Introduction
Preliminary discussion
1. The 628-member parliament, termed the Federal Assembly.
2. The lower chamber is State Duma, the upper chamber is Federation Council.
3. The legislative power is limited.
4. The legislative process in Russia includes three hearings in the State Duma, then approvals by the Council of the Federation and the President.
Draft laws may originate in either legislative chamber, or they may be submitted by the president, the Government, local legislatures and the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, or the Superior Court of Arbitration within their respective competences. Draft laws are first considered in the State Duma. Upon adoption by a majority of the full State Duma membership, a draft law is considered by the Federation Council, which has fourteen days to place the bill on its calendar. Conciliation commissions are the prescribed procedure to work out differences in bills considered by both chambers.
5. President.
6. A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop a piece of legislation. The President can refuse to sign a bill and return it to Parliament with his proposals. If the parliament agrees on his proposals, the President should sign the bill. Parliament can overturn a veto by 2/3 majority. If the parliament overturns his veto, the President should sign the bill. If he fails to do so in 10 days, then the Chairman of the Parliament signs it.
7. The 628-member parliament, termed the Federal Assembly, consists of two chambers, the 450-member State Duma (the lower house) and the 176-member Federation Council (the upper house).
Russia is a federation which, as of March 1, 2008, consists of 83 "federal subjects" (members of the Federation).[1] In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed. By 2008 the number of federal subjects had been decreased to 83 due to mergers.
The federal subjects are of equal federal rights in the sense that they have equal representation—two delegates each—in the Federation Council (upper house of the Federal Assembly). They do, however, differ in the degree of autonomy they enjoy.
LESSON 1
A. Reading
Exercises
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A Parliamentary Chamber – one of the parts of a parliament.
A Bill – a written suggestion for a new law that is presented to a country’s parliament so that its members can discuss it.
The Barons’ War – a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward (later Edward I of England), in the name of Henry III.
Absolutism – a political system in which a ruler or government has total power at all times.
The «divine right» - the doctrine that a monarch derives his or her power directly from God.
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This document gave the noblemen a legitimate share in the government of the country and deprived the king of the power to treat them as he pleased - Этот документ дал дворянам законную долю в правительстве страны и лишил царя власти относиться к ним как ему вздумается.
For a long time, the upper chamber had more power, but with the decline of feudalism the influence of the House of Commons was growing - Долгое время верхняя палата имела большую власть, но с падением феодализма влияние Палаты общин росло.
Parliament gained strength after the death of Henry VIII and was strong enough even in the days of his powerful daughter, Elizabeth I, but she preserved her popularity with
Parliament by keeping her expenses as small as possible - Парламент окреп после смерти Генриха VIII и был достаточно силен даже в дни правления своей властительной дочери, Елизаветы I, но она сохранила свою популярность у парламента удерживая как можно меньшие расходы.
When James I, the son of Mary Stuart, succeeded Elizabeth on the English throne, he expected to rule the country in his own way, without interference from Parliament - Когда Джеймсу I, сыну Марии Стюарт, удалось посадить Елизавету на английский трон, он рассчитывал управлять страной по-своему, без вмешательства со стороны парламента.
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To be deprived of the one’s lands – to be prevented from having one’s lands.
To be outlawed – to be made no longer legal.
A settlement – a place where people have come to live and make their homes, especially where few or no people lived before.
Rebellious – unwilling to obey rules or accept normal standards of behaviour, dress; opposed to the government of a country, opposed to those in authority within an organization.
A reign – the period during which a king, queen, emperor, etc. rules.
A shire – a country (now used in the names of some countries in Britain).
A borough – a town or part of a city that has its own local government.
To split the country – to divide the country into smaller parts.
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1. The barons had their own lands and soldiers and did not let the king to have too much power. As a result there were constant quarrels between powerful barons and the kings who wanted more lands and more power.
2. The Magna Carta gave the noblemen a legitimate share in the government of the country and deprived the king of the power to treat them as he pleased.
3. The noblemen discussed the affairs of the government, law and finance.
4. When Henry III, the son of King John, became the King, he tried to get more power in his hands. Simon de Monfort was the leader of the rebellious barons.
5. The House of Lords composed of the representatives of aristocracy and the Church, the House of Commons composed of the representatives of common people.
6. The chief reason for the quarrels between the kings and the parliaments was about the right to impose taxes.
7. During the reign of Henry VIII.
8. Elizabeth I preserved her popularity with Parliament by keeping her expenses as small as possible.
9. James I expected to rule the country in his own way, without interference from Parliament. Charles I had been brought up to believe that he ruled by «divine right» and could therefore call for as much money as he liked.
10. The conflict between Puritans and Cavaliers.
Guided composition
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Puritanism – пуританство
The Reformation – реформация
The Pope of Rome – Папа Римский
Industrious – трудолюбивый
The Cavaliers – кавалеры
The Roundheads – круглоголовые
The clash – столкновение
The «divine right» - «божественное право»
To dismiss Parliament – распустить парламент
An untrained army – плохо обученная армия
To be handed over to smb – быть выданным кому-либо
The high treason – государственная измена
The «firm hand» – жесткая политика
To retain the office – удержать власть
With great rejoicing – с ликованием
Unrestrained debauchery – неистовый разгул
To get alarmed – испугаться
To abdicate – отречься от престола
The Glorious Revolution – Славная революция
By consent of Parliament – с согласия парламента
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1. The Reformation wanted to «clear» the Church from the pompous ceremonies with organ music, great dresses of clergy etc.
2. The Puritans were the serious, industrious and religious people. They earned nickname
«the roundheads».
3. Their opponents called themselves Cavaliers – the king and his yard. Dressed in silk
and velvet, with feathers on their wide-brimmed hats, worn on top of powdered wigs,
they seemed to be creatures from another world.
4. When the new king Charles I was on the throne.
5. The «divine right».
6. He dismissed Parliament and ruled himself.
7. In 1642 the Civil War break out in England.
8. The victors in the first battles were the Cavaliers with the head prince Rupert.
9. Oliver Cromwell.
10. The battle near Neisby in 1645.
11. King Charles I was executed.
12. He abolished the hereditary House of Lords and left only the House of Commons, but soon he reformed it, denying opportunity to oppose his «firm hand».
13. Because there was no difference between his methods of ruling and methods of Charles I.
14. After Cromwell’s death, his son Richard couldn’t retain the office.
15. Charles II was in exile in France.
16. The Londoners greeted the returned monarch with great rejoicing.
17. The royalists dug the body of Cromwell from his grave and hanged in the square.
18. Because the pendulum of public morality has swung from Puritan restraint and sobriety to the drunken revelry and boisterous amusements of the court of Charles II.
19. Because he was a fervent Catholic and the Parliament was afraid of this fact.
20. He forced to abdicate in favour of his older daughter Mary, because she was Protestant and was married with Protestant – Prince William of Orange.
21. The historians call this substitution the Glorious Revolution.
22. On the condition when the King ruled by consent of Parliament.
D. WRITING A COMPOSITION
Assignments
English history of 18 century looks like a stopping train. 200 years later the Great Revolution, the Reform Bill became a low. It happened on the 7th of June, 1832. According to the Bill the number of electors changed from 200 000 to 670 000 with the population 14 mln people. But that document had its consequences.
First of all, handing the political power over the middle class, the Bill strengthened the liberal county. Some northern cities sent their representative people to the Parliament and as a result there was built a new political group, more radical than liberal. They followed the independent course.
From the other hand, the Bill changed the balance of forces. The House of Commons make it impossible for lords to influence on the Parliament. King’s doings also changed. He took a great part in political power.
The last consequence is that workers who fought for that Act understood that this Reform gave them nothing and became a reason of developing of Chartist movement.
Lesson 2