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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Legislature \Leg"is*la`ture\ (l[e^]j"[i^]s*l[=a]`t[-u]r; 135),
n. [Cf. F. l['e]gislature.]
The body of persons in a state or kingdom invested with power
to make and repeal laws; a legislative body.
[1913 Webster]

Without the concurrent consent of all three parts of
the legislature, no law is, or can be, made. --Sir M.
Hale.
[1913 Webster]

Note: The legislature of Great Britain consists of the Lords
and Commons, with the king or queen, whose sanction is
necessary to every bill before it becomes a law. The
legislatures of most of the United States consist of
two houses or branches; but the sanction or consent of
the governor is required to give their acts the force
of law, or a concurrence of two thirds of the two
houses after he has refused his sanction and assigned
his objections.
[1913 Webster]

Note: The legislatures of some of the more important states
having constitutional government are as follows, the
general name (or a translation of it) of the
legislative body collectively being given under the
heading legislature, or parliament: StateLegislature,
or parliamentUpper House[colret]NameNumber of members
-- how chosen or composed -- term of officeLower
House[colret]NameNumber of members -- suffrage -- term
of office

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ArgentinaNational CongressSenate30 -- 2 from each
provincew and 2 from capital -- 9 yearsHouse of
Deputies120 (1 to 33,000) -- Manhood -- 4 years
AustriaReichsrath BelgiumThe Chambers BrazilNational
Congress ChileNational Congress DenmarkRigsdag
FranceNational Assembly German EmpireImperial
legislature *Great BritainParliamentHouse of LordsAbout
600House of CommonsAbout 670 -- 7 years, or until
dissolution Greece HungaryOrz['a]g-gy["u]l['e]s
ItalyParliament JapanImperial Diet MexicoCongress
NetherlandsStates-General #NorwayStorthing
PortugalCortes Geraes (general Assembly)
PrussiaLandtagHerrenhausNo limit -- very various
classes -- For different termsAbgeordnetenhaus433 --
Indirect election, general suffrage[sect] -- 5 years,
or until dissolution SpainCortes SwedenDiet
SwitzerlandBundesversammlung United
StatesCongressSenate92(1908) -- 6 yearsHouse of
Representatives391 (1908) -- 2 years.
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*In the self-governing colonies of Great Britain the
legislative body usually consists of two chambers, the
names of the legislature and the chambers varying. Thus
in Australia the Federal Parliament is composed of the
Senate and the House of Commons, in New Zealand the
General Assembly is composed of the Legislative Council
and the House of Representatives, etc. #Members of the
Storthing are chosen for three years by direct election
by manhood suffrage, forty-one being elected from the
towns and eighty-two from the rural districts. The
Storthing on assembling divides into the Lagthing
including one fourth and the Odelsthing including three
fourths of the total membership of the Storthing. All
new laws are laid first before the Odelsthing. If the
two houses do not agree they vote in joint session, a
majority of two thirds of those voting being necessary
to a decision. [sect] While theoretically general, the
suffrage is so classified as often practically to
disfranchise those who are not property holders.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]