Reports from His Majesty's Representatives in Foreign Countries respecting the Methods of taking Divisions in Legislative Assemblies, and the Number and Duration of the Sittings.

Circular addressed to His Majesty's Representatives in Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

My Lord,

Sir,

Foreign Office, August 2, 1901.

I REQUEST that you will furnish a Report with regard to the various methods of taking divisions in the Parliament of the country to which you are accredited.

Your Report should also contain particulars as to the number of days the Chambers of the Legislative Assembly sit in the course of the year, and the time occupied by a single sitting.

A copy of each of the printed books and pamphlets referred to in this paper, which relate to procedure in the United States of America, has been deposited in the Library of the House of Commons.

Answers to preceding Circular.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

No. 1.

My Lord,

Sir F. Plunkett to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received September 16.)

Vienna, August 15, 1901. WITH reference to your Lordship's Circular of the 2nd August, I have the honour to inclose herewith Reports as to the methods of taking divisions which are in force in the Austrian Reichsrath, and in the Chambers of the Legislative Assembly in Hungary.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

F. R. PLUNKETT.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Report by Mr. Rennie as to the Methods of taking Divisions in the Austrian Reichsrath.

THE Austrian Reichsrath consists of two Houses. The Upper House ("Herrenhaus") numbering in 1899 some 136 Members, and the Lower House (" Abgeordneten Haus containing, up to 1897, 353 Members, and, since that date, 425 Members. At ordinary sittings of the Chamber from 200 to 300 Members are present. 100 Members are necessary to form a quorum.

The same methods of taking divisions are resorted to in both Houses.

Method 1.-The President of the Chamber, in putting a motion, calls on the Members in its favour to stand up in their places, and those opposed to it to remain sitting. In this case the President is not obliged, unless specially called on to do so, to give the exact numbers for or against the motion. If the numbers for and against the motion are to be given, this process of division occupies about five minutes' time.

Method 2.-Divisions by name.

These only take place

(a.) When the President is in doubt as to the result obtained by method 1; or, (b.) When at least fifty Members demand that the division shall thus take place.

In this case the question is put and the names of the Members called over in alphabetical order by a clerk, each Member present replying, "Yes" or "No." The number of votes for or against the motion is then declared by the President. Members not present when their names are called are excluded from recording their vote. This process of taking a division usually occupies half-an-hour.

Method 3.-Divisions by voting papers.

In debates this method only takes place at the special request of the House. There are two varieties of it.

(a.) Each Member is called up in alphabetical order and places in an urn a paper marked "Yes" or "No," which has been previously distributed among the Members. If the number of votes does not correspond with the number of voters the division must again be taken. Any Member absent when his name is called is excluded from voting. This system obtains when the House elects its President, Vice-President,

and the Members of the Austrian Delegation, and occupies something over half-an

hour.

(b.) In the case of ordinary elections, i.e., for the selection of Committees, Clerks of the House, &c., voting papers are dropped in an urn placed in the centre of the room, the Members coming forward in any order, until the President declares the poll closed. About ten minutes are required for thus taking a vote.

The standing order of the House lays down that Members must hand in their voting papers in person, and that no member present at the sitting may abstain from voting.

The system of pairing appears to be unknown in the Austrian Reichsrath.

It may be stated generally that almost all the business of the House is carried on by method 1 of voting. Requests to take a division by method 2 are frequently made in order to cause obstruction and delay the business of the House, but are generally refused. In the Session of the late Reichsrath, which was a normal one, and lasted from 1891 to 1897, voting by method 2 was resorted to on about seventy occasions. Method 3 is practically only resorted to for the purpose of elections, as previously named.

The work of the Houses commences in October, and they continue sitting until June, with two intervals, at Christmas and Eastertime, of three or four weeks each.

The Lower Chamber sits three, and occasionally four, days a week, and in ordinary quiet times the business begins at 11 o'clock in the morning and continues till 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

(Signed)

ERNEST RENNIE, Secretary in His Majesty's Embassy.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Dr. Brüll to Sir F. Plunkett.

Sir,

Buda-Pesth, September 7, 1901.

IN compliance with the instructions contained in your Excellency's despatch of the 17th August last, I have the honour to inclose herewith a Memorandum relating to the methods of taking divisions in the Chambers of the Legislative Assembly in Hungary.

I have, &c. (Signed)

I. BRÜLL.

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Memorandum on the Method of taking Divisions in the Chambers of the Legislative Assembly in Hungary.

AS a rule divisions are taken by "simple voting," viz., by the "Ayes" standing up and the "Noes" remaining seated.

In the case of such division remaining doubtful, the result must be checked by the renewal of voting in the contrary way (that is, the " Noes" to stand up and the "Ayes" to remain seated).

Should the President deem it necessary, or at the wish of ten Members present, the Members voting must be counted head by head by the Clerks of the House.

