210 



DISCIPLINARY POWER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES. 



raarck to cover the increase of expenses result- 

 ing from the war. 



The second organ is of a still more special 

 character. It is a committee appointed by the 

 president for each legislative period, and hav- 

 ing charge of the management and care of the 

 library. 



PKOCEEDINGS. As in many other legislative 

 assemblies, each bill has three readings, and 

 when the debate is closed the vote is taken by 

 sitting and rising. When the result seems 

 doubtful, either to the president or one of the 

 secretaries, it is repeated. If this is not de- 

 cisive, a count is made. For this purpose the 

 president requests the members to leave the 

 hall. All the doors are then closed, except one 

 on the east side and one on the west side of 

 the hall. At each two secretaries stand, and 

 on a signal the members enter and are counted, 

 the affirmative by the east door and the nega- 

 tive by the west. On a signal, the vote is 

 closed and the doors opened. 



The article of the Constitution which required 

 an absolute majority for the passage of resolu- 

 tions originally contained an exception, that 

 where the matter under consideration was not of 

 common interest to the whole empire, it could 

 be submitted to the votes of the deputies elect- 

 ed from the states of the confederacy which 

 were concerned in it. But this special provis- 

 ion has yielded before the growing tendencies 

 of centralization, and was abolished in 1873. 

 At the same time the constitutional provision 

 is interpreted in a restricted sense. It is ap- 

 plied only to resolutions of the Reichstag, and 

 it has always been understood, in practice, that 

 it did not extend to subjects of deliberation. 

 The Parliament has even gone further, and al- 

 lowed the question on resolutions to be taken, 

 without regard to the number of members 

 present, not only when these resolutions were 

 without importance, but even more formal 

 ones, where the decision was by rising and 

 sitting. 



ABSENTEEISM. This is a serious evil in the 

 German Parliament. This is especially true at 

 the opening of the sessions, and at certain pe- 

 riods when several Diets convene at the same 

 date with the Parliament. At a recent session 

 the attendance was so small and so irregular 

 that on several occasions the assembly was 

 obliged to adjourn. On April 20, 1880, of 397 

 deputies that composed the Reichstag hardly 

 fifty were present at the commencement of the 

 sitting, and the number was not increased to 

 the close. On April 24th not less than 254 

 failed to answer on the call, and it was 

 stopped; at evening hundreds of telegrams 

 were sent in all directions, through fear that 

 on the morrow the same spectacle of empty 

 benches would be presented. The presence of 

 the Chancellor (Bismarck) at the debates, how- 

 ever, awakens curiosity, and fills the benches. 

 It was therefore suggested, as a remedy for 

 the evil, that he should be required to be pres- 

 ent. 



ORDEK OF SPEAKING. The rule of the Par- 

 liament does not require, like that of the Prus- 

 sian Landtag, that a list of the speakers should 

 be made, but any one can address the House 

 on obtaining the assent of the president, who 

 grants it to the deputy first to ask after the 

 opening of debate, or after the close of any 

 speaker. Neither is any alternation of speak- 

 ers/or and against a question required, as the 

 debate is not limited, and one may speak many 

 times on the same subject. Nevertheless, if 

 there is no official list of the speakers, a roll of 

 their names is still made before the debate 

 opens, which is kept by one of the secretaries. 

 This, however, has no validity in regulating the 

 order of the speakers, which is determined by 

 the practice of a number of sessions. The po- 

 litical parties specially interested in the debate 

 determine in their preparatory meetings the 

 deputies who are to speak in their name. 

 These are written at the desk of the clerk, and 

 the president of the group takes care to pre- 

 tent the names afterward to the attention of 

 the President of the House. This is sufficient 

 to secure the opportunity for them to speak 

 immediately after the authors of the questions. 

 The president treats the names of speakers 

 of other groups in the same manner, and as- 

 signs the liberty to speak, according to his 

 judgment, or the necessities of the debate, to 

 deputies who have been urgently recommended 

 . to him or with whose special qualifications he 

 is acquainted, but in such a manner that a 

 speaker for or against the question is alternate- 

 ly heard. After the first series of speakers 

 has concluded, if the discussion is not ex- 

 hausted, a second series of speakers is called in 

 the same manner. The advantages and disad- 

 vantages of this practice can be seen at once. 

 It elevates the debate above the hazards of the 

 lists, and gives to the leaders of a party and 

 the most distinguished or technical speakers an 

 opportunity to address the House when it is dis- 

 posed to give full attention. It is very favorable 

 to the Opposition, since all the political groups 

 are certain of an opportunity to present their 

 dissenting opinions. But, in return, the equal- 

 ity of Parliament ceases to exist. At least, it 

 becomes difficult for the common deputies to 

 speak contrary to the understanding between 

 the political leaders and the President of Par- 

 liament, as the close (cloture) is generally pro- 

 nounced before their turn is reached. On the 

 other hand, the discretionary power given to 

 the president seems to be ill-suited to his du- 

 ties. 



The speakers can address the House from 

 the tribune, or any place which they prefer. 

 The rules relating to them require that, when 

 one disturbs the order, the president shall call 

 him by name. He can then make a written 

 protest, whereupon the House at the following 

 sitting will decide without debate if the call 

 was just. If a tumult is raised in the House, 

 the president can suspend the sitting for a fixed 

 time or close it. If he can not make himself 



