PARLIAMENT

as a representative a embly, dates from 1265, when Simon de Montford forced Henry III. to i ue a writ summoning representatives of counties and some towns. At first the only real busine was to vote supplies, but the practice grew up of attaching complaints to the money bills, and gradually the money was kept back until the complaint had been attended to. The officers of P. are the Lord High Chancellor, the Speaker, the Sergeant at-Arms, the Clerk, and Black Rod. The ‘Committees’ are either of the whole house, i.c. an ordinary sitting only with the Chairman of Ways and Means instead of the Speaker in the chair, or ‘Of Supply,’ ‘ Select,’ ‘ Standing,' etc. Bills are cither public or private, and can be carried by a majority even of 1. Two enormously important bills were carried by 1 vote—the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Reform Bill of 1832; and, in matters of such gigantic importance, a majority ought to be large enough to make the opinion of the country quite clear. The Public Education Act was carried by 2, and the Liberals were turned out in 1873 by 3 votes. There have also been ‘glorious minorities of 1.' Mr. Fawcett walked into the lobby alone to Kenealy was “1 to 433” on a motion about ‘the Claimant.’ sittings—26 The same decade saw a number of very long hours on July 31 to August 1, 1877; 21 hours on August 26 and 27, 1880; 22 hours on January 25 and 26, 1881; 28 hours on June 30 to July x, 1882 (at which 25 Irish members were suspended); 4i£ hours on January 31 to February 1 and 2, with—“Mr. 1881. Every member must preface his remarks Speaker, Sir.’’ Hats may be worn by members while sitting, but any one who rises to speak or get a paper, etc., must take his hat off. They are also used to keep seats. Any member can clear the House at once by saying that “there are strangers in the gallery. ’’