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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9016, 31 March 1888, Page 4

It is greatly to be desired that the proposed amendments of Parliamentary procedure will be endorsed by the I Assembly, so far as regards the hours of J business. Meeting in the afternoon, and continuing the business to a late hour of the night or rather of the morning, as hitherto practised, is a servile imitation of the British House of ComI raons, which is the resort of gentlemen of leisure and social habits, and has, as one of its chief attractions, being the "best club in the world." It should be patent to anyone that a business such as legislating for a younc and rising nation should be conducted at a time when the intellect is the brightestand the least impaired by fatigue, and not at times when, as graphically described by the honorable member for Newton, members are often chietly concerned in selecting the softest and most comfortable bench on which to dose away the intervals between the ringings of the division bells. That reform in the hours of business will lead to reform of the morals and manners, the industry and efficiency of the Assembly, can hardly be a subject of doubt, and practical work rather than verbosity may be legitimately expected to be the product of the cool morning hours. The relegation of the work of the various committees to the night hours on the other hand is not likely to be followed by a change in the character of the proceedings for the worse ■ inasmuch as these are not of the character to tempt to unlimited loquacity, and, besides, the work of committees being antecedent to legislation, the results of sleepy heads and heated brains, may be reviewed in the cooler hours of the morning. We mean nothing improper in saying that the change of hours for legislation to the morning will be the appeal " from Philip drunk to Philip sober but we feel convinced that the whole colony will hail with satisfaction an alteration of business hours, which seems so calculated to infuse more sobriety of thought as well as speech, and more calm judicial consideration of measures into the work of legislation, than have ever yet been shown from work in the drowsy, heated hours of after midnight.