214 THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT [PART II 
interest that Parliament shall meet on as early a day as 
possible, and be able to proceed to business forthwith. 
Again, in regard to the various recommendations which in 
detail or by inference we discussed on Thursday, and in 
regard to all business which is not urgent and yet outside 
routine administrative requirements, the assumption that 
the Government has failed to secure the confidence of the 
electorate at the polls, leaves undiminished, indeed increases, 
the stringency of the limitations of an already somewhat 
peculiar position. 
Let me explain my meaning. The circumstances are these : 
The previous Administration (with Sir Mackenzie Bowell 
as Prime Minister), representing the views of the same 
political party and having a majority in both chambers, 
failed to pass its proposed legislation, and on the 25th of 
April Parliament expired by efflux of time, without having 
granted supplies for the public service beyond the 30th of 
June. Subsequently, when no Parliament was or could be, 
under. the circumstances, in existence, the present Adminis- 
tration was formed. So far, therefore, as these are dependent 
apon the subsequent approval of Parliament, the acts of the 
present Administration are in an unusual degree provisional. 
And as the powers of an Administration undoubtedly full and 
unrestricted must surely always be used with discretion, their 
exercise would seem to be rightly limited, under such circum- 
stances as the present, to the transaction of all necessary 
public business, while it is further a duty to avoid all acts 
which may embarrass the succeeding Government. 
On this ground I would ask your further consideration of 
some of the recommendations ‘which we discussed inciden- 
tally on Thursday. On this ground too, I felt obliged to 
withhold the expression of my acquiescence in your sugges- 
tion as to the appointment of Senators or J udges. (You have 
since then laid before me certain recommendations as to 
Senatorships which are vacant.) 
These are life appointments, and with them, under such 
circumstances as the present, it would seem proper to leave 
all other life appointments, and the creation of all new offices 
and appointments, for the consideration of the incoming 
Ministers, unless always such a course is shown to be con- 
trary to the public interest. 
In the case of the Senate, which consists of seventy-eight 
members, it is to be noted also that there are said to be 
now no more than five Senators who are Liberals. And it 
may well be urged that to aggravate this inequality at the