man till the Speaker is elected. The first incident of the session is the summoning of the Commons to the Peers' Chamber by the Black Rod, the messenger of the Upper House, to hear the royal message. When the King does not open Parliament in person, this is read by the Lord Chancellor. Before the actual reading of the King's speech, the Commons return to their own chamber to elect a Speaker. The Speaker is not a party leader, as in the United States, but is supposed to be strictly impartial, and is usually reëlected regardless of the party in power. He receives an annual salary of £5000, and has some perquisites, such as an official residence. He ranks as first commoner, and when he retires he is usually rewarded with a peerage and a yearly pension of £4000. The chairman of the House of Lords is the Lord Chancellor, whose official seat is the celebrated Woolsack. He is ordinarily a member of the Cabinet. Most of the measures introduced into Parliament are Government bills, and a vote is taken by the members passing out of different doors into the lobby and being counted in the process. Each party has designated members, known as ‘whips,’ who gather the party forces for important divisions in the House of Commons.
Besides the general histories, which will be found in the bibliography under Great Britain, consult: Gneist, The English Parliament in Its Transformations of a Thousand Years, Eng. trans. (4th ed., London, 1895); Smith, History of the English Parliament (ib., 1892); Skottowe, A Short History of Parliament (ib., 1886); Dickinson, The Development of Parliament During the Nineteenth Century (ib., 1895). For the many interesting customs of Parliament and its method of work, consult MacDonagh, The Book of Parliament (ib., 1897).
PARLIAMENT, Houses of, or New Palace of Westminster. The seat of the British legislature, a great mass of buildings on the Thames in London, built at a cost of $15,000,000 after plans by Sir Charles Barry on the site of the previous building, which was destroyed by fire in 1834. The edifice covers an area of eight acres, and contains 1100 apartments, 100 staircases, and 11 courts. The exterior, in rich late-Gothic style, is made impressive by three massive towers: Victoria Tower, 340 feet high; Middle Tower, 300 feet high; and Saint Stephen's or the Clock Tower, 318 feet high. The latter contains a clock with dials 23 feet in diameter, and a great bell, ‘Big Ben,’ weighing 13 tons. The interior is fitted up with much magnificence. In it are the sumptuous House of Peers and the simpler House of Commons, an octagonal central hall. Saint Stephen's Hall on the site of Saint Stephen's Chapel, the former meeting-place of the Commons, the residence of the Speaker and other officials, the libraries, committee rooms, and lobbies connected with the two Houses, and offices. With the edifice is connected Westminster Hall (q.v.). An unsuccessful attempt to destroy the palace by explosions of dynamite was made in 1885. For illustration, see Plate accompanying the article London.
PARLIAMENTARY LAW. The body of rules and precedents regulating the procedure of deliberative assemblies. Certain rules of parliamentary procedure have always been found necessary for the accomplishment of the purposes for which deliberative assemblies are called. Experience has shown that restrictions must be placed on individual members in the general interest of the whole body; that mere customary rules are insufficient, and hence regular parliamentary codes must be prepared for the government of deliberative assemblies. In the United States this has become almost a distinct branch of the law, and its mastery is highly essential to the success of the legislator. The necessary officers of a deliberative assembly are a chairman, usually called Speaker, president, or moderator, and a secretary or clerk. It is the duty of the presiding officer to call the meeting to order; to state clearly all questions brought before the assembly; to put motions properly made and in their proper order; to preserve order and enforce the rules of procedure; and decide questions of order subject to the right of appeal to the whole assembly. These are his primary duties, but he may in addition participate in debate as any other member, and vote in case of a tie. It is the duty of the secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the meeting, including a correct statement of every motion made and the manner in which it was disposed of; the names of members of all committees appointed; a true copy of every resolution passed with the affirmative and negative votes cast therefor, etc.
Business is or should be brought before an assembly by motion of a member or in the form of a resolution which is presented by a member who at once moves its adoption. If it is a mass meeting called for a particular purpose, a motion is made for the appointment of a chairman, who, upon taking the chair, asks for a statement of the purpose for which the meeting is called. A proposition which is presented to an assembly is usually called a motion if it relates to a matter of secondary importance; and a resolution, if of greater importance. The difference is of no practical consequence, however, since a resolution may be offered as a motion and a motion may be presented in the form of a resolution. The member upon whose motion the subject under discussion was brought before the assembly, or upon whose report the conclusion of a committee is presented, is entitled to be recognized as having the floor, although another member may have already risen and addressed the chair. No member who has once had the floor is again entitled to it while the same question is before the assembly so long as any member who has not spoken claims the privilege of the floor. From the decision of the chairman as to the claim of two members for the floor an appeal may be taken, or, in first instance, the chairman may refer the question directly to the assembly for decision. It is the custom, except in the United States Congress, to require important motions to be seconded as a means of assurance that the measure has the support of more than one member. The motion is often seconded as a matter of course, even though the person seconding it may not favor it. After the motion has been made and seconded, the chairman clearly states it to the assembly and then recognizes the author of the motion as entitled to the floor if he wishes to claim it, otherwise the first member who rises and addresses the chair. The question is now before the assembly and cannot be withdrawn or modified by the mover, if any member objects, except by obtaining leave from the assembly or