In all cases in which the Rules of the House do not compulsorily prescribe the division by "simple voting," the division, if so desired in writing by twenty Members present, must be taken through calling up the Members by their names. At such divisions the Members present give their votes by word of mouth ("aye" and "no")

Divisions taken for the object of elections in the Chambers must always be effected by voting secretly by means of papers. Members when called up by their names must leave their seats, submit their votes on folded papers, and forthwith leave the place where papers are collected. Votes on open papers are disallowed.

the

Sittings in the House of Deputies are, as a rule, permanently held, except three weeks during the Easter and Christmas holidays, and about three months during the

During the Parliamentary period 1896-1901, the House of Deputies sat

The time occupied by a single sitting is determined by the House itself. In the House of Deputies sittings are, as a rule, held from 10 o'clock A.M. until 2 o'clock P.M.

During the Parliamentary period 1896-1901, the House of Magnates sat

The time occupied by a single sitting in the House of Magnates is in each case determined by the House itself.

Sittings usually commence at 11 o'clock in the morning.

BELGIUM.

No. 2.

Mr. Phipps to the Marquess of Lansdowne.—(Received August 12.)

My Lord, Brussels, August 9, 1901. IN compliance with the instructions contained in your Lordship's Circular despatch of the 2nd instant, I have the honour to inclose a short Memorandum by Mr. Raikes, giving the information required as to, the methods of taking divisions in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, and as to the number of days the Chambers have sat in recent years, and the usual time occupied by a sitting.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

CONSTANTINE PHIPPS.

Inclosure in No. 2.

Memorandum by Mr. Raikes on the System of Voting in the Belgian Chamber of
Representatives.

VOTES are taken in two ways:—

1. By "appel nominal," or calling over the names of the Members;

2. By "assis et levé, i.e., by Members standing up.

The first system is used

1. When a Law in its entirety is being voted;

2. When five or more Members demand it;

3. When a vote has been taken by "assis et levé" and there is doubt as to the result.

When a vote is taken by calling over the names of Members, the name of the Member with whom the roll commences is drawn by lot. After the roll has been called the President invites Members who have not voted to do so. The votes are counted by

the President and Secretaries.

If it is not a question of voting a Law in its entirety, the Chamber expresses its opinion by Members standing up, unless, as above stated, five or more Members have demanded the "appel nominal."

The vote taken by Members standing up is not completed until both the Members who are for, and the Members who are against, the motion have risen in turn. The President and Secretaries decide as to the result of the vote, which may be taken a second time. If there is still a doubt, recourse is made to the "appel nominal."

It is, I imagine, much easier for the President to take the opinion of the House by "assis et levé" when Members sit, as in most foreign Chambers, in a semi-circle round the Presidential chair than it would be for the Speaker in the House of Commons.

Duration of Parliamentary Sessions.

The Chambers meet, according to the Belgian Constitution, on the second Tuesday in November of each year unless they have been called together at an earlier date by the King, and they must remain in Session for at least forty days.

There is no rule as to the number of sittings in the course of the year.

During the Session 1897-98, which lasted from the 9th November, 1897, to the the 6th May, 1898, the Senate sat thirty-one times and the Chamber eighty-nine times.

During the Session 1898-99, which lasted from the 8th November, 1898 to the 10th November, 1899, the Senate sat forty-seven times and the Chamber 175 times.

During the Session 1899-1900, which lasted from the 14th November, 1899, to the 7th May, 1900, when a general election took place, the Senate sat thirty-eight times and the Chamber eighty-five times.

There was a special Session in 1900, after the general election, during which the Senate sat five times, and the Chamber seven times

The last Session began in November 1900, and ended on the 8th August, 1901; but the Chamber is to meet again on the 8th October, which will give it three weeks more before the new Session commences in November.

The President of the Chamber. at the close of each sitting, after consultation with the Members, fixes the date of the next sitting, and announces what business will then be discussed. Unless a decision to the contrary is arrived at, dictated by the urgency of legislation, the Chamber does not sit either Saturday or Monday. If the Chamber does not decide to the contrary, the sittings commence at 1·45 P.M.

As a rule the Chamber, when in Session, sits four days a week, from 1·45 P.M. until about 5.30 P.M.; and it has recently been sitting also in the morning, from 10:30 A.M. to 12:45 P.M., to expedite business; but by a mutual arrangement, matters which did not excite great interest were discussed in the morning, and no votes were taken.

It should be remembered that Belgium is a very small country, and that many of the Members live all the year round in their constituencies, so that, as a rule, they have from Friday evening until Tuesday morning at home, and also can return each day for dinner.

An arrangement is sometimes made that no vote can be taken after 5 P.M. so as not to detain Members too late, even if the Chamber sits until 6 P.M.

DENMARK.

No. 3.

Mr. Herbert to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received October 14.)

My Lord, Copenhagen, October 7, 1901. WITH reference to your Lordship's Circular despatch of the 2nd August last asking for information as to the various methods of taking divisions which obtain in different foreign Parliaments, I have the honour to inclose to your Lordship extracts