The evidence of election is the return sent to the Crown office by the returning officer at the election. If the validity of an election is disputed, the question is tried and decided by election judges appointed by, and from among members of the High Court. A member must, before sitting or voting as such, except in the election of speaker, take the oath of allegiance, or make an affirmation to the same effect.
The chief alterations in the electoral law which took place in the 19th century were the Reform Act of 1832 which abolished pocket boroughs and enfranchised the middle classes; the Reform Act of 1867 which, by establishing household suffrage and introducing the lodger franchise in boroughs enfranchised the urban workingman; the Ballot Act, 1872, which in troduced secret voting; the Reform Act of 1884, which enfranchised the rural laborer by extending household franchise to the counties; and the Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885, which made single member constituencies the general rule, and raised the number of seats to 670. As stated above, 37 seats are added by the Act of 1918.
The two Houses hold their sittings in the Palace of Westminster, which is appropriated to their use and to the use of the offices con nected with them. The chambers in which they sit are so placed that, if the intervening doors are open, the King's throne at the south end of the House of Lords is visible from the speaker's chair at the north end of the House of Commons. The House of Commons does not occupy the site of the old Saint Stephen's chapel, which was burnt down in 1834, but is constructed on the same general plan, and does not provide sitting accommodation, in the body of the House, for more than about 300 out of the 670 members. For discomfort of crowding there is some compensation in case of hearing.
The accident that the House of Commons sits in a narrow room, with benches facing each other, and not, like most Continental legis latures, in a semi-circular space, with seats arranged like those of a theatre, makes for the two party system, and against groups shading into each other.
The duration of a Parliament was limited by the Septennial Act of George the First's reign to seven years, but its existence was always terminated by dissolution before the expiration of that period. The Parliament Act of 1911 reduced the maximum duration to five years. This measure was introduced by the Liberal government in April 1910. The royal proclama
tion which dissolves one Parliament always summons another.
There are, or may be, several sessions of the same Parliament. A session is terminated by prorogation, which is an act of the Crown, done on the advice of Ministers. The business of each session begins with a King's speech, which announces its program, and ends with another King's speech, which reviews its proceedings. Each House has the power of adjourning its sitting from time to time. Thus it adjourns from day to day, and always adjourns for a short recess at Easter and ,Whitsuntide. The two Houses usually meet in February and sit till some time in August, but sometimes hold a late autumn sitting after an autumn recess. The time of meeting is practically fixed by the financial year, which ends on 31 March. Estimates for the ensuing financial year can not well be got ready before February, and there is certain financial business which must be got through lefore the end of March.
Each House has its own staff. The Lord Chancellor is Speaker of the House of Lords, and is assisted by a salaried Lord Chairman of Committees. The House has a permanent clerical staff with the Clerk of the Parliament at its head. 'Fhe Gentleman-Usher of the Black Rod, who has a Yeoman-Usher to assist him, summons the Commons when their attendance is required in the House of Lords, and per forms certain other functions mostly cere monial.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is elected by the House from among its own members for each Parliament. He is the rep resentative and spokesman of the House in its collective capacity (whence his name) ; he pre sides at meetings of the House; and be de clares and interprets its law. Though neces sarily a party man representing a constituency, he is independent of party, and his tenure of office is not affected by a change of ministry. His powers are more extensive than those of the Speaker of the House of Lords. He has an official residence, besides his salary ($25,000). He is assisted by a chairman and deputy chairman of Ways and Means, who take the chair at meetings of a committee of the whole House (there are temporary chairmen also) and who can take the speaker's place as deputy speaker during his temporary absence. These are the only members of the House who receive salaries as officials of the House.