An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.

took it for granted that your lordship Avas employed in consultation . " A debating society in a small , or , for the matter of that , a large toAvn is a great nursery for young politicians and embryo

orators ; in fact , debating societies are the making of our public speakers , and should be supported by mechanics' institutes , working men ' s colleges , and societies similar to your OAVU , eA'eryAvhere .

Many of our parliamentary orators trace their power as speakers to the training they received in the debating clubs of our Universities , and one or tAvo I believe to such mutual improvement societies as that at Ipswich , to which I have already alluded .

Hie late Lord Brougham Avas a Avarm advocate of such institutions , and so is John Bright , than Avhom there is no greater orator in England . Yes , John Bright has , I belieA'e , spoken warmly in favour of mutual improvement and discussion classes as a means of

cultivating the art of public speaking . To all young men then who haA * e a . spark of ambition in them to iniproA'e their powers of speech , I say , join the first discussion class or debating club , or kindred

institution you come aceross . Join some debating society—unless it meets in a tap-room . Young men , join your local debatingsociety if there is one , and if not , organise one at once , and if you do not find

yourselves improved in the noble art of speech —say twelve months hence , the fault w * i 11 not be in the society , but in the debaters . And then , AVIIO knows , perhaps some one from this assembly may one day rise in

his place to address Parliament , the great debating society of Avhich Ave are so justly proud . It Avas Sidney Smith AVIIO said , " the free parliament of a free people is the native soil of eloquence , and in that

soil will it eA * er flourish and abound . " When Ave think of the grand names of orators Avho have awakened the echoes in that great place ; of Burke , of Fox , William Pitt , aud his great father the Earl of

Chatham , of Sheridan , and of a multitude of others Avhom I could name , AVIIO have electrified their hearers Avith the torrents of impassioned oratory which have flowed

from their eloquent lips ; when Ave mention the names of such great speakers and debaters as Lord Derby , Disraeli , Gladstone , Lord Salisbury , the late Bishop of Winchester , John Bright , the late Lord

An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.

Lytton , and the silver-tongued Coleridge , Ave catch a gloAv of the enthusiasm Avhich prompts the actions of their folloAvers , Ave feel a laudable ambition , perhaps , to be amongst the mighty orators Avho sway the destinies of this mighty Empire Avhereon

the sun never sets . The House of Lords contains noAV , perhaps , more great speakers than the House of Commons ; but let it be remembered the House of Commons is not composed of orators . Far from it . I fear Ave are much in

the same position IIOAV that they were Avhen Sydney Smith , speaking of the long debates in Parliament in his daj * , said : " Why do not people remember the flood ? If they had lived before it with the patriarchs they might have talked any

stuff they pleased , but do let them remember IIOAV little time they have under the new order of things . " His remedy for putting a stop to the interminable speeches in the House of Commons is worth remembering ? : " Don ' t

talk to me of not being able to cough a speaker down , try the whooping cough ! " I noticed some time since that a gentleman in the House of Commons had been '

complaining that there is a list kept of the Honourable Members who are to be alloAved to speak on great occasions in the House , and that none but those on the list are

to be permitted to ha \* e their my . Mr . Gladstone denied all knowledge of the list ( he Avas then Leader of the House ) , but it is thought there is something in it , and at first sight it would appear to be a scheme

for checking freedom of speech . But , my dear friends , ye Avho read the debates , ought Ave not be very thankful that there is a check upon the verbose utterances of some of our worthy but longwinded representatives ?

I tell you Avhat I would do , as I have said before , Avhen some of our members insist upon speaking AVIIO can ' t speak . I Avould threaten to report them verbatimwhich if once done they would be like dead men , they would never speak again . ( To be continued . )

Chronograms And Chronophons.

CHRONOGRAMS AND CHRONOPHONS .

BY ALBERT MACKEY . THESE tAvo words , identical or nearly identical in meaning , relate to a matter