The following is an excerpt from Volume I, Jefferson Writings: Page 52 & Page 53. Written by arguably the most accomplished American author of all time, Thomas Jefferson.

Our body was little numerous, but very contentious> Day after day was wasted on the most unimportant questions. My colleague Mercer, was one of an ardent mind, prompt imagination, and copious flow of words, he heard with impatience any logic which was not his own. Sitting near me on some occasion of a trifling but wordy debate, he asked how I could sit in silence hearing so much false reasoning which a word could refute? i observed to him that to refute indeed was easy, but to silence impossible. That in measures brought forward by myself, I took the laboring oar, as was incumbent on me; but that in general I was willing to listen. If every sound argument or objection was used by some or other of the numerous debaters, it was enough:if not, I thought it sufficient to suggest the omission, without going into a repetition of what had already been said by others. That this was a waste and abuse of time and patience of the house which could not be justified. And I believe that if the members of deliberative bodies were to observe this course generally. they would do in a day what takes them a week, and it is really more questionable, than may at first be thought, whether Bonaparte's dumb legislature which said nothing and did much, may not be preferable to one which talks much and does nothing. i SERVED with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia before the revolution, and during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress. I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point which was to decide the question. They laid their shoulders to the great points, knowing the little ones would follow of themselves. If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send 150 lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything yield nothing, and talk by the hour? That 150 lawyers should do business together ought not to be expected.