or in the absence, of a debate, the Speaker, on the "previous question" being moved, puts a question in the form "that the question be now put." Those who wish to avoid an issue being come to vote in the negative, and the rest in the affirmative. The "previous question" is whether the debated question shall be put.

If

When the Committee of the whole House has finally determined on the shape which a Bill shall take, it is “reported" to the House, and if amendments have been made it is ordered to be considered at a future day, on which day a motion is made that the Bill be read a third time, and after that a motion is made "that this Bill do pass." this is agreed to, the Bill is held to be passed by the House of Commons, and is sent up to the House of Lords to be passed in a similar way there. It will have been seen that the following are the different stages through which a Bill passes:

it in.

1. Motion for leave to bring in the Bill.

Order to bring

2. Motion to have Bill read a first time. Order that it be read a first time.

3. Motion to have Bill read a second time. be read a second time.

Order that it

4. Motion to have the Bill "committed." Order that it be committed."

5. Committee on details of Bill. Report of Committee. 6. Motion that Bill be read a third time. Motion that it be passed. Passing of a Bill and sending of it to House of Lords.

When the House of Lords has considered the Bill, if it makes no changes in it, nothing remains to be done but to obtain the Royal Assent, that is, the assent of the Queen. This is now-a-days never refused, and is, in fact, a purely formal proceeding.

If the House of Lords makes any changes in the Bill, it must go down to the House of Commons again, and the

ments.

House of Commons must either accept the Lords' amendments or reject them. If it accept them the Bill is ready for the Royal Assent. If it reject them the Bill is lost unless the House of Lords can be induced to give up their amendIn order to bring this about two practices are resorted to-one, that of sending the Bill back to the Lords with the reasons for not accepting the amendments. This is the customary mode. The other practice (which is rare) is that of requesting a Conference between the two Houses, that is, a meeting of certain Members of both Houses for the purpose of ascertaining the points of difference between the Houses, and of thereby bringing the Houses into harmony.

It is to be noticed that the House cannot begin business unless forty Members are present. It proceeds, whatever number of Members are present, unless a Member "takes notice that forty Members are not present. If, on the House being counted by the Speaker, this is found to be so, the House is adjourned. At any time during the discussion of the Bill, a Member may endeavour to get rid of it for the session by moving "That it be read again this day six months, or three months," choosing the date so as to make it fall during the vacation. A Member may also suspend or arrest a Bill for a time by moving that the matter with which it deals be referred to a "Select Committee," that is, a small body of not more than fifteen Members sitting apart.

Select Committees of the House sit every day for a variety of purposes. They examine witnesses on oath, inspect documents, and investigate minutely all the details of a question. Upon completing the inquiry, they report to the House upon the desirableness or inexpediency of any legislation proposed.

The service on Select Committees, which sit during the day, involves some of the most arduous work of the House of Commons, as it is in addition to the attendance on the evening debate.

Sometimes a difficult question, full of details, is similarly

investigated by what is called a "Royal Commission"-that is, a body of men, generally including Members of the Houses of Lords and Commons, specially chosen by the Government.

The attendance of Members in the House of Commons is very variable from day to day. Sometimes (that is, on very important public occasions) as many as 500 are present; at other times less than 100. Members generally attend most when business is being done in which they themselves or their constituencies are concerned, or when great party votes are to be taken.

It will be understood that all Bills, with the exception of those affecting taxation, may be proposed first in the House of Lords, though, in fact, comparatively few are. When a Bill has been first carried in the House of Lords it is sent down to the Commons, and has there to pass through all the same stages which it would have to pass if it had been originally proposed there.

One important part of the work of both Houses of Parliament is the receipt of Petitions. Any person in the country, and any number of persons jointly, may petition the House—that is, they signify their wishes with respect to any Bill which is before the House, or about a matter upon which it is expected or feared that a Bill will be presented, and may pray the House to introduce, reject, or alter a Bill. The petitions must be introduced by a Member of the House, and must be signed by each of the persons who join in sending them. Sometimes petitions have many thousands of names attached, and they are said to have a certain influence on the House.

Though it is the constitutional duty of all Members of Parliament to attend the meetings of the House to which they belong, yet it is only when special business is about to be undertaken that means are taken to secure their presence. The most effective method, though one rarely resorted to, is what is termed a "call of the House." This is an order

to have the Members of either House called over, when absent Members, if not capable of excusing their absence, are liable to be committed into custody or even fined. There is, however, no compulsory process by which Members can be obliged to vote.

When a Member of the House of Commons desires to remain in the country, he must in strictness apply to the House for leave of absence, for which sufficient reasons must be given. But, in practice, it is only necessary to do so when serving on Committees.

Absent peers are entitled to vote by proxy, though the practice is beginning to be looked upon with growing disfavour. Similarly, in both Houses, the system of "pairing," by which two Members, who belong to opposed parties, or are opposed to each other on particular questions, agree to absent themselves at the same time, whether it be for one sitting of the House, or for weeks or months, is found very convenient, though it is not publicly recognised.

Besides expressing assent or dissent by a vote, peers may record their opinion and the grounds of it by a protest, which is entered in the Journals together with the names of all the peers who concur in it.

Strangers-that is persons not members of the Househave no legal right to be admitted into either House while it is sitting. They are, however, usually admitted by courtesy into places set apart for their use, and admission can be obtained on a Member's order if there is room enough. It is competent for any Member of the House of Commons to "take notice" of the presence of strangers, and the Speaker is obliged to order them to withdraw. These rules extend to reporters. The exclusion of strangers is rarely resorted to, and it is likely that this anomalous privilege, in

its present form, will shortly be taken away.

Either House, if it desires to do so, can withhold a knowledge of its proceedings from the public, and can punish any violation of its orders in this respect. It is not customary

E

for either House to object to bonâ fide reports of Parliamentary proceedings, and indeed the utmost facilities are afforded to newspaper reporters in both Houses.

A very important constitutional remedy against abuses by ministers of the Crown, or by other persons in important public situations, is that known as Impeachment. This proceeding is almost disused at present, because of its cumbrousness and the strong party feelings to which it gives rise. It might, however, under some circumstances, be revived.

An Impeachment is a judicial trial, by the House of Lords, of a person accused, by the House of Commons, of grave offences which the ordinary law cannot reach, through its insufficiency or uncertainty, or in case of which it is apprehended that the execution of the law will be corruptly interfered with. The proceedings are lengthy and involved owing to the number of persons who must necessarily take part in them. Either a Peer or Commoner, in or out of the House of Commons, may be impeached for any alleged offence whatever. A motion is made by a Member of the House of Commons that a person named be impeached; and if a resolution to this effect be agreed to, a Committee is appointed to draw up the "Articles of Impeachment.” These Articles, together with the answers of the accused, are communicated to the Lords, who fix a day for the trial. In the mean time the Commons appoint "managers" to prepare evidence and conduct the proceedings, and desire the Lords to summon all witnesses who are required to prove the charges. The accused may have summonses issued to his own witnesses, and is entitled to make his full defence by Counsel. The trial has usually been held in Westminster Hall, and resembles, in its proceedings, an ordinary criminal trial. If the accused be found guilty, it is for the Commons to demand judgment of the Lords, and the Commons reserve to themselves the right of not pressing for judgment. The