to answer them—is by the tabling of an interpellation, signed by not less than thirty deputies. On the day when the interellation is placed on the order paper the president asks the mperial Chancellor "whether and when" he will answer the interpellation. If the Chancellor consents to answer, the interpellator delivers a speech, the Chancellor or his representative replies, and a debate may follow if it is desired by not less than fifty members. Motions on the subject of the interpellation are not permissible.
'(c) Motions of any kind can be tabled if signed by not less than fifteen deputies, and if they are not withdrawn after debate, votes are taken upon them. The presentation of critical motions is, however, almost invariably checked by the knowledge that the Imperial Chancellor or his "representatives" will neither take part in nor even attend the debate, and by the fact that a motion which is carried remains an academic expression of opinion. The small number of interpellations, and motions on foreign questions during the last session[1] of the Reichstag shows to what extent that body makes use of its powers apart from the annual discussion on the estimates.
'As will appear from what has been said, deputies have no power to put questions except by means of the procedure for interpellations which has been described.
'It has been observed that the effective powers of the Reichstag are limited to a share in legislation. The necessity therefore for the Government to consult the Reichstag arises in international questions only when legislation is necessary (see last paragraph of article 11 of the constitution, quoted above). A case has recently arisen of an important treaty which was found not to involve legislation, and therefore not to require the Reichstag's consent. The "Bundesgebiet", or federal territory, is defined by article 1 of the constitution, which gives a list of all the Federal States, and "alterations of the constitution can be effected only by legislation. They are considered as rejected if they have 14 votes in the Federal Council against them” (article 78 of the constitution). The
- ↑ This Report was transmitted from Berlin by Earl Granville to Sir Edward Grey at the Foreign Office in December 1911.
