The sun., 1893-03-27
Members of Parliament To Be Paid.

1t is strange that the kilograms from
England should make only cursory al-
lusion to the passage on Friday of resolu-
ton to the effect that hereafter members Of
the House of Commons shall receive salary
for their services. To this innovation. or
rather revival OF an ancient practice. the
most careful students Of English institu-
tions attribute extraordinary Importance.
Yet we are not told by whom the resolution
proposes that the members shall be paid,
nor how large is to be the stipend. 1t is
possible that the details are to be regulated
by a bill, but whether a bill is needed for
the purpose is precisely one OF the contro-
verted questions in parliamentary law. 1t
is question Of obvious moment. for bill
would require the assent OF the House OF
Lords. whereas resolution would not.
Although the dispatches cabed are silent
on the subject. we may take for granted
that. IL the resolution named goes into de-
tails at all, it provides for the payment OF
members from the imperial exchequer
Constituencies would not need an act Of Par
lament or resolution OF the House Of
Commons to authorize them to pay the rep
resentatives II they wished to do so. AS
matter OF fact. certain representatives of
labor in the House Of Commons are even
now SO paid. 1t was Lord CAMpBELL's
opinion that n member could by an action
at law force his constituents to pay him for
his services. The last instance OF writ to
that end having been Issued Is only about
two centuries old. But evidently poll
tician who desired reelection from his own
or any other constituency would not make
himself obnoxious to electors bysuing them
in the courts for salary.
OF practical consequence. on the other
hand. is the question relating to the amount
OF the stipend to he paid to members Of
Parliament. Mr.. LABoUCHERE's idea is
that they should have S3.75 u day. together
with the cost Of the railway journey from
their homes to London. Mr.. GLADSTONE
would pay member just enough to eke
out his private income to $4,000 year. II
his private income were nothing. men,
ber would receive the whole of the sum
mentioned: but II that income equalled
or exceeded $4,000. he would get nothing
from the British treasury. 1t is plain from
these alternative suggestions that British
public opinion would not for moment
tolerate proposal to give members of Par
lament stipend relatively so enormous as
$1,000. the amount paid to members Of our
House Of Representatives.
Yet. II the scope and multiplicity OF leg
islative functions should supply the meas
ure Of remuneration. tho delegates to the
popular branch OF the national legislature
in highly centralized country. like the
United Kingdom. France. or Italy. ought to
receivea far larger salary than tho mem
bers Of our House Of Representatives.
Imagine that the functions OF the Assem-
bly,. or lower House. OF every one OF our
State Legislatures were fused together
and added to those now exercised by our
House of Representatives: then we should id
have an imperfect counterpart OF the func-
tions vested In the British House of Com
mons. We say imperfect. because we have
left out OF Wow the constant supervision and
control OF tho Stupendous Indian empire as
we'll as of certain Crown colonies; and we
have also passed over the fact that through
tho Cabinet. which Is merely an execu-
tive committee OF tho House of Commons,
members of tho last-named body vicarious-
ly exercise all the executive powers which
on this side of tho Atlantic bolong TO the
President and to the Governors Of all the
States. Comparing their respective powers
and duties one is bound to say that
member Of the British House OF Commons
deserves much greater compensation
than member OF our House OF Repre-
ssntatives. Nevertheless. the most gener-
Gus proposal yet put forward. namely. Mr.
LABoUoHERE's. contemplates giving Brit
ish legislator only S3.75 day.
Small as such stipend may appear to
the relatively overpaid lawmakers of the
al tsAI cAntAA
ize the character OF the House OF Commons.
Followed. AS 1t unquestionably will be. by
. lact throwing tho cost OF elections either