Evening star., 1925-06-21
ABROAD
PUT CURBS ON DEBATE
Business Expedited to Degree Not Gus
tomary in American Congress
Systems, However, Not Alike.

fuse 1t If he considers it to be "an
abuse of the rules of the House or
an infringement of the rights of the
minority" In other words, he will
not accept 1t If he thinks that the
subject of the debate has not been
sufficiently discussed. If 1t is accept
ed, the motion is put at once. If 1t
is carried, and there are also not
less than 100 votes in the ma jority
for the motion. the debate comes to
an end. and the question which has
been under discussion is put to the
vote.
Closure by compartment" is the
most drastic form adopted by the
British for curtailment of debate. 1t
is used in respect of discussions on
bills. 1t sets up a time table of days
and hours for the discussion of sec
tions OF a given bill, and prescribes
that at stated times discussion is
closed. The section of the bill allo.
Gated to the particular time must then
be voted upon without further debate
Voting Is confined to the clauses of the
bill and to amendment moved by the
government only. Closure of course,
must be carried by the House Of Com.
mons. but, as 1t Is always a govern.
ment proposal. and relates usually to
highly contentious measure. which
passage is d foregone conclusion. This
form of closure has come to be known
in England as the "guillotine.
Kangaroo" Closure.
The kangaroo" closure Is so called
because it gives the speaker or the
chairman OF a standing committee
power to select amendments for dis.
cussion, passing over those deemed of
less Importance. This power was COM
pared to the jumps made by the kan.
garoo, hence the popular name The
system places a responsible and diff
hcult duty upon the occupant of the
chair. but 1t Is accepted by leaders as
great improvement. on the whole,
over the drastic closure by compart.
ment."
In the British House Of Lords (some.
times Hkened to our Senate). the lord
chancellor. who presides. has no power
of shortening the debate. Discussion
there goes on until all who want to
speak have spoken, with the one re-
str1ction that peer can move that the
fellow peer who Is speaking he no
longer heard. Resort is but seldom
had to this rule, but, if the motion be
carried. the peer is required to dis.
continue his speech.
SyStem In France.
AS to France. there is no forms,
rule to limit debate, either in the
Chamber of Deputies or in the Senate
NOR to force vote. AS a result Of
this system. however, in either house
the majority has full power at anv
moment to adopt the course they
please. They can. when they like. de.
eide that vote will be taken on such
day and such an hour, or vote the
immediate closing of the debate-in
French, la cloture. Such measures in
fact, though not unusual, are not often
resorted to, as there is little obstruc.
| ton or filibustering in the French
, Parliament.
The president Of the Chamber of
Deputies has quaint authority for
stopping disorderly or utterly irrele.
want debate. He calls q speaker n
, order or asks him to desist from
| further talk by violently ringing a
dinner bell. If the speaker paws no
heed to the bell. which Is often rune
with the utmost vigor, the president
(who is always in evening dress) fans
his silk hat down upon his head as a
gesture of impatience and disgust
| and leaves the rostrum. That ends
| the obstreperous speech and the ses.
| sion for the time being.
In Italy the Chamber of Deputies,
which Is more important than the
Senate. can at any time amend the