The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-02-26

SMASHED in the head
Now call that meanness'"' That all Jim
said
BRET HARrE.
ELECTIONS N ENGLAND.
he Parliament, and How IL IL Elected.
From the New York Times.
The English Parliament, strictly speak
ing, consists of the Sovereign, the House
of Lords, and the House of Commons.
The Upper House contains about ass
members, the Lower, 6S5, of whom 493
represent England and Wales, 60 Scot
land, and 105 Ireland. Members of the
House of Lords hold their seats either by
virtue of hereditary right; creation of the
Sovereign; Office, as the case Of the
Bishops; election for life, as the Irish
Peers; or election for the duration of the
Parliament, as the Scottish Peers. The
Sovereign only can summons Parliament,
which is done by writ issued out of
Chsncery not less than thirty-five days
before the assembling. If vacancy &C.
ours in the House of Commons while
the Parliament is sitting, writ for the
election of new member is issued upon
motion in the House. II the vacancy &C.
ours when Parliament is not sitting, the
writ is issued by the Speaker. A dissO.
luton of Parliament affects only the
House of Commons and the Scottish re-
preventative Peers. 1t may occur by the
will of the Sovereign, expressed either
in person, or by commissioners, or by
proclamation. Writs are then issued by
the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain and
Ireland, ON command of the Sovereign
for q general election, but the Parlia-
ment hereby constituted nay be dissolv-
ed at any time. The qualification requis.
lite for member of Parliament 10 that the
candidate be q native British subject,
and that he be q years of age. Nstursl-
lied subjects are not eligible except by
special act of Parliament.
Formerly all writs returnable within
county were sent to the Sheriff of the
county; now, when they relate to cities
or borOughs, they are sent TO the return.
ing officers. BY an act of William iii.
it was ordered that the writs ct summons
should be delivered to the proper Off
cer," but no channel was pointed out for
their delivery. Thus irregularities fire.
auently occurred; but in 1878 it was pro-
vided that The messenger or p0ursuivant
of the Great Seal, or his deputy, after re-
ceiving the writs, should forthwith carry
them to the General Postofiice IN Lon
don, and there deliver them to the Post.
master General or his deputy, receiving
an acknowledgement thereof in writing.
The Postmas ter- General, in his turn, is
bound to dispatch the writs by the first
post: the returning officers are required,
upon receiving them. to give An acknOw-
Judgement, setting forth the day and
hour of delivery; and this memorandum
is transmitted to the General Postoffice in
London and filed there for reference.
The London writs are delivered person.
ally by the Messenger OF the Great Seal.
The parliamentary election act of 1872
ough, notice should be given of the day
of election within two days after the re-
ceipt of the writ; the election must be fix
ed for not later than nine days after the
reseipt of the writ, and if the seat be con-
tested, the poll must be taken at an in
terval of not less than two nor more than
six clear days after the day fixed for the
election. In bOroughs, the returning Of
ficer must give notice Of the election on
the day the writ arrives; or the day alter
ward, and must give it not later than the
fourth day after receipt of the writ, the
poll being taken not more than three clear
days after the day appointed for the cleo
ton.
During each of the reigns of George
l l |. and William l V. there was one
Parliament which lasted less than six
months. That Of 1920 was the longest.
1t lasted six years, one month and nine
days. The next was the Parliament of
1859, which lasted six years, and one
month, and six days.
Parliament has full power over all civil
on military matters, and in altering or
changing the constitution. But the ex-
ecutiye power vested in the crown is
partially filled by committee Of Minis
tiers, called the Cabinet, which is vir-
iually appointed by an out of the two
houses OF Parliment, its existence being
dependent on its possessing . majority
of the supporters in the House of Com
mons.
The Parliament Just brought to an end
is the eighth Parliament which has been
assembled under the region of her Mag
esty, and the tenth since the passing of
the first reform bill. The Parliament
which was setting at the death Of Will
liam ", in June, 1887. came to an end
in the following month by the demise
of the crown, and the new Parliament
elected in the August, which net in the
November of that year, was Dissolved in
June, 1871, having lasted four years.
Her Majesty's second Parliament, elected
in August, 4S41, was dissolved in July,
1917, having lasted nearly six years.
Her third Parliament, which met in the
November of the same year, and Dissolved
in July, 1852, having tasted about four
years and three quarters. The fourth
Parliament OF hsI Slajesty met 10 Novem.
Der. 1852. and was Dissolved in March,
1851, having lasted four years aid q
half. The fifth Parliament of her II. jes-
ty was the briefest in it's duration, hav.
ing met in April, 1857 and having been
Dissolved in the spring OF 1859, after a
life OF little more than two years. dura.
ton. The next Parliament, which as
sembled in April 1859, lasted six years, |
being dissolved early in 1865; and her |
Msjesty's seventh Parliament lasted from |
the spring OF 1865 to the autumn of 1868,
about three years and Q half. The les,
which will hereafter be known ss Nj. |
Gladetoue's Parliament, was elected in |
Novembrr and December, 1868. and |
hence has enjoyed an existence of
little over five years. Consequently it
has lived longer than any of ito predeces.
sers. except only these of 1Sl1-47 and
1896. As her Majesty has now
reigned for nearly thirty-seven years. 1t
will be seen upon IN easy calculation
that the average duration of the Parlia-
ments which have been assembled at
urder Queen Victoria has
been little over four years and g half.
Yesterday the little son Of one of
-.s:- II % 18th his aie