Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-09-03
THE REloHsrAo.
distressing Sketch Of fGermanS's Rep.
resentative Lawmasing Poly.


resentetive Lawmakiug Poly.
The political complexion Of the law.
making body Of the German Empire IN
as varied as the rainbow. The differ.
ent parties are so numerous that at
times II is a difficult matter to identify
them. There are $50 members Of the
Reichstag and Mt present they are d.
vlded as follows: So Conservatives. p
Imperiallsts, 100 Centrists, 40 National
Libeeals, II Radical Unionists and
RichJerites Radicals, 25 Freisinnige
Volkspartei Richterites. 13 Social Re-
formers. 10 Poles, IL Deutsche Volks-
'partei As Socialists, 80 Independents,
Including Guelphs. 3 Bavarian peas
ant party and two seats vacant.
The hall in which the Reichstag
meets does not give one the impression
OF being extraordinarily large, although
looking down from the galleries il
seems a very deep room. Its acoustic
properties, however, would only be ex-
cusable in very large hall. The walls
are much higher, the galleries are fur
ther from tho floor. the Presidents
chair is more distant from those of the
members, and, altogether, this one hall
is on bigger scale than the corrc-
spending halls of Congress. Like SO
many public halls in Germany, 1t is
characterized by an absence Of proper
ventilation. Tho Germans. who are
implacable foes to fresh air, do not ap-
pear TO notice this deficiency, which
sometimes forces even the most enthu-
siastic American to depart earlier than
he would otherwise desire.
The President of the Reiehstag sits
at table raised above the floor of the
house. IN q hlgh-backed chair. on which
the Prussian eagle figures very promi-
nently. Just below the Presidents ta-
BILE Is another cne, where several Min
listers sit, usually those at the head of
the department which is concerned in
the question being discussed at the
time in the Reichstag. Within this
charmed circle sit the steuographers,
whose work goes down those steps to
the outside world. On the level With
the Presidents desk are the desks OF
the Bundesrath, two rows on either
side. fifteen seats in each front row,
eight in each second row, making up
the forty-six in all. The Chancellor of
the empire has the first seat in the
front row to the right Of the Speaker,
facing the House.
The arrangements for the seating Of
the Deputies are not marked with ex.
travagance. and in comparing them
with those of the Congressman in
Washington the latter seem immeasur-
ably grand. In the Reichstag the Dep.
utjes do not have individual desks; in
stead, a number of them share one
long desk, schoolboy fashion. Each
member has an individual drawer, and
that is something.
Ordinarily. when there is nothing of
moment going on. the sessions of the
Reichstag are terribly uninteresting.
The only exciting feature is the neces-
sary effort TO secure admittance. To
accomplish this you must be on hand
before O'Clock of the morning of the
day before you wish to attend. and
then wait in line Mt the Reichstag tick
ct office. Sometimes the ticket is forth
CuuuluS dnu SDlutliihbS II 1911 l.
The sessions are supposed to open at
o'clock, but they begin about twenty
minutes later. The room fills slowly.
and business proceeds in a rather in
formal manner The members pay at
tention II they are interested In what
the speaker is saying, or chat with
their neighbors or busy themselves
with their writing il they are not.
There is n continual buzzing uGdercur-
rent of conversation, which the speak
er of the moment is usually powerless
to drown.
When the President wishes 10 say
something that must be heard he rings
bell, and the momentary hush which |
arises allows his voice to be heard. |
Then the hum begins again. When a
man has something of Importance to
say, he usually takes his stand at the |
top of the steps leading down from the
dais where the President and the |
Bundesrath sit. but many men simply |
rise in their seats and speak from the
floor