登陆注册
15709400000238

第238章

It is enjoined that no person holding any office under the United States shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office. At first sight such a rule as this appears to be good in its nature; but a comparison of the practice of the United States government with that of our own makes me think that this embargo on members of the legislative bodies is a mistake. It prohibits the President's ministers from a seat in either house, and thereby relieves them from the weight of that responsibility to which our ministers are subjected. It is quite true that the United States ministers cannot be responsible as are our ministers, seeing that the President himself is responsible, and that the Queen is not so.

Indeed, according to the theory of the American Constitution, the President has no ministers. The Constitution speaks only of the principal officers of the executive departments. "He" (the President) "may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments." But in practice he has his cabinet, and the irresponsibility of that cabinet would practically cease if the members of it were subjected to the questionings of the two Houses. With us the rule which prohibits servants of the State from going into Parliament is, like many of our constitutional rules, hard to be defined, and yet perfectly understood. It may perhaps be said, with the nearest approach to a correct definition, that permanent servants of the State may not go into Parliament, and that those may do so whose services are political, depending for the duration of their term on the duration of the existing ministry. But even this would not be exact, seeing that the Master of the Rolls and the officers of the army and navy can sit in Parliament. The absence of the President's ministers from Congress certainly occasions much confusion, or rather prohibits a more thorough political understanding between the executive and the legislature than now exists. In speaking of the government of the United States in the next chapter, I shall be constrained to allude again to this subject.** It will be alleged by Americans that the introduction into Congress of the President's ministers would alter all the existing relations of the President and of Congress, and would at once produce that parliamentary form of government which England possesses, and which the States have chosen to avoid. Such a change would elevate Congress and depress the President. No doubt this is true. Such elevation, however, and such depression seemed to me to be the two things needed.

The duties of the House of Representatives are solely legislative.

Those of the Senate are legislative and executive, as with us those of the Upper House are legislative and judicial. The House of Representatives is always open to the public. The Senate is so open when it is engaged on legislative work; but it is closed to the public when engaged in executive session. No treaties can be made by the President, and no appointments to high offices confirmed, without the consent of the Senate; and this consent must be given--as regards the confirmation of treaties--by two-thirds of the members present. This law gives to the Senate the power of debating with closed doors upon the nature of all treaties, and upon the conduct of the government as evinced in the nomination of the officers of State. It also gives to the Senate a considerable control over the foreign relations of the government. I believe that this power is often used, and that by it the influence of the Senate is raised much above that of the Lower House. This influence is increased again by the advantage of that superior statecraft and political knowledge which the six years of the Senator gives him over the two years of the Representative. The