Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

is required to have a seat in Parliament; as the Lower House controls the finance, the Ministers of the more important departments are generally members of that House, in order there fully to explain the operations of their departments.

The public business controlled by the Dominion government is transacted through thirteen departments, each of which is controlled by a member of the Ministry. 1. The Interior; 2. Finance; 3. Public Works; 4. State; 5. Railways and Canals; 6. Agriculture; 7. Postal-service; 8. Justice; 9. Marine and Fisheries; 10. Customs; 11. Inland Revenue; 12. Militia and Defence; 13. That of President of the Council. The branches of public business coming under control of the Dominion government are: management of trade, commerce, indirect taxation, and the public debt; postal-service; the census and statistics; militia and defence; payment of public officers; lighthouses, navigation, shipping, and quarantine; fisheries; currency, banking, coinage, and legal tender; weights and measures; bankruptcy; patents and inventions; naturalization laws and laws of divorce; penitentiaries and criminal law; railways, canals, and telegraphs, if extending beyond the limits of a single Province; and, in general, "such classes of subjects as are expressly excepted in the enumeration of the classes of subjects, by this Act exclusively assigned to the Legislatures of the Provinces."

A Lieutenant-Governor for each Province is appointed by the Dominion government. Each Province, moreover, has a Legislature: in Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, the Legislature consists of a single chamber of Representatives, elected by a broad suffrage. The remaining Provinces have, besides the popular chamber, an Upper House: the Upper House, in the case of Prince Edward's Island, like the popular chamber, is elective; while in the case of Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, it is nominated. Each Province is left to itself to regulate such affairs as concern itself solely; viz., the management of its public lands, the appointment of officers of justice, except judges (who are appointed by the Dominion government); education; asylums, hospitals, and charities; jails, prisons, and reformatories, except penitentiaries; municipal institutions; shop, tavern, and other licenses; local works; the solemnization of marriages; property and civil rights; administration of justice in provincial courts, both of civil and criminal jurisdiction; the appointment of magistrates and justicesof-the-peace; emigration so far as concerns provincial lands; and

No

generally all matters of a merely local and private nature. Province has the power to organize or maintain a military force; and the Dominion government has the power to disallow any enactments of the local Legislatures which are ultra vires. In each Province the Lieutenant-Governor has his Ministry, who cannot remain in office unless sustained by a majority of the Representatives of the people. The machinery of government is directly responsive to public opinion. Publicists, both English and American, have referred to the Canadian system as virtually one of the most democratic in existence.

It is interesting to note that as regards local government, there has been in Canada a complete revival of most ancient methods. In the local government of Ontario, called by Sir Charles Dilke the best in the world, an elected Reeve and four deputies make up each township council; and the Reeves, each with his four, from all the townships of a county, assembling, constitute together the Countycouncil, which thus reproduces the old shire-moot. In Quebec, also, the County-council is made up of the Mayors of the municipalities; but in Ontario and Manitoba the ancient name of Reeve is used.1

The main difference between the Constitutions of Canada and the United States is that in Canada the central power is far stronger. The Dominion Parliament keeps in its own hands the criminal law and that of divorce, the appointment of judges, the nomination of the Lieutenant-Governors of Provinces, the militia system, all of which belong in the United States to the separate States. The Dominion has a veto, virtually exercised by the Prime Minister, though in the name of the Crown, upon the legislation of the Provinces. No such veto exists in the United States, if the local laws are constitutional.

Sir Henry Parkes, premier of New South Wales, is authority for the statement that the Constitution of Canada is to be the model for federated Australia.2

1 Problems of Greater Britain, p. 66.

2 Ibid., pp. 58, 59.

INDEX.

Adams, Brooks, in Atlantic Monthly, cited on the origin of the Constitution of the United States, 234.

Adams, Herbert B., in Johns Hopkins Historical and Political Tracts, "The Germanic Origin of New England Towns," cited, 116, 276.

Adams, John, on the value of the

New England town-meeting, 284. Adams, Samuel, life of, by the writer, quoted, on the "Coming on of the American Revolution," 199, etc.; on the American Tories, 227, etc.; on the New England town-meeting, 278, etc. Addison, his "Remarks on Italy" quoted on the political competency of the plain people, 334. Ætheling, an Anglo-Saxon noble, 5.

Agitators, lower council of the army in 1647, 141.

66

Agreement of the People," the first, 1647, 141, etc.; the second, 1649, 152, etc.

Alabama, local government in, 296. Alfred, King, his conservative instincts and influence, 21.

Allen, W. F., on the government of American cities, 299. America, discovered at a critical period for Anglo-Saxon freedom, 93 (see United States). Anburey, his "Travels" cited on leadership of Massachusetts in American Revolution, 216. Anglo-Saxons, their primitive home and condition, 2, etc.; their conquest of Britain, 15, etc.; their

conversion to Christianity, 19; development of their polity, 20, etc.; influence upon them of the Danes, 22, 23; their array at Hastings, 31, 32; their prowess, 34; their overthrow by the Normans, 35. Anglo-Saxon freedom, characteristics of, 4, etc.; why valuable, views of John Stuart Mill and J. Toulmin Smith, 12, etc.; its depression under Edward the Confessor, 23; its submergence at the Norman conquest, 38; to some extent restored through Magna Charta, 51; contended for by Wat Tyler and the peasants in the 14th century, 77; by Jack Cade and his followers in the 15th century, 89; on the point of perishing under Tudor rule, 93; and under Stuart rule, 109; thoroughly revived by the Independents in 1647, 140, etc.; depressed once more at the Restoration, 163; the American Revolution, an effort for its vindication, 230; established and formulated in the Constitution of the United States, 232, etc.; its educative power considered by Sir T. E. May, 259; by J. Toulmin Smith, 260; restored to England and her dependencies since Reform Bill of 1832 and its successors, 263, etc.; adopted in part by Europe in general, 271; possibility of its adoption in India, 272; to be administered only by Anglo-Saxon men, 272, 273, also 308; destined for the dominion of the world, 308, etc.; love

of, 29, etc.

for it of the plain people, 327, | Battle Abbey, present appearance 328; of the high-placed and cultivated, 328, etc.; connection with it of the high-placed and cultivated sometimes discreditable, 332, etc.; importance of a spirit of brotherhood among those inheriting it, 343, etc.

