legislature
    n 1: persons who make or amend or repeal laws [syn:
         legislature, legislative assembly, legislative body,
         general assembly, law-makers]

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.
         ----------------------------------------------------------------
         *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.]

LEGISLATURE, government. That body of men in the state which has the power 
of making laws. 
     2. By the Constitution of the United States, art. 1, s. 1, all 
legislative powers granted by it are vested in a congress of the United 
States, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives. 
     3. It requires the consent of a majority of each branch of the 
legislature in order to enact a law, and then it must be approved by the 
president of the United States, or in case of his refusal, by two-thirds of 
each house. Const. U. S. art. 1, s. 7, 2. 
     4. Most of the constitutions of the several states, contain provisions 
nearly similar to this. In general, the legislature will not exercise 
judicial functions; yet the use of supreme power upon particular occasions, 
is not without example. Vide Judicial.