The Washington bee., 1899-07-01
Expense Of ParliRmeuts

A paragraph going the rounds Of
European papers is intended to show
that popular government through q
representative legislature is generally
more expensive than monarchica 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
81, 100000 each year. Russia. which
has no parliament in the American
and English sense. saves this item Of
expense, a saving which must SEEN
to most persons insignificant when
compared with the advantages
derived.
One reason why the French Assem-
bly, is So expensive is its eXtenSiyy
membership There are 500 SenatoN
and 5S4 Deputies, a total in excess &
500. The salary paid each is 9w
francs. or ST 500 year-S20O less JlH
was paid New York ASSemblymau jr
fore consolidation French Legislators
also have free passes ON the railroads
Italian legislators receive no SALARY
but have free transportation on rail-
IOoO. iIc CbSI VI lut IJdllsih 4 dlhd
ment was 100000 lireS last year o:
about $420.OOO. The Holland lesi>a
ture is in two branches. the First and
Second Chambers of the Statc-teD-
eral. The former comprises ~ meu-
berS who receive 10 guilderS a day
during the session. and the second lH
members, who receive 1000 guilderS
year and their mileage. Il Dutch
guilder is approximately two-ffthS oi
a dollar. and the total expenditure Of
the Dutch Parliament is $300Uh
year i'll the equivalent of American
money. AS might be expected SPAN
has an elaborate parliamentary S{~
tenn, whereby not alone do the elected
Representatives of the people for OF
such of the people as vote have places
in the COrteS. but also those Wbo
without being elected. receive cuml-
lative vote in several districts SUN
cient to have elected them in one.
Spain expended last year l.6iOVW
pesetas for it's COrtes. equivalent 70
about $3J0,O00. Portugal expended .lOr
parliamentary services about SlOOiW
and Austria, with two Chambers. oHr
in Vienna and the other in BudaprSL
about 100000 forms. Of which 2.%'l-
600 was for the Austrian ReiChSratA.
and 100000 for the Hungarian Far
Lament. The members of the lower
Australian house, OstenSibly repre-
sentative body. receive 10 forms
day for their services and get besides
a mileage on Austrian railroads 10y
the official valuation of the Untrl
States Treasury an Austrian horln :
worth 20 cents, so that an Austrian
lawmaker receives substantially ttnt
question Of milage apartD the same pay
as the law of the United States nSr'
as a minimum fCS laborers on SoIe
Of it's public works.
The members of the Swedish Parma,
ment number $50 in the upper anI
250 III the lower branch. The form,
get no pay; the latter receive ~"
crowns, or $500 year. and If the s.
sion lasts longer than four mon,",
they receive 10 crowns additional I.I
each day of actual service. \ S"t',
ish crown is worth about ~ cents. gH-
this means an addition Of $50 % ''"l
for legislative overtime. Eh-Li.l
spends about $26O.00O a year for '-s
British Parliament. the members W.
which serve without salary. The H'
man Reichstae. one branch OF "H..
represents the political divisions Oh y.
country, and the other bra1rh .-
costs about 100000 q !''.-
Belgium spends $1SO.OO0 for Tbs p.
pose, and Greece 100000 drachmaI ~.
its Chambers of Deputies. the equiv.
lent Of 100000. The Jnired >'a|'
have 90 Senators and go COngre>>.,il.--.
approximately with an annual >aia.f
account of $2,5OO.0OO. exclusiy" oil ,-'
for clerks. Secrrl''i ~.
stationary, mileage and Ike e
penses.