The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-23
SPEAKER OF THE COMMONS.
His Duties Differ From Those of His
American Prototype.


A speaker is one who speaks. Why is
it. then, asks the Areaa, that in our Ma
tional House of Representatives and in
the Legislatures of our States the one
member who does not speak on any
question before the house is the Speaker
usage requiring of him, should he wish
10 speak, to leave the chair and tempo
rarily abrogate his functions as Speaker?
For an answer to this question we must
go back to the British Parliament, where
it is Il primary function of the presiding
member of the House of Commons to
speak for the Commons in addressing the
Crown. As early as the time of Edward
Ill. this spokesman for the house came
to be addressed as Mr.. Speaker" and to-
day in England the original significance
OF the title is still TO be seen.
AT the meeting Of new Parliament
her majesty, through the Lords Com
missiOners, summons the members of
the House Of Commons to the bar OF the
peers. and signifies her pleasure that the
Commons choose Speaker-that is, one
who may speak for them in matters on
which she may wish to address them.
| The Commons forthwith return to their
chamber and proceed to the election of
such Speaker. On the following day the
Speaker elect, with the Commons, is
summoned to the peers, and one of the
Lords Commissioners signifies her
majesty's appreciation of the selection,
who thereupon becomes Mr.. Speaker.
Then, in the name of the Commons of
the United Kingdom, Mr.. Speaker lays
claim to their ''aneient and undoubted
rights and privileges, and especially TO
! freedom from arrest and molestation for
| their persons and servants; to freedom of
speech in debate; to free access to her
majesty whenever occasion may require
it; and that the most favorable construc-
ton may be put on all their proceed
ings." The Commons, being returned to
their chamber, Mr.. Speaker reports that
her majesty has confirmed To them their
ancient rights and privileges, lin as full
and ample manner as they have hereto
fore been granted or allowed by her
majesty or any OF her royal predeces-
sors."
There is wide difference in the pow
ers welded by the English and Ameri-
can Speakers. Aside from the authority
to speak for the House in pro forma audi
ences with the crown, the English
Speaker is simply presiding officer. He
has no power to appoint committees, that
being done by the House itself He has
no power to advance or stltie bills, and
can neither promote nor retard legisla-
ton. In case of tie it is usual for him
| to give the casting vote in such manner
as TO leave the matter to be decided by
| the House itself at subsequent vote.
He must take cogniZance only of forms,
orders and rules.
He cannot ignore new member, but
must, under the rules, recognize a mem
Der who has not spoken in the House in
preference to other mem DerS rising at the
same time. He must be rigidly just, and
on assuming the chair must abandon all
partisan affiliations. In short, the Eng
lish Speaker Is simply presiding officer,
but presiding officer SO impartial that
much Questioning of his decisions would
scandalize all England.
The American Speaker is far more than
a presiding officer. He appoints the
committees through which all business
must pass and in which any measure he
objects to may be blocked. Through the
Committee on Rules he can largely de-
fine how the House shall be governed in
its procedure, and by the exercise of
his discretion he can overlook or refuse
to recognize a member whom he does not
wish to speak. His influence reaches to
| the most trivial matters and affects the
whole business of the House.
He is necessarily partisan of the most
pronounced kind-the recognized leader
of the dominant part Of the House, chosen
under the caucus system by a majority OF
the majority. His great purpose is to
promote the policy of his party. He is,
in fact, the governor, almost the master,
of the popular and stronger branch of the
national Legislature-the next man in
power to the President, and in some re-
spects more powerful than he.
With the view to raising their Speaker
beyond personal interest in legislation,
the House of Commons gives him an
annual salary of S30,000 paid, like that of
the Judges Of the courts, out of the con-
solidated fund. He is also provided with
splendid official residence in the palatial
Parliament building; and on retirement,
usually after many years Of service, it is
thought due to the dignity of the place he
has filled that he should receive yearly
pension of BE, 200 or $4,000 for the re-
mainder of his life.