The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-05
COST OF PARLIAMENTS.
The French Legislature the Most
f@t2 Expensive I'm Europe.

The French Legislature the Most
7, Expensive I'm Europe.
New York Sun.
A paragraph going the rounds of Euro
pean papers is intended to show that pop
ular government through a representa-
tive legislature is generally more expen-
sive than monarchical government Ac-
cording to this view the most expensive
parliament in Europe is that of France.
The chamber Of deputies and the senate
cost nearly $1,000, 900 each year. Russia,
which has no parliament in the Ameri-
can and English sense, saves this item
of expense, saving which must seem to
most persons insignificant when compar-
ed with the advantages derived.
One reason why the French assembly
Is so expensive is it's extensive member
ship. There are 300 senator's and 5Si
deputies, total In excess of 500. The
salary paid each is 5000 francs, or $1,SG0
a year-$200 a year less than was paid
New York aldermen before consolidation.
French legislators also have free passes
on the railroads. Italian legiS' ators re-
ceive no salary, but have free transpor-
tation on railroads. The cost of the
Italian parliament was 100000 lire last
year, or about 1920, O0O The Holland leg
islature is In two branches-the First and
Second Chambers of the States General.
The former comprises fifty members, who
receive 10 guilders a day during the ses-
sion, and the second 100 members, who
receive 1000 guilders year and their
mileage Dutch guilder is, approxt-
mately, two-f1fths of dollar, and the
total expenditure of the Dutch parlia-
ment is 100000 year in the equivalent
of American money. AS might be eX-
pected, Spain has an elaborate parlia-
mentary system, whereby not alone do
the elected representatives Of the people
Tor of such of the people as vote) have
places in the cortes, but also those who,
without being elected, receive a cumula-
tive vote in several districts sufficient to
have elected them in one. Spain ex--
pended last year 100000 peSetas for It's
cortes, equivalent to about $780, 200. Por-
tugal expended for parliamentary service
about 100000, and Austria, with two
chambers, one in Vienna and the other
in Budapest, about 100000 forms, of
which 1900 900 was for the Austrian reichs-
rath and LOO, 900 for the Hungarian par
lament. The members of the lower
Austrian house, ostensibly a representa-
tive body, receive 10 forms day for
their services, and get besides a mileage
on Austrian railroads. By the official
valuation of the United States treasury
an Austrian form is worth 20 cents, so
that an Austrian lawmaker receives sub
Stantially the question of mileage apart
the same pay as the law of the state of
New York fixes a minimum for la
borers on some of it's public works.
The members Of the Swedish parliament
number $50 in the upper and $50 in the
lower branch. The former get no ray;
the latter receive 1900 crowns, or $500,
year, and if the session lasts longer than
four months they receive 10 crowns ad-
ditional for each day of actual service
A Swedish crown is worth about 26 cents,
and this means an addition of $3.50 day
for legislative overtime. England spends
about $3.50, 900 a year for the British par
lament, the members of which serve
without salary. The German reichstag
one branch of which represents the. po-
litical divisions of the country and the
other branch the voters, costs about
100000 year. Belgium spends about
$4,000 for this purpose, and Greece sOo,-
600 drachmai for its chamber of deput' es,
the equivalent of 100000. The United
States has 80 senators and 800 congress-
men approximately exclusive of the ex-
penditures for clerks, secretaries, sta
tionery, mileage and like expenses.