The times., 1899-06-04
THE COST OF PARLIAMENTs.
The French Legislature the Most Ex.
pensive in Europe.
(From the New York Sun }

(From the New York Sun.)
A paragraph going the rounds of Euro
pean papers is intended to show that popu-
lar government through a representative
legislature is generally more expensive
than monarchical government. According
to this view the most expensive parliament
in Europe is that of France. The Chamber
of Deputies and the Senate cost nearly
81, 900 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 inSig
nificant when compared with the advan
tages derived.
One reason why the French Assembly is
so expensive is its extensive membership.
There are 300 senators and 5S4 deputies, a
total in excess of 500. The salary paid
each is 5000 francs, or 81, 500 a year-Sz00
less than was paid New York aldermen
also have free passes on the railroads.
Italian legislators receive no salary, but
have free transportation on railroads.
The cost of the Italian Parliament was
100000 lire last year. or about Si20. 900.
The Holland Legislature is in two branch
es, the first and second chambers of the
states general. The former comprises fif-
ty members, who receive 10 guilders day
during the session, and the second 100
and their mileage. A Dutch guilder is. ap-
proximately. two-fifths of a dollar. and the
total expenditure of the Dutch Parliament
is S300,0o0 year in the equivalent of
American money. As might be expected
Spain has an elaborate parliamentary sys-
tenn, whereby not alone do the elected rep
resentatives 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 cumulative vote in sew
eral districts sufficient to have elected
them in one. Spain expended last year
l.6i0,O 600 pesetas for its Cortes, equivalent
to about $4,000 Portugal expended for
parliamentary service about 500. 600 and
Austria, with two chambers, one in Wen
ma and the other in Budapest, about 4000,-
900 fforins, of which 100000 was for the
Austrian Reichsrath and LOO. coo for the
Hungarian Parliament. The members of
the lower Austrian house, ostensibly a rep
resentative body, receive 10 forms a day
for their services. and get besides a mileaga
on Austrian railroads. By the official val
uation CT the United States Treasury, an
Austrian forin is worth 20 cents, so that
an Austrian lawmaker receives substan-
TALLY (the question of mileage apart the
same pay as the law of the State of New
York fixes as a minimum for laborers on
some of its public works.
The members of the Swedish Parliament
number $50 in the upper and $50 in the
lower branch; the former get no pay; the
latter receive 1,200 crowns. or $500 year.
and II the sessions last longer than four
months they receive 10 crowns additional
for each day of actual service Swedish
crown is worth about 26 cents, and this
means an addition of $3.50 day for leg
lsiative overtime. England spends about
$26O,0OO year for the British Parliament,
Nom har of n bf,hr
airy. The German Reichstag one branch
of which represents the political divisions
OF the country and the other branch the
voters, costs about 100000 year. Bel
gium spends s1S0.00O for this purpose. and
Greece 100000 drachmai for its Chamber
of Deputies, the equivalent of sIO0. 900. The
United States have so Senators and 800
Congressman, approximately, with an an
nual salary account of $500 900, exclu-
sive of the expenditures for clerks, secre-
taries, stationery, mileage, and like ex-
penses.