The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
The Reichstag Dissolved.

Tho Reichstag Dissolved.
On Thursday, December 10, the Reichs-
tag was dissolved in consequence OF
it's refusal to vote the supplementary
appropriation demanded for German
Southwest Africa by the Government.
This IN not the first time in the history
OF the present German Empire that
this instrument Of coercion has been
used to break down the resistance OF
the popular assembly. The possibility
Of a resort to such an expedient shows
how widely the German Constitution
differs from that Of Great Britain or
that Of the United States.
We need not say that under our Fed
eral Constitution the President has no
power to dissolve Congress, though he
may convoke il in extra session. In
France the President of the republic, il
he can procure the consent Of the Senate,
may dissolve Parliament and order the
election Of a new Chamber Of Deputies.
In Great Britain and in most other
countries which have adopted the BAR
liamentary as distinguished from the
presidential type of government. the
power Of dissolution Is the complement
OF the responsibility Of the Ministers,
and theoretically is used TO ascertain
whether the Cabinet possesses the con-
fdence Of the nation. In the German
Empire Ministerial responsibility does
not exist, any more than il exists in the
United States, and it seems, therefore,
unreasonable that the power Of dissolu-
ton should be vested in the executive
and Bundesrath conformity. Neverthe-
less, the voters have upheld the Imperial
Government when it has applied this
formidable instrument Of pressure to the
popular branch Of the national legisla-
ture. The Reichstag has been thrice
dissolved: once in 1878, when IL refused
TO pass a bill for the repression of agita-
ton by the Socialists; ext in 1887, when
It rejected a bill fixing the size OF the
army for seven years; and lastly in 1893,
when il refused to sanction changes
proposed in the military system. In
each case the electors virtually said that
the executive was right and the legis-
lature wrong, for the new Reichstag
accepted the plans Of the Government.
Thus the adjustment Of the ultimate
authority Of the different organs Of the
State was postponed.
The truth il that the Reichstag is far
from playing in Germany the great part
which is played by the Chamber OF Depu-
ties in France. On paper the powers OF
the former body, like those OF the latter,
are great; but in practice the German
assembly has not been able to turn TO
decisive account its nominal control OF
the purse. All laws, indeed, require the
consent Of the Reichstag, and 80 do the
budget, all loans and all treaties that
involve matters falling within the domain
of legislation. But, although the Consti-
tuition declares that the budget shall be
annual, the principal revenue laws are
permanent and cannot be changed with
out the consent Of the BUmdesrath, or
Federal Council. Then. again. the most
important appropriation, that for the
army, has hitherto been voted for a num-
Der Of years at a time. A similar course
!. has been pursued with reference TO the
navy. In the debates on the budget
the Deputies indulge freely in criticism
of the Government, but "a a rule the
reductions made are unimportant, and
complete rejection Of an appropriation
demanded has been extremely rare.
The extent to which the Reichstag is
subordinated TO the Bundesrath is inn
perfectly appreciated in the United
States. Every one Of the fifty-eight
members OF the Bundesrath has n right
% sit in the Reichstag and TO speak
therein whenever he chooses. That is
90 say, the Bundesrath has some Of the
attributes OF an imperial Cabinet, and
technically interpretations in the Reichs-
tag aro addressed TO the Bundesrath,
though in fact they are ara communi-
Gated to the Chancellor, who himself has
no right TO sit in the Reichstag, except
as a delegate 70 the Bundesrath. Prac-
tically the Bundesrath has the first, az
we'll as the last, word On almost all the
laws, for the Reichstag has not sue
ceeded in making its right of initiative
In legislation very effective. BY far the
larger part OF the statutes, as well as the
budget, are prepared and first discussed
by the Bundesrath. They are then sent