Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-18
HOW GREAT BRITAIN IS RULED.
House Of Commons Represents the
People, and Its Acts Cannot Be
Questioned, Even by the
Courts or Throne.

| LONDON. July 1.-(William +. Cur.
tbs in Chicago Record-Herald) Brit
| sh statesmen declare that their gov
eminent. although 1t is ruled by a
| king. is much more liberal than ours
because their parliament is absolute
The king can do nothing that affects
the welfare of the people without their
consent. This is expressed through
| the house of commons, and there is no
supreme court to review its legisla-
| tion. The courts are often called up
on to interpret the acts of parliament.
to decide what they mean, in case the
application of a law is disputed, but
further than that they have no juris-
diction. Neither the judiciary nor
the sovereign can veto. or set aside,
or defeat the will of the people as ex-
pressed by parliament, and no king
has attempted to do since Cromwell's S
time
Englishmen smile when you ask for
copy of the British constitution.
That august document exists only in
the imagination. although it is quoted
and discussed and appealed to fire.
Quently. 1t is like the ghost of Ham
let's father 1t has been and it is
and it ever shall be, but it is an intang-
ible thing. The British constitution
consists of the precedents established
by parliament during the last 600 years
"a very complicated and intricate
code, which may be changed at any
moment in Difference to public senti-
mant or to meet new conditions and
emergencies but never to promote the
ambition OF men. The voters of
England are extremely sensitive and
suspicious. They keep good men In
parliament, but bad men cannot stay
and are seldom reelected. The ia
ther of the house who recently died,
had been reelected continuously for
forty-tive years. The present IA
ther of the house has been a member
of that body for forty-seven years.
loyal useful member can generally
expect reelection as long as he sat
isties the requirements of his constit-
uents. but members of parliament re-
ceive no compensation and have no
patronage or perquisites. The sta
tionery which they use In the writing
room of the parliament house. like
the newspapers and books that they
read in the library. are furnished by
the government, but they cannot take
it home with them. They do not have
the franking privilege. but have to pay
postage on all official letters The
poor members of the house are sup
ported by political clubs. John Burns
received regular salary of $4,000
from the labor unions. and Keir Har
die, the other labor member, is sup
ported by the coal miners.
Nor do the members of parliament
control any patronage in the govern
ment departments. like members OF
congress in the United States. except
upon their personal relations. An in
tiuential man in the house of commons
has no more to say about appointments
than a man of equal influence on the
outside. He can recommend a post
master in his constituency. but the GU
rate of the parish or the bishop Of the
diocese of the lord Of the manor has
Just as much and often more to say in
regard to such matters, while appoint
ments in the civil service are made
upon competitive examination.
In looking over the list of members
what strikes one first is the large num-
ber of business men and the small
number of lawyers as compared with
our congress. The following are the
occupations of the members of the
present house:
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