The National tribune., 1890-10-23
payment of his or its debts. This country
will be all the richer for the payment of its
debts of honor TO it's veterans.

will be all the richer for the payment Of its
debts of honor TO it's veterans.
RIGHTS ANDPOwERs OF THE SPEAKER.
A very timely article appears from the pen
of James Bryce, Member of the British
Parliament, whose american Common
wealth attracted the attention of statists
everywhere as the ablest and most profound
study of our system of Government made
in this century.
In his recent article Mr.. Bryce takes up the
Speakership and makes a careful presenta-
tion of the contrast between the British and
American practices, with an effort to deter
mine which leads to the better results
He starts with these undenabIe propo-
sitions:
To be efficient, a governing assembly mist
eoonomize It's time. It must be able to reach
prompt division and clear decsion-a decis-
ion which represents not q mixture OF several
dscordant views but that one self-consistent view
which seems the best Of all suggested. There
must, therefore, be some method of enabling an
assembly to net promptly and vigorously Is to
say, Of nscertaning its collective will and giving
elect thereto. II was long ago perceived that the
only way of determining and using the will Of an
assembly, In which there may he as many opin-
ions and wills there are individuals II TO take
the will of the majority as being the will of tho
whole. The minority therefore, Is treated as IL it
were the whole assembly.
Nevertheless, n divided assembly cannot be
treated as unanimous assembly. Full and fair
discussion Of the question 10 be decided must be
secured. not simply for the sake Of the so-called
rights of tho minority but In the interests of the
whole people whom the assembly represents. 1t
Is always possible that the discussion may change
the views Of the majority. affect opinion I'm the
country at large. In either case IL Is clearly desir
able that the country should perceive that the
matter has been duly considered, 80 that the
minority may not go away with ranking feeling
OF injustice and that the law or net which the vote
OF the assembly has approved may have better
chance of being Loyalty accepted and obeyed by
the people as IA whole
Taking these premises, the next question
is how to most certainly secure the desired
result. In England there was no limit to
debate until 1852, when rule was adopted
which answers toour pxeviousquestion." 1t
is now required that TOO members shall
support the demand for closure" but the
Speaker has it in his power TO protect the
minority by denying this demand, if he does
not think the debate has progressed far
enough.
In England the Speaker and the Chairmen
of the committees are all strictly on-parti-
san. The Speaker is not permitted, as long as
he holds Office, to express his opinion on any
party question, either in Parliament or in
speech outside
The experience of nine years has demon
strated to the House of Commons the value
of the closure" and it is agreed that public
business could not be transacted without it.
The Speaker of the House of Commons
has recently been given new power, which
he has so far exercised with the best results.
This is the right to absolutely refuse to put
a dilatory motion which he deems frivolous
or obstructive. This is enormously in adj
vance of anything that Speaker Reed exer-
cised, and Mr.. Bryce doubts whether 1t
would be safe TO entrust ii TO an official who
is an ayowed partisan. Yet Mr.. Bryce finds
that the power of small fraction TO obstruct
legislation in the House Of Representatives
is greater than in the House of Commons.
The Constitution prescHbes that so small a
number as one-ffth of quorum has the
right to have the names of the yeas and
nays on division entered on the journal
right which not only tends but invites to
As to the right of the Speaker to count
those members who are present but refrain
from voting, the English view is very de-
cided
In both Houses Of Parliament every member
present has always been held bound TO vote. and
recushnt members have BEEN moro than once posi-
lively compelled To vote.
The English practice, in this latter respect,
seems eminently seHsible. Every man
elected to either Houselis under strong obli-
CATION to be present at oil the sessions, and
ii he is present he mpst take part in the
proceedings.