESS OF PARLIAMENT.
171
God knows, the only evil which it is easier, by a thousand times, to point out and complain of, than to cure! If that truism, to which my noble Friend so readily assents, were a sufficient reason for not seeking a remedy, where would be all the improvements that, in so many other matters, we have attempted,—aye, and I may add, successfully accomplished? It is our duty to make the attempt, and only to cease seeking for a cure, when we find that, after all our efforts, the mischief is remediless. What I wish to press upon your Lordships is, the necessity of instituting an inquiry, in order to ascertain whether the evil is past a cure or not. If the result of the investigation should be that no remedy can be found, we must be content, of necessity, with things as they are; but do not let your Lordships be thus content by choice, and abandon all chance of, by obstructing all attempts at, improvement. For myself, I must say, that I do not think the case hopeless. I have considered various plans ; and, though I will not go so far as to assert that any one of them ought, without further examination, to be adopted, or even that a combination of the whole would safely and unobjectionably effect the important object which we have in view, I will, nevertheless, state one or two of them, for the consideration of the House. In my opinion, some regulation is extremely desirable in both Houses of Parliament, for limiting the time of year in which private business is to be transacted. I would specify the period, and not allow it to be so extended as at present. I know that there are certain interests which would not be much benefited in this way,—certain interests for whose advancement it is better that the private business should be spread over a period of five or six months ; but my belief is, that it would be, in itself, a great