The British System Of Government And Its Historical Development

Author : Manfred Nathan
Publisher : Cornford Press
ISBN 13 : 1443720747
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (437 download)

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Download or read book Empire Government - An Outline of the System Prevailing in the British Commonwealth of Nations written by Manfred Nathan and published by Cornford Press. This book was released on 2008-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: EMPIRE GOVERNMENT- AN OUTLINE OF THE SYSTEM PREVAILING IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS by MANFRED K. C. PREFACE: IN view of the great advances which have been made of recent years in the constitutional relations between Great Britain and the self-governing Dominions, as evidenced in the Report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee presented to the Imperial Conference of 1926, the time appears opportune for the publication of a sketch of the general system of government which now prevails, both in Great Britain and in the Dominions and other possessions of the British Crown oversea. My object has been to give an account of the existing system, that is, of the Empire, or, as it has latterly been termed, the British Commonwealth of Nations, in a purely statical aspect. I have not dealt with political considerations, except in so far as they affect past historical changes, nor have I ventured upon any speculations in regard to future developments. My sole aim has been to present a general view of the government of the Empire as it is. In order to avoid confusion, and to give a clear outline of the subject, I have refrained from entering into the details of past history, except in so far as they are necessary for the elucidation of the existing position. Nor has it been thought advisable to enter into minute details regarding administration. Information on such matters must be sought in the recognized works dealing with constitutional history and constitutional law. At the same time, I venture to hope that this work may be of assistance to those who desire to obtain a general acquaintance with the salient features of what may be denominated the British system of government. With this object in view, I have endeavoured to make the work as accurate as possible, and to furnish within a brief compass all the information necessary for the purpose. Here and there references to authorities are given, but I have not deemed it desirable to overload the work with them. My main object has been to assist the general reader and the student in obtaining a rapid and succinct acquaintance with the whole subject. With this in view, I have endeavoured to avoid the use of technical language, wherever possible. In the chapter on the self-governing Dominions, I have given a full summary of the Report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee, with some necessary commentary. M. N. Contents include: PART I TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT PAGE PREFACE 9 CHAPTER I. THE NATURE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE . . . . 13 1 Historical Outline 13 a The British Isles 13 b The British Dominions Overseas ... 22 2 The British Constitution 34 3 Constitutions of the Self-governing Dominions 44 II. THE STATUS OF THE SELF-GOVERNING DOMINIONS . 55 A. Growth of Dominion Status . . . . 55 B. The Report on Inter-Imperial Relations, 1926 . 79 III. INDIA 105 IV. THE CROWN COLONIES 131 V. THE PROTECTORATES 138 VI. THE MANDATED TERRITORIES 159 PART II DIVISION AND EXERCISE OF GOVERN MENTAL POWERS I. THE CROWN 165 II. PARLIAMENT 191 III. EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT 209 IV. THE JUDICIARY 225 V. THE SUBJECT 231 ADDENDUM 253 INDEX 254 PART I TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT