Responsible government in the Dominions: Responsible government in the Dominions

Responsible government in the Dominions (Vol. 1)

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Multivolume work

Identifikator:: 1896933912

Document type:: Multivolume work

Author:: Keith, Arthur Berriedale http://d-nb.info/gnd/119086794

Title:: Responsible government in the Dominions

Place of publication:: Oxford

Publisher:: Clarendon Press

Year of publication:: 1912-

Collection:: Economics Books

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Volume

Identifikator:: 1896934455

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-236504

Document type:: Volume

Author:: Keith, Arthur Berriedale http://d-nb.info/gnd/119086794

Title:: Responsible government in the Dominions

Volume count:: Vol. 1

Place of publication:: Oxford

Publisher:: Clarendon Pr.

Year of publication:: 1912

Scope:: LI, 568 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part II. The executive Government

Collection:: Economics Books

234 THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT [PART II before confederation certain acts of administration were required by law to be done under the sanction of an Order in Council while others did not require that formality. In both cases, however, since Responsible Government has been conceded, such acts have always been performed under the advice of a Responsible Ministry or Minister. Again, the 59th clause provides that the Lieutenant-Governor is not to be removed except for cause assigned. Someone must be responsible to Parliament for the reasonableness of such cause, and must defend it there, and be liable to censure should the cause be deemed insufficient. Now the Governor-General cannot be held constitutionally responsible or open to censure in any way by Parliament. As Her Majesty’s representative he holds the same constitu- tional position in that respect as the Queen does in England. It seems to follow, therefore, that upon the Ministry of the day must rest the responsibility of advising the removal, of assigning the cause, and of justifying its sufficiency. Two special grounds have been urged why Mr. Letellier should not be removed ; first, that the motion of censure made in the late Parliament having been lost, the case should not be re-opened without new cause ; second, that Mr. Joly assumed the whole responsibility of the Lieutenant-Gover- nor’s act, and after an appeal to the people his Ministry still exists. As to the first ground it may be answered that, as already stated, the arguments used in opposition to the motion did not attempt to justify his conduct, but were founded on the inexpediency of raising the question at that time when Mr. Joly had gone or was about to go to the country, that the question had not been before the people at the time the then House of Commons was elected, and that it had been one of the subjects submitted to the people at the last election for the Dominion. The present House of Commons coming fresh from the people and supposed to express their opinion has by an overwhelming vote reversed the decision of the expiring Parliament, and pronounced a deliberate censure on Mr. Letellier’s conduct.” As to the second ground, the answer is that the Lieutenant-Governor of a Province holds the same relation to the Dominion Government and Legislature as the Governor-General does to Her Majesty and the Imperial Parliament. Here we have nothing to do with the appointment or removal of the Queen’s representative. We loyally accept the Governor- General selected by the Queen, and have no right to express an opinion as to his continuation in office or recall. All that

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