Evening star., 1911-06-11

OF individuals or corporations or classes
may be involved. The theory Is that
the government frames its own bills. re-
gardiess of the wishes Of anybody out.
side Of the commons. and IL would D..
an invitation to disaster to admit ihs
representatives OF outside people to the
process of shaping the proposed leeis-
lation. As matter Of fact. however.
Lobbying is carried on openly and ex-
tensively in the commons. Attorneys
present. their arguments TO individual
members In their consultation rooms. or
in the round central hali between the two
houses. corresponding TO the rotunda OF
the Capitol at Washington. And. ds
course, members are seen at their homes
whenever possible, and at their offices In
London. when they chance to have such.
Direct labors with the members OF the
government who have charge of the bill
are always in order. provided arrange
ments can be made for audiences. IL
is understood that the ministry endeavors
to hear all sides OF a proposition before
committing itself TO any concrete project.
Must Wear Wigs.
When a private bill is under considera-
ton before a committee-that is. a hill
not involving general legislation or di-
rectly affecting private or special inter
ests-attorneys are admitted for the de-
| livery of arguments and the presentation
OF briefs They must. however. he regu-
larly recognized barristers. and they must.
when I'm attendance before the commit
tee, wear their wigs and gowns as i'm
court. Thus the visitor 10 the house of
parliament will very probably sew
eral gray-wigged and black gouned gen
| tlemen fitting To and fro not the clerks
of the sessions, but members of the bar
engaged in presenting reasons why this
or that bill should or should not become
law
The copyright bill was under the direct
charge of Sidney Buxton. chairman or
the board of trade. assisted by Sir John
Simon. the solicitor gene: al, who is rec
ognfzed as one of the very ablest men
in British public life today and as vir-
| tually certain to rise to great eminence
in the future. An amendment sheet pre-
pared weekly, to state the questions pend
Ing before the committee. was the guide
| of the committee chairman in directing
proceedings. AS in the commons. the
member proposing an amendment arises
| when II is called by the chairman and
| states his reasons for it's adoption. If
IL Is acceptable TO the government one
Of the managers OF the bill so indicates.
| IL not. the argument against IL Is ad-
| dueed, briefly and pointedly. but with un-
| failing courtesy. Sometimes the discus
sion proceeds. back and forth between
the two sides, for some minutes and
presently the chairman gives evidence OF
WEAKNESS. refusing recognition to a men,
ber who has already spoken, or suggest
ing that the debate has continued long
| enough for profit. He puts the question.
| There are a few voices Yea or nay. The
chairman uses the established parlia-
mentary form: Il think the ayes have
1.-THE ayes have It," The ayes never
| seem to have il here. at Washing
| ton. In case there is difference of
opinion on this point. backed by suf-
| hcient number. the names" are demand
ed and the roll is called.
Debate Goes on Quietly.
| The debate is carried on in a conversa-
| tional style, the voices of members barely
| carrying across the room. II is marked
by unbroken ceremony of recognition AMI
| address. Commoner members are re-
| ferred TO by the names OF their constitu-
| encies men of title by the designation
| MY noble lord" While was listening AN
| amusing little tilt was had between two
| political opponents, one of whom. in re-
| plying. forgot the name OF his adyersary's
constituency. He stammered, Il wish 10
| assure the member from-the member
| from-from-" Then. bending down 10
| a neighbor. he asked, i'm a distinctly
audible aside. Where's Blank sitting
| from now? I forget" and. with the in
| formation quickly acquired by his over
| joyed friend. he proceeded to address
1 himself TO the member from North Some
whereorother amid the loud laughter OF
the entire committee.
This committee work seemed to be very
carefully DONE with painstaking study os
each amendment proposed and each pa a
graph of the bill / could not. OF course.
discover how far the debates actually az
fected the result or whether the decisions
regarding the various issues involved in
the proposed amendments had been
reached out OF committee. The work done
within that grim old room. however. was
at least productive OF one result, In that
n lad 70 ~ foi
a clear and intelligent idea Of the
meaning and purpose OF every part
Of the proposed new law. Some partisan
advantage might have been gained by
useless efforts to secure amendments.
though Ii was not suggested to me that
any Of those I heard discussed during the
morning were offered in such a spirit.
The divisions were not uniformly along
party lines, yet In the main IL was no
ticeable that most of the efforts to change
the text came from the left, perhaps SIM
ply from force of habit.
q. A. LYON, JR.