'The Budget Committee of the Reichstag
'Besides the estimates, questions of great public interest, especially in connection with foreign affairs, are occasionally referred to the Budget Committee.
'It consists of twenty-eight members, appointed by the leaders of the various parties in the Reichstag, who alone have power to add to or make any alteration in the committee.
'A reporter ("Referent") and assistant-reporter are appointed, who can work separately or together as they like, and who report verbally to the whole committee.
'There are no regular sub-committees, These are occasionally appointed by the committee, and consist of from three to seven members.
'Neither the sub-committees nor the Budget Committee itself have the right to send for persons, papers, or records, but they can, and often do, ask the president of the Reichstag to do so.
'After the Budget Committee has received and considered the reports of the various reporters, a general reporter is appointed who reports verbally to the Reichstag.
'The distribution of the questions to be reported on is made by the heads of the committee after agreement with the members.
'Ministers can always make statements in the committee.
'The proceedings are secret, but reports of the sittings are issued.'—Ibid., pp. 8–11.
III. United States of America:
Mr. James Bryce, in transmitting, on January 31, 1912, a memorandum prepared by the councillor of the British embassy at Washington, wrote:
'Upon the general subject it is sufficient to say that when the United States constitution was formed, the question arose as to the authorities of the Government in which the control of foreign affairs should be vested. To have given it to the executive alone, following the precedent of England,[1]
- ↑ This is not wholly true of England, since even in the eighteenth century the executive, in so far as Ministers and a Cabinet stood for the executive, was to a considerable extent dependent upon the Houses of Parliament for its own life and for security of policy.
