23

A.—4,

presents a Report to the Assembly, after wliicli the Budget is voted item, by item. The Senate deals with the Budget in the same way, appointing a Committee of 18 members. The Cour dcs Comptes is composed of eminent Magistrates, who sit as a supreme tribunal, and all expenditure is made subject to its approval. In Germany.—The Estimates are laid before the Reichstag for the Empire, and before the House of Deputies for the Prussian State, before the commencement of the financial year. A special Budget Committee is nominated, consisting of from fourteen to thirty-five members. Formerly the whole Estimates, but at present only special portions requiring sharp scrutiny, are referred to it for discussion. Delegates from the Ministry of Einance attend, and the Committee determine the proposals to be laid before the House, and appoint one or more Reporters for the purpose. Sometimes the President of the Chamber appoints individual members as Commissioners for particular parts of the Estimates, and the Government appoints its own Commissioners, high officials; the former draw from the latter all information desired. The House finally discusses and settles the Budget, before the beginning of the year, or during the first months of it. In Holland. —The Estimates for the year commencing on the Ist January are submitted to the States-General in the September previous, divided into chapters and articles, together with an account of the receipts and expenditure for the last two years. The Lower House is divided into five sections of sixteen members each, each section names a reporter, and the five reporters form a " Commission for the Chapters of the Budget," and report to the Government, which replies in a printed memoirs, proposing such alterations as it thinks fit. The whole then goes before the House, which votes the Estimates article by article. The Lower Chamber has the right of amendment. The Upper Chamber must accept or reject the whole, but may not alter. There is a Board of Control (the Rekenkamer— Cour dcs Comptes), whose members are appointed for life by the Crown out of a list nominated by the Second Chamber. No expenditure takes place without its approval. A clause for "unforeseen expenditure" is attached to every chapter of the Budget; allowing a margin of about 50,000 florins : and there is besides a general vote of 50,000 florins for the same purpose. In Italy. —Each year within the first fortnight in March the Minister of Einance must bring in his " projected Budget" for the next financial year beginning on the Ist January following. The Budget is in ten parts —one for receipts, nine for expenditure; one for each Ministry. He also lays before Parliament the " Definite Budget" or accounts of the year just ended on the 31st December. The Chamber of Deputies elects a General Budget Committee of thirty members by ballot, which divides itself into sub-committees, each of which takes a separate part of the Budget. The Committee reports to the House, which settles the Budget.^ The Senate nominates a Committee of fifteen, which examines the Budget without referring it to sub-committees. If the two Houses differ, the matter in dispute is referred back to one or both till a settlement is arrived at. Nothing can be paid by the Treasury without the sanction of the Court of Accounts (Corte del Conti), composed of independent and irremovable Magistrates. Unforeseen expenses are provided for by a clause in the Budget to the amount of £160,000, with £160,000 as a reserve fund. In Portugal. —The Minister of Einance presents his Budget for the current year to the Legislature at the commencement of each session. Committees are elected by both Houses—the Deputies and the Peers —to investigate the proposals, Avho report to their respective Houses the Budget they recommend. The Government defends its own proposals in both Houses, and the Bill is finally passed by both Houses. In Russia. —Each Ministry prepares its Estimates, and the Minister of Einance presents them in the month of September separately to the Council of the Empire, which is the Supreme Legislative Assembly, composed of members appointed by the Emperor for life. It is divided into permanent Committees, that of " Economy " —consisting of five or six members —deals with matters of finance