crap. vir] CABINET SYSTEM IN DOMINIONS 327 
issued a long report, but so far nothing has resulted from 
the discussions, though several prominent statesmen have 
pronounced themselves as being definitely opposed to it. 
Tt is difficult to see how elective ministries can be harmonized 
with effective parliamentary government, and it is very 
doubtful whether after experience of full parliamentary 
government any dominion or state would care to confine 
itself to a position in which the Ministry of the day was 
independent of votes in Parliament, and could not be dis- 
placed for a fixed period! Moreover, it would complicate, 
though this is not a very important matter, the relations of 
the Crown with the Dominion Governments and Parliaments. 
On the other hand, it must be admitted that constant 
changes of Ministry, such as happen in the Commonwealth, 
are opposed to all efficient administration; the remedy 
appears to lie not in making ministries elective, but in 
refraining from changes in the administration except on 
substantial grounds, and when changes are made, in appoint- 
ing new members to the vacated posts rather than in 
transferring existing members to them, thereby upsetting 
the whole scheme of the Government. 
One result of the small size of parties is that the rule, 
perhaps too strictly observed in the Imperial Parliament, 
that a Government will go out if defeated on any measure 
of any importance at all in the Lower House has not been 
* The Sydney Bulletin advocates it, and it is more or less of a plank in 
the Labour party’s programme; cf. Walker, Australasian Democracy, 
pp. 26, 277; Reeves, State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand, 
i. 64 seq. The Labour party has itself, as has been noted, adopted the 
caucus system of deciding on ministers and policy, a practice somewhat 
vehemently resented by their opponents, but one which it is difficult to 
avoid and which secures effective legislation. Then should be noted here 
the extraordinary influence in Victoria of the late Mr. David Syme, 
proprietor of the Age, who was admittedly consulted, and in many cases 
obeyed, by practically every Victorian Ministry, as is proved beyond doubt 
by his Life. Elective Federal ministers were deemed necessary, because of 
the curious character of the Upper House in Australia, by Sir 8. Griffith, 
Sir R. Baker, and others ; see Quick and Garran, Constitution of Common- 
wealth, pp. 708, 709.