In the Law-making _Houses_ speeches (orations) are often delivered. For the most part dull in manner, insignificant in thought, poor in illustration, very ineffective. The members go to sleep, or withdraw, or rudely interrupt--sometimes _coughing_ down the speaker. Very rarely are to be seen any flashes of eloquence, to be felt any thrill of its power. Unfortunately the same conceit, here as elsewhere, leads many to believe themselves to be Orators to whom the ability to speak properly is denied by nature. Yet these insist upon "airing their eloquence" (as it is styled) on every occasion possible. Generally these men have some subject, nick-named by the other members as a Hobby, which must be spoken to whether the House will hear or not. Then occurs one of those scenes so characteristic. The Hobby-man rises and tries to speak. He waxes eloquent (at least, he intends to be) on his favourite topic--perhaps the Pope at Rome; or the _rights of women_; or the _purification_ of mud-streams; or the poor man's _beer_; no matter what, when the other members determined to drown the speaker, break through all the rules of the House, the orders of the Head officer, and more, all the ordinary decencies, and _caterwaul_, and _cough_ and _howl_, till, from mere impossibility of hearing his own voice, the poor, _squelched_ orator sinks into his seat. Now, the House prides itself upon the _liberty_ of speech and of debate; it is _one_ of the palladia of English Freedom; and this is a forcible illustration _of the liberty_. Anything obnoxious to the majority, or even to a noisy minority, may be silenced--such is the freedom of debate! The English Barbarians especially boast that the Great Council (Law-Houses) is not only the foremost of all national councils, whether ancient or modern, in character and in wisdom, but also in dignity, and the extreme care with which is guarded that most inestimable of all _Institutions_, the Sacred _liberty of Speech_!