Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-09-03
THE REIcHsrAo.
distressing Sketch OF GermanB's Rep.
resentstipe Lawmakiug foiy.

distressing Sketch OF Germany's Rep.
resentstiPe Lawmakiug Hoiy.
The political complexion of the l.. "
making body Of the German Empire ia
us varied as the rainbow. The differ
ent parties are so numerous that at
times II is difficult matter 10 identify
them. There are $50 members Of the
Reichstag and at present they are di.
vidcd as follows: IS Conservatives. %
imperialists. 10O Centrists. 40 National
Liberals. II Radical Uniouists and
RichSerites Radicals. - Frcisinnige
NolksparteI Richteritcs, 13 Social Re-
formers. ~ Poles, T. Deutsche Nolks-
partei. IS Socialists. 30 Independents,
including q Cuclphs. , Bayarial peas
ant party and two seats vacant.
The hall in which the Reichstag
meets does not give one the impression
OF heing extraordinarily large. although
looking down from the galleries It
seems very deep room. Its acoustic
properties. however. would only be eX-
cusable in a very large hall. The walls
are much higher. the galleries are fur
ther from the floor. he Presidents
chair is more distant from those Of the
members. and, altogether, this one hall
is on bigger scale than the CORE
spending halls Of Congress. Like so
many public halls in Germany, 1t is
characterized by an absence of proper
ventilation. The Germans, who are
implacable foes TO fresh air do not ap-
pear to notice this deficiency, which
sometimes forces even the most enthu-
slastlc American to depart earlier than
he would otherwise desire.
The President of the Relchstag sits
at table raised above the floor Of the
house, In a high-backed chair. on which
the Prussian eagle figures very promi.
nentiy. Just below the Presidents ia.
ble is another one, where several Min.
listers sit. usually those at the head of
the department which is concerned in
the question heng discussed at the
time in the Reichstag, Within this
charmed circle sit the Stenographers,
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
81 a -
travagance and in comparing them
with those of the Congressman In
Washington the latter seem immeasur-
ably grand. In the Reichstag the Dep
uties do not have individual desks; i'll
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 uuinterestiug.
The only exciting feature is the neces-
sary effort TO secure admittance To
accomplish this you must be on hand
before S o'clock Of the morning of the
day before you wish 10 attend, and
then wait in line at the ReichStag tick
ct Office. Sometimes the ticket is forth
coming and sometimes it isn't.
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 If they are interested in what
the speaker is saying, or chat with
their neighbors or busy themselves
with their writing II they are not.
There Is a continual buzzing undercur-
rent of conversation, which the speak.
er of the moment is usually powerless
to drown.
When the President wishes TO 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