Evening star., 1925-06-21
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

//@ AWES PLANS" to limit
debate, irrelevant or
otherwise, and force a
IL vote. are in vogue in the
principal parliaments of
the world. Information assembled by
this writer in official quarters at
London, Paris, Rome and Berlin in
dicates that legislative business In
the Old World is conducted on lines
that expedite it to degree not usual
in the Congress of the United States.
In the British House of Commons,
the mother of parliaments"" in the
French Senate and Chamber. in the
Italian Chamber Of Deputies, and in
the German ReiChstag, varying forms
of majority vote can stop discussion
and force immediate action on
pending measure. The British clos
ure" is more mindful of the rights of
the minority than the French, Italian
or German systems. In the House of
Commons Closure" can only be car
ried, and debate ended, If there are
not fewer than 100 votes in the
ma jority for the motion. In France,
Italy and Germany a vote can be
forced at any time by mere majority.
Filibuster Impossible There.
The filibuster, as the United States
sible in transatlantic parlitments. 1t
has come into vogue to a certain
extent in Germany since the war, not
by trying to talk out a law, which Is
impossible under the German cloture
system, but by demanding a quorum
and calling for a vote by roll call
The quorum call Is most effective, as
Reichstag members are notoriouSly
lax in attendance and far less than a
majority are usually present.
The British House of Commons, the
real Iaw-making body Of parliament,
has three different forms of restrict
ing debate-the simple closure, the
| closure by compartment" and the
kangaroo" closure. Restriction of
discussion there had It's origin in the
obstructive tactics of the Irish Ma
tionalists in the early sos.
Restrictions first was aimed
against deliberate obstruction, but
later it had to be exercised in the
had increased through normal causes.
The mother of parliaments" re-
sorts to restriction Of discussion with
! reluctance.
Parliament Talking Shop"
parliament" says F. Stanley Jack
son, M. p, national chairman Of the
| Conservative Party now in power,
"is the safety valve of public opinion.
1t has been referred to as the talk
| ing shop The term should not be one
of contempt. Parliament is, and is
meant to be, the talking shop
Grievances, we'll founded or unfound-
ed. when suppressed, give occasion
for dangerous agitation. Grievances,
when opportunity is given to state
them, If unjustified, can be exposed,
or If justified, remedied. Parliament
affords the means. and is therefore
a valuable instrument for democracy
and its safeguard against revolution.
Democratic government largely de-
pends upon talk, because without it
the trend of public opinion cannot
be ascertained."
Any member Of the House Of Com
mons may move the closure of the
debate through simple motion
that the question be now put"
namely, that the motion which is be-
ing discussed be voted upon without
further debate. The motion to put the
| question may be made either at the
conclusion of a speech. or a speaker
may be interrupted for the purpose
of moving the motion.
| The speaker, or whoever may be in
the chair, has an absolute discretion
in accepting the motion, and. will re-