Bayne, Peter, his "Chief Actors of the Puritan Revolution" cited, 325.

Anne, Queen, crisis at her death,
173.

Arnold, Sir Edwin, on the identity
of the English-speaking race, 317,
318.
Arnold, Matthew, on the identity
of the English-speaking race, 314;
on German "Corporalism," 331.
Australia, first accurately defined
by Captain James Cook, 247; pres-
ent condition of, 249; long used
as a prison, 265; possesses re-
sponsible government, 266; its
federation to be probably on the
Canadian model, 266 (note);
practically independent, 267; ex-
perience of, with large cities, 299;
embarrassments of, from danger
of Chinese encroachment, 322.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Belgium, partially adopts Anglo-
Saxon freedom, 271.

Bemis, E. W., in Johns Hopkins
University Studies, cited, 288,
289, 296.

Bewdley, as illustrating abuses of borough representation in 18th century, 183.

Bill of Rights, passed by Parlia-
ment, 1689, 167; full text of, Ap-
pendix C.

Birmingham, city of, unrepresented
in 18th century, 183.
Black Death, of 1348, its effect on
economic condition of England,
72.

Blackstone, his "Commentaries"
cited on Parliament's freedom
from restraint, 233.
Bluntschli, cited, on value of town-
meeting, 283.

Board of Trade, its mistaken policy
in 17th and 18th centuries, 199.
Borough, a more strictly organized
township, 18; character and polity
of, in the Norman epoch, 45; in-
significance of members for, in
the early Parliaments, misfor-
tunes of, 66; largeness of life
much curtailed in 15th century,
87; destruction of the franchise
in, 181; "rotten boroughs," 182;
their political degradation under
George III, 183; improved condi-
tion of, at the present time, 261.
Bright, John, on England and
America as two nations, but one
people, 344.
Brotherhood of English-speaking
men, views of J. R. Seeley, 343;
of John Bright, of Sir Henry
Parkes, of Goldwin Smith, of Sir
George Grey, 344; of J. C. Firth,
345; of the Westminster Review,
reasons for its expediency, 346;

as keeping vivid Anglo-Saxon traditions, 352; as securing Anglo-Saxon ascendency, 354; as leading toward a brotherhood of the human race, 365, etc. Browning, Oscar, his "Modern England" cited on the Reform Bill

of 1832, 253.

Brunswick, House of, of little mark, but pledged to constitutional rule, 173.

Bryce, James, his "American Com

monwealth" cited, 235, 237, 264, 271, 279, 298, 300, 315, 316, 332; in Johns Hopkins University Studies, 5th series, IX, 242. Buckingham, as illustrating abuses of borough representation in 18th century, 183.

Buckle, his "History of Civilization in England" cited on England as saved by American resistance in American Revolution, 225, 231.

Burgesses, House of, in Virginia,

120; its independent temper, 125. Burke, Edmund, on importance of preserving representative character of House of Commons, 188; his speech on the Stamp Act, 208; his doctrine of representation, 211; his position as regards America, 222; believes England saved by American resistance, 222; opposes the radicals, 223; consistent in opposing French Revolution, 223; laments the fall of the Bourbons, 252.

Bute, shire of, as illustrating abuses of representation in 18th century, 185.

Cabinet, origin and importance of, in the English polity, 174; its great modern significance, 257. Camden, Lord, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, his speech on the Stamp Act, 209; his position not that of the Colonies, 213; calls Massachusetts the "ring-leading

colony" in American Revolution, 216.

Canada, why it remained to England in American Revolution, 246; influence there of exiled American Tories, 247; present condition of, 249; long neglect of, by the home government, 265; becomes a federation with responsible government in 1867, 266; local self-government in, its practical independence, 267 (and note); difficulties before, 322; summary of Constitution of, Appendix E.

Carlyle, his "Life and Letters of
Cromwell" cited, 161.
Carnegie, his "Triumphant De-
mocracy," 328.

Cass, Lewis, his influence in devel-
oping Michigan, 288.
Catharine II, of Russia, has ideas
of reform in 18th century, 251.
Ceorls, their equality in primitive
Anglo-Saxon society, 3; analo-
gous in condition to American
citizen, 9; they sink into villein-
age, 23.
Chamberlain, Mellen, cited, on the
legal status of the Thirteen Colo-
nies, 194; on causes of American
Revolution, 217; on the American
Revolution as a strife, not of
countries, but of parties, 220.
Chapter House, at Westminster,
first home of Parliament, 67.
Charles I, his arbitrary beginning,
107, 108; summons the Short and
the Long Parliament, 1640, 131;
his short-lived prudence, 133;
character of his party, 134, etc.;
at Edgehill, 137; at Naseby, 138;
his duplicity in the hands of his
enemies, 139; denounced in Grand
Army Remonstrance, 148; his exe-
cution, 154.

Charles II, King in Scotland, 1649, 157; restored to English throne, 1660, 163; benefits coming from his bad character, 165.

« AnteriorContinuar »