New-York tribune., 1891-12-26
PARLIAMENTARY MINORITIES
THEIR RIGHTS AND POSITION.
THE SUBJECT ABLY DISCUSSED BY The
HON HENRY CABOT LODGE.

minorities in representative legislative bodies
really involves at the present time the entire
subject of modern parliamentary procedure iet
the extent of the question and its Importance are
even now but little understood, If we may judge
from the criticisms upon the parliamentary strus@
giles Of the last Congress Even the nature OF the
conflict there was the subject of misapprehension.
The view universally taken by the Democratic
party and its editors appeared TO be that not
only Mr.. Reeds policy, but the problems with
which he was trying to deal were local ana
sporadic, and owed their existence purely to tho
lawless efforts of the party in control to get .
dangerous and revolutionary power OF action
The Democrats and their allies could not see, APP
parently, that whatever the merits OF the case
might be, the question was neither accidental nor
temporary As a matter of fact, and OF history,
the conflict in the List Congress was but one
among many which, in varying forms but always
with the same principle at stake, had taken or
were taking place in almost every country equipped
with representative government. We have only
to turn to our kin across the sea TO find at once
q striking example of the diffusion of this
question The matter Of obstruction by the mi
nority in the House of Commons and the best
way to deal with it has been for some time
subject of grave discussion in England, both in the
Reviews and in Parliament, where some very
drastic remedies were applied TO overcome IT, YET
in the face of these notorious facts, one would have
supposed from the outcry that was raised here two
years ago that attempts to clear the way Tor
legislative action were unheard OF until Slr. Reed
led the movement for it in the last Congress That
portion of the newspaper press which calls ITSELF
independent particularly violent on this
point, ana they and some of their contributors
furnished many fresh and delightful proofs THAI
educated ignorance, when it exists is the densess
possible. This is not paradox, but principle.
No darkness is so complete as that which follows
the sudden extinction Of bright light, ana In
the same way the ignorance of the educated man
when he steps outside the limits of his education
seems always more impenetrable and complete
than any other.
COUNTING A QUORUM NOT NEW THIN6.
The question Of parliamentary obstruction at the
present time is in truth, almost coeXtensive WIN
the existence Of parliamentary government. In
the discussion which has arisen over Mr.. Reeds
ruling, this fact has been pointed out and exc
planned. but it has received fresh emphasis and
most perfect illustration in the last number Of
The North American Review" Nothing that Mr..
Reed did was received both in and out of the House,
with so much indignation and surprise as his
counting quorum. In the first burst OF eX-
citement we were given to understand that such
a thing as counting a quorum was absolutely un-
heard Of and the inference was plainly drawn
that such an act was device OF that parsonage
to whom inventions are sometimes ascrloed, pue
to whom patents are never issued. Presently the
cries lued and the first dust subsided, and then IL
appeared that after all counting a quorum was
not entirely new in this country. Precedents, IN
fact were found in several State Legislatures ana
IN many municipal bodies. 1t was discovered
next that the courts in England and the united
States, in the case of corporations and OF munlcl-
nal governments, had held that presence and
silence when q vote taken constituted ac-
ouiescencc This was distinct falling away from
the first idea of complete novelty. Consolation.
however was still found in the theory that, after
all. counting a quorum in legislative body was
nartisan expedient, the product of American poll
ties To those persons who draw their Thoughts
and information from sources outside their own
country this idea soothing, but even this solace
has gone now Mr.. Theodore Stanton, in the De-
cember number of :" The North American Review,
has brought together number OF letters ana IN
tcrviews on the subject of quorum from Leading
statesmen and paramentarians of Europe. By
these IT, appears that the doctrine Of presence COLI
stitutin0 n quorum is well known in Europe, and
that Mr. Reeds position is generally sustained Dy
foreign practice. On the authority OF NJ Grevy ana
Others of equal repute learn that in the frehch
Assembly presence and not the vote is the test
Of a quorum The same principle is held In
Switzerland The President of the Belgian
Chamber saws the measure adopted IN the Chl'ea
States is practised in Belgium. In Denmark
presence is made to constitute quorum. Presence
and voting are compelled in Norway by heavy
fines The President of the German ReichstaS
saws that o member not responding to his name
would undoubtedly be counted il noticed by tho
functionaries In Sweden no quorum Is re-
ouired in Portugal and Great Britain tho
number required TO constitute quorum rs 50
low that the question does not arise in practice.
In Italy and Holland the question has not arisen
at all.
THE EVILS OF OBSTRUCTION.
Nothing could show more completely than thes>
facts that where obstruction takes the form OF
refusing q quorum it has been met in other
countries in the commonsense way in which MI.
Reed met it. They show also, what indeed needs
no additional proof, that, as has already been
said the question of parliamentary obstruction
in some form is worldwide at the present
time, and that methods of overcoming it have
engaged the attention Of statesmen everywhere
Instead of its being novelty we are rathe8
behind the rest of the world in taking it up.
From the appearance of the same difficulty in So
many countries il follows that the trouble must
be due to general cause, and these causes are so OBJ
vious that they do not need very elaborate state
ment The evils of obstruction and the need OF
their removal are due in the first place TO the
enormous growth of modern legislative business
aud in the second 10 the increased number OF
members in Parliaments and Congresses. When
parliament bodies were small and the total
amount of legislation was not large it was perfectly
possible to deal with everything before the body
and TO give each member an opportunity to
speak upon all subjects if he desired without ar
resting or even unduly delaying the public busk-
ness Rules were framed to facilitate the transac-
ton TO business under these conditions, but they
were not adapted to the new demands, and thus