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, . Wednesday.

The Speaker took the chair at four o’clock.

After the despatch of some preliminary business—

Mr Jacobson, in moving the second reading of a Bill to substitute paid delegates for unpaid deputies, with a view to prevent the House of Commons from degenerating into a Screaming Farce, said that, in his opinion, the prevalent popular notion about this honourable House being a club pure and simple, a place for good-fellowship and jollification only, should be corrected, and it should be boldly made known that the national welfare and civilisation, not merely the personal entertainment of hon. members of the club, were the paramount objects of our parliamentary institutions. The question, however, was whether such innovation was practicable in the present shape of the constitution. If not, then the constitution ought to be altered. No romantic sentiments towards a historic assembly should obscure the main issue from the people of this country. Utility must be considered first, sentiment afterwards.