Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-31
SEVEN CENTURIES AGO
RuSsia's Parliamentary Struq-
gle Then Seen in England.
HOW SPEAKERSHIP CAME
One Person Chosen to Address the
Sovereign Ruler.
PRIVILEGES OF THE PEERS
Experiences in Panay - Cock Fights
Run by the Municipality-Peril-
Gus Chase of the Carabao.
PRIVILEGES OF THE PEERS
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

- NiA@~iAM L. tChilS.
written Tor The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There are striking similarities as well as
contrasts In the present struggle to secure
parliamentary government in Russia and
the successful efforts that were made in
that direction in England TOO years ago
In writing to the Secretary of State con-
corning attempted reforms In Spain. while
ne was minister there, James Russell Low
ell said: IF the ninety years since the
French revolution have taught ANYTHING IL
has been that institutions grow and cannot
be made to order; that they grow out of an
actual past. and are not to be conspired Ont
OF conjectural future; that human nature
is stronger than any invention of man."
linus the present parliament of England
mas oeen the growth of seven centuries Its
origin and early history are obscured bv
the remoteness of the time but this gem
Grafton knows enough of the causes and
sIe means by which 1t was brought up to
us present influence and power To furnish
the leaders OF the various parties onDosed
10 the autocraey in Russia many valuable
lessons.
The Magma Charta defined the early CON
sttution Of parliament more clearly than
any earlier record, and Blackstone SAYS. at
was marked out so long ago as the seven
.eehIh year OF King John. A. D. 1915, in
the great charter granted by that prince
wherein he promises to summon All arch
bishops bishops. abbots. earls and greater
barons personally, and all other tenants-in-
chlet under the crown, by the sheriffs and
balins to meet at "A certain place, with
forty days notice to assess aids and scu-
tages when necessary"
Two years previous King John directed a
writ 10 the sheriff of each county ito send
four discreet knights to confer with lis CON
corning the affairs of Our Kingdom hut
IL does not appear whether they were cleo
cd by the county or picked at pleasure by
the sheriff.
Origin of the Title Speaker"
mis- was the beginning of parliamentary
government in England, but it was not I'M
Ill hundred years later that anything like
the present organization was perfected or
even contemplated
Very early in the history of their experi-
ehce the members of the British parliament
encountered the same question that has re
Gently YeNed the Russian douma and that
was the right to appear as a body before
their sovereign The Car OF Russia re-
FUSED 20 receive the members of the douma
en- masse when they wanted to present
their reply to the address from the throne.
Ills reason was the fear of esta blishing a
dangerous precedent Some one suggested
10 his timid mind the possibility that an
occasion might arise when Ii would be per-
nous To his throne and his person to admit
so large a body of his subjects into the i'm
Perial presence. Therefore he told them
that ne would receive their presiding Off
send their address through the minister OF
the household. Il
This same proposition was agitated in
England under similar circumstances 700
years ago. and fl became necessary for that
parliament TO select one of their number
who should represent them in communicate
ing their wishes and their decisions to their
sovereign. This representative was called
tie speaker because he spoke for his COL
leagues. and thus the presiding officer OF
the house of commons and the American
House of Representatives obtained their
titles. The first speaker OF the commons
was Sir T. Hungerford. elected in 1875 for
the purpose of communicating its will to
Edward III.
The members of the house of peers as a
body are entitled to free access to the
throne and each peer. one OF the heredi-
tary CounsellOrs of the throne. is privileged
at any time TO have audience with his
sovereign This privilege of access how
ever. is not enjoyed by individual members
of the house OF commons, and by the house
at large. only with their speaker. and when
an address Is presented to his majesty by
the whole house This privilege was granted
for the first time by Henry VIII