The modern process of parliamentary reporting may be best described by a sketch of the arrangements made by the Times newspaper for a due and expeditious transcript oft he debates. The Times parliamentary corps is sixteen in number, who are equally divided between the two houses. When one house rises, the entire corps is-available for duty in the other, so long as it sits. It thus happens that one of a series of 'reporters is con stantly in the gallery of the lords, and another in the commons. Like sentinels, they cannot leave their places until they are relieved by a colleague, but this relief takes place with unvarying regularity every quarter of an hour. When both houses are sitting, each reporter has thus an hour and three-quarters for the work of transcribing his shorthand notes for the printer—a sufficiently short interval, when it is remembered that a moderate speaker will fill three-quarters of a column, and a rapid speaker not 'infrequently a coin Inn, in a quarter of an hour. When his turn again comes round, each reporter must be ready to resume the duty of note-taking, and afterward that of transcription for the press. By maintaining this quick succession of reporters, the process of writing for the press is never interrupted until the whole debate of the evening in both houses is in the hands of the printer. A long speech may thus be said to extend from the mouth of the speaker to Printing House square. A part will be wet whh ink on the reporters' table; one section will be traveling over the Thames embankment in swift relays of cabs; a por tion, becoming larger every few minutes, will be in the hands of the compositors, and a proof-sheet ready printed, of the earlier passages, will be on the desk of the editor. On some few occasions, when a minister has been more than usually anxious to secure the accurate publication of important statements, a proof impression of a verbatim report of nearly the whole of his speech has been placed in his hands, to his extreme astonish ment, as soon as he resumed his seat. The mechanical arrangements of the printing office are equally designed to secure expedition and accuracy. The parliamentary sys tem of the other morning newspapers resembles that of the Times, but as the numerical strength of their corps does not approach that of the leading journal in any case, the periods of note-taking and "relief" proportionately vary.
The system of parliamentary reporting underwent a change of great importance about 1847, when the electric telegraph was brought into general use by companies formed to work it. They proposed to supply papers out of London with London news, and report of parliamentary debates was part of the new thus supplied. In order to get this report, the telegraph company obtained admission to the gallery for its reporters, and thus broke the monopoly which the London daily newspapers had up to that time enjoyed. Subsequently, when the electric telegraphs passed into the hands of the gov ernment, the parliamentary reports for newspapers out of London were provided by press agencies, and the accommodation in the reporters gallery had to be increased for them. With the growth of provincial newspapers, the demand for more reports than the agencies supplied was felt, and the more powerful newspapers endeavored to secure special reports for themselves by the assistance of reporters' who were engaged on the London press. In this way they were able to get and publish reports often much longer than those printed in London. This, however, was only done at great inconvenience, and an effort was made to obtain for leading provincial newspapers a right of admission to the reporters' gallery. These claims were considered by a special committee of the house of commons, which in 1879 reported in favor of them; but consideration of the report was deferred to another session.
A few years ago, the object desired by newspaper proprietors was not a literal report, hut what may be called the spirit of a speech—a faithful abridgment, in fact, of the sentiment, matter, and style of the speaker. Parliamentary reports subsequently became more diffuse, the debates of a single evening not unfrequently occupying be tween 20 and 30 columns of small type. This, however, has not been maintained, and though much might be said against the reporting at great length of important speeches, there can be nothing said in favor of such condensation of all speeches as prevails in most of the London newspapers—the Times and the Standard being exceptions. This excessive condensation greatly strengthened the claim of the provincial newspapers for admission to the reporters gallery, for they were not only willing but desirous of fur nishing to the public fuller and better reports of debates than the London papers sup plied.
It only remains to say a few words respecting Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, the only publication since the Mirror of Parliament which professes to give all the speeches fully and accurately. We have already pointed out (see that no staff of reporters is engaged for this work, and that when members quote Hansard, for the puts pose of convicting an opponent of inconsistency, they are fully aware they are citing from the report of some daily journal; but they take it for granted the passage has been specially brought under the notice of the speaker by the editor of that publication, and it is therefore presumed that the report is authentic. In 1878 an arrangement was made between Mr. Hansard and the government, by which he undertook to supplement his reports by others taken by reporters in his employment who should have access to the gallery. This was not thought to be sufficient by some legislators, who desired an official report of the debates, that is to say, a verbatim report. of all speeches. This was one of the questions submitted to the special committee to which reference has been made, and it indicated an opinion in favor of an arrangement by which Mr. Hansard's reports should be improved without being verbatim.
The constitutional importance of good and free parliamentary reporting can scarcely he overrated. It enables the entire people to be present, and in a manner to assist in the deliberations of parliament. The English orator addresses, indeed, not only the assem bly of which he is a member, but, through it, the civilized world. Publicity has become one of the most important instruments of parliamentary government. Long before a measure can be adopted by the legislature, it has been approved or condemned by the public voice; and, living and acting in public, parliament under a free representation has become as sensitive to public opinion as a barometer to atmospheric pressure. See May's Constitutional History of England; Knight Hunt's Fourth Estate; Andrews's History of British Journalism; papers in Chambers's Journal in 1834; Grant's The Newspaper Press (1871); also article NEWSPAPER.
In continental countries enjoying constitutional government, official short hand writers are usually appointed by the government to report the debates, and these reports may, under certain restrictions, be transferred to the columns of the press. In the United States, particular speeches delivered in congress are fully reported and generally read; but complaints are made by members that the New York and other journals do do not give sufficient space to a report of the proceedings of congress.