Responsible government in the Dominions: Responsible government in the Dominions

Responsible government in the Dominions (Vol. 1)

Bibliographic data

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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part III. The Parliaments of the Dominions

Collection:: Economics Books

CHAP. v] THE PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURE 445 Treasurer sends him an account daily in the form of a cash sheet. The Auditor-General then can determine whether the sums paid have been duly and legally expended, and if he is satisfied he grants the Treasurer a discharge ; else he must surcharge the Treasurer, who in turn surcharges the defaulting officer, and takes such steps as may be necessary to recover the missing money. The officer is given a right of appeal to the Governor-General, who may make such order directing the relief of the officer as may appear to be just and reasonable. Finally there is required the publica- tion of periodical accounts for the information of the public and of Parliament. Every quarter the Treasurer must publish in the Gazette a statement in detail of the receipts and expenditure of the Consolidated Revenue, Loan, and Trust Funds, with a comparative statement of the corre- sponding figures for the last year. He must also annually Prepare a statement of all receipts and expenditure from the several funds, the expenditure to be set out in the case of the Consolidated Revenue Fund according to the classifica- tion adopted in the appropriation. On this annual statement the Auditor-General bases his report, which is presented to both Houses of Parliament in recognition of the financial powers of the Senate. In this report is the opportunity for exposing improper expenditure, and similar reports are rendered by the auditors of all the Dominions. In the Commonwealth there is as yet no Public Accounts Committee as there is in Canada and in several of the states. It will be seen that there is no sufficient method of punish- ing the expenditure of public money without due warrant. If an officer does so in intent to defraud there is of course the criminal law to punish him, and the civil law to recover the proceeds if they are still in his hands. But if the Treasurer himself breaks the law there is no exact method of punishment available; if any attempt were made to Proceed criminally against him the Government would ex hypothesi issue a nolle prosequi, and it is not easy to see who could be able to prosecute. The real punishment in this tase must be public opinion, and since impeachment is obsolete, dismissal from office if the country does not

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Responsible government in the Dominions (Vol. 1)

Multivolume work

Volume

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Volume

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation