Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 18.djvu/334

312 PARLIAMENT behalf of the Commons, " to their ancient and undoubted rights and privileges. " The Speaker, now fully confirmed, returns to the House of Commons, and, after repeating his acknowledgments, reminds the House that the first thing to be done is to take and subscribe the oath required by law. Having first taken the oath himself, he is followed by other members, who come to the table to be sworn. The swearing of members in both Houses proceeds from day to day, until the greater number have taken the oath, or affirmation, when the causes of summons are declared by Her Majesty in person, or by commission, in "the Queen s speech. " This speech being considered in both Houses, an address in answer is agreed to, which is presented to Her Majesty by the whole House, or by " the lords with white staves" in one House and privy councillors in the other. Sittings of Both Houses. The real business of the session now commences : the committees of supply and ways and means are set up ; bills are introduced ; motions are made ; committees are appointed ; and both Houses are, at once, in full activity. The Lord Chancellor presides over the deliberations of the Lords, and the Speaker over those of the Commons. A quorum of the House of Lords, including the Chancellor, is three ; that of the House of Commons, including the Speaker, is forty. If forty members cannot be assembled at 4 o clock, the House is at once adjourned ; and so also if it be found, at a later hour, that less than that number are present. The Lords usually met at 5 o clock, but have recently changed that hour to a quarter past 4. The usual hour for the meeting of the Commons is a quarter before 4, except on Wed nesdays, when the House meets at 12 and adjourns at 6, and on other morning sittings from 2 till 7. In both Houses accommo dation is provided for strangers and reporters, and there are separate galleries for ladies. Questions put from the Chair. Every matter is determined, in both Houses, upon questions put from the chair, and resolved in the affirmative or negative, or otherwise disposed of by the with drawal of the motion, by amendments, by the adjournment of the House, by reading the orders of the day, or by the previous question. Notices are required to be given of original motions ; and the different stages of bills, and other matters appointed for considera tion by the House, stand as orders of the day. Certain days in the week are appointed for notices of motions and orders of the day respectively ; and on Monday and Thursday Government orders of the day have precedence. Questions of privilege are allowed pre cedence of all the business on any day ; but this rule, being liable to grave abuses, is guarded by strict limitations. Debate arises when a question has been proposed from the chair ; and at the close of the debate the question is put, with or without amendment, as the case may be, and is determined, when necessary, by a division. No question or bill, substantially the same as one upon which the judgment of the House has already been given, may be again pro posed during the same session. Rules of Debate. Members claim to be heard in debate by rising in their places. When more than one member rises at the same time, in the Lords the member who is to speak is called by the House, in the Commons by the Speaker. Every member, when called.is bound to speak to the question before the House ; and calls to order for irrelevance, or for referring to other matters which have been disposed of, or which stand for consideration on other days, are very frequent. A member may speak once only to any question, except to explain, or upon a point of order, or to reply when a mem ber has himself submitted a motion to the House, or when an amend ment has been moved which constitutes a new question. He may not refer to past debates, nor to debates in the other House ; nor may he refer to any other member by name, or use offensive and disorderly language against the Queen, either House of Parliament, or other members. Members offending against any of the rules of debate are called to order by the Speaker, or the attention of the chair is directed to the breach of order by another member. Order is generally enforced by the authority of the chair ; but in extreme cases, and especially when obstruction is being practised, the offend ing member is named by the Speaker, and suspended by an order of the House, or otherwise punished at the discretion of the House. And, when a debate lias been unduly prolonged, the House may order it to be closed, but under such conditions and restrictions that this power can rarely be exercised. The rules to be observed by members in the House during a debate are such as to ensure the order and decorum becoming a deliberative assembly. Divisions. At the conclusion of a d<;bate,unlessthemotion be with drawn, or the fjuestion (on being put from the chair) be agreed to, or negatived, the House proceeds to a division, which effects the twofold purpose of ascertaining the numbers supporting and opposing the question, and of recording the names of members voting on either side. Oa each side of the House is a division lobby ; and in the Lords the "contents" and in the Commons the "ayes" are directed to go to the right, and the "not contents" or "noes" to the left. The former pass into the right lobby, at the back of the speaker s chair, and return to the House through the bar ; the latter pass into the left lobby, at the bar, and return at the back of the chair. The opposing parties are thus kept entirely clear of one another. In each lobby there are two members acting as t ellers, who count the members as they pass, and two division clerks who take down their names. After the division, the four tellers advance to the table, and the numbers are reported by one of the tellers for the majority. In case of an equality of numbers, in the Lords the question is negatived in virtue of the ancient rule " semper prresumitur pro negaute"; in the Commons the Speaker gives the casting vote. Committees of the Whole House. For the sake of convenience in the transaction of business, there are several kinds of committees. Of these the most important is a committee of the whole House, which, as it consists of the entire body of members, can scarcely be accounted a committee. It is presided over by a chairman, who sits in the clerk s chair at the table, the mace, which represents the authority of the House itself, being for the time placed under the table. In this committee are discussed the several provisions of bills, resolutions, and other matters requiring the consideration of details. To facilitate discussion, members are allowed to speak any number of times to the same question ; otherwise the proceed ings are similar to those of the House itself. In the Lords, the chair is taken by the chairman of committees ; and in the Commons by the chairman of the committee of ways and means, or in his absence by any other member. The quorum of such a committee is the same as that of the House itself. It reports from time to time to the House, but has no power of adjournment. Grand and Standing Committees. In the House of Commons there were formerly four grand committees, viz., for religion, for grievances, for courts of justice, and for trade. They were founded upon the valuable principle of a distribution of labours among several bodies of members ; but, having fallen into disuse, they were discontinued in 1832. The ancient committee of privileges, in which "all who come are to have voices," is still appointed at the commencement of every session, but is rarely called into action, as it has been found more convenient to appoint a select committee to inquire into any question of privilege as it arises. In 1882 a partial revival of grand committees was effected by the appointment of two standing committees for the consideration of bills relating to law and courts of justice and to trade ; and there is reasonable ground for hoping that this system may be widely extended, so as to lighten the labours of the House, and facilitate the arduous work of legislation. Select Committees. In select committees both Houses find the means of delegating inquiries, and the consideration of other matters, which could not be undertaken by the whole House. The reports of such committees have formed the groundwork of many important measures ; and bills are often referred to them which receive a fuller examination than could be expected in a committee of the whole House. Pow r er is given to such committees, when required, to send for persons, papers, and records. In the Lords the power of examin ing witnesses upon oath has always been exercised, but it was not until 1871 that the same power was extended to the Commons, by statute. Communications between the Two Houses. In the course of the proceedings of parliament, frequent communications between the two Houses become necessary. Of these the most usual and con venient form is that of a message. Formerly the Lords sent a message by two judges, or two masters in chancery, and the Commons by a deputation of their own members ; but since 1855 messages have been taken from one House to the other by one of the clerks at the table. A more formal communication is effected by a conference, in reference to amendments to bills or other matters ; but this proceeding has been in great measure superseded by the more simple form of a message. The two Houses are also occasion ally brought into communication by means of joint committees and of select committees communicating with each other. Communications bctivccn the Crown and Parliament. Communi cations, in various forms, are also conducted between the crown and both Houses of Parliament. Of these the most important are those in which the Queen, in person or by commission, is present in the House of Lords, to open or prorogue parliament, or to give the royal assent to bills. Her Majesty is then in direct communi cation with the three estates of the realm, assembled in the same chamber. The Queen also sends messages to both Houses under the royal sign manual, when all the members arc uncovered. Verbal messages are also sent, and the Queen s pleasure, or royal recommendation or consent to bills, or other matters, signified through a minister of the crown or a privy councillor. Messages under the sign manual are acknowledged by addresses, except where grants of money are proposed, in which case no address is presented by the Commons, who acknowledge them by making pro vision accordingly.