The Washington bee., 1899-06-24
Expense of ParIiamsnts.

A paragraph going the rounds of
European papers is intended to show
that popular government through
representative legislature is generally
more expensive than mOnarchical gov.
ernment. According TO this view the
most expensive parliament in Europe
is that of France. The Chamber of
Deputies and the Senate cost nearly
$1,5OO.0O0 each year. Russia, which
has no parliament in the American
and English sense, saves this item Of
expense. a saving which must seem
to most persons insignificant when
compared with the advantages
derived.
One reason why the French Assem-
bly, is so expensive is its extensive
membership There are 800 Senators
and 5S4 Deputies, a total in excess Of
500. The salary paid each is 1900
francs. or $500 a year-$2OO less than
was paid New York Assemblyman be
fore consolidation. French Legislators
also have free passes on the railroads
Italian legislators receive no salary
but have free transportation on rail-
road. The cost of the Italian Parha
ment was 100000 lires last year or
about S42O.0OO. The Holland legisa
ture is in two branches. the First and
Second Chambers of the State-tien.
eral. The former comprises 30 mem
berS who receive 10 guilderS day
during the session, and the second lOO
members, who receive 1000 guiderS a
year and their mileage. A Dutch
guilder is approximately two-fifthS Of
a dollar. and the total expenditure OF
the Dutch Parliament is $3O0m0 a
year in the equivalent of American
money. As might be expected, SPAN
has an elaborate parliamentary SyS
tenn. whereby not alone do the elected
Representatives of the people fOr ol
such of the people as vote have places
in the COrteS. but also those wno
without being elected, receive cumu
latiye vote in several districts sum
cient to have elected them in one
Spain expended last year l.6o,OW
pesetas for its COrtes. equivalent 10
about $350,0OO. Portugal expended Ior
parliamentary services about $ln,VW
and Austria. with two Chambers, one
, in Vienna and the other i'm Budapest
about 4.0OO.000 forms. of which Z'"W
600 was for the Austrian ReichSraui'
and 100000 for the Hungarian PaT.
lament. The members OF the lo"''
Australian house. OstenSibly a rppI'
sentative body, receive ~ HORNS
day for their services and get besldps
mileage on Austrian railroads. ny
the official valuation of the I llilru
States Treasury an Austrian norm .
worth 20 cents. so that an AlStiI@"
| lawmaker receives substantially 'ln'
question of milages apart the same pay
as the law of the United States IN,
as a minimum fGS labOrers Oh 'o"'
Of its public works.
The members of the Swedish TaInhI
| ment number 40 in the upper dDI
| $50 I'm the lower branch. The TOT noa
/ get no pay: the latter receive -
crowns. or $500 year, and u the
/ sion lasts longer than four mon nLI.
! they receive 10 crowns addluOnaI 4g'
each day of actual service. \ S",a
| ish crown is worth about u cents 5n-
this means an addition of 500 uaJ
/ for legislative overtime EH-''l,a -
| spends about $260.0OO a year loI 'nt
British Parliament. the memDeIN
/ which serve without salary ne w,
man Reichstag. one branch OF "N,y ,T1.
represents the political divisions ol ."o ~"
country, and the other brahe" ....ar
/ voters, costs about 100000 IL ly"..
Belgium spends $1S00oo for tH-9 pn sa-
pose. and Greece 500.MD dra'DL''I
= its Chambers of Deputies. tIit' '4. '4......,.
! lent of 100000. The tulEet ..oso
I have 90 Senator's and 800 cong - IT,
approximately with an ahHu"' : .he
| account of S2,500.000. excluSI'r ~ .'-.ss
expenditures for clerks. Se'iT.,,-, ,,,~ OK.
| stationary, mileage anu iIN
! penSes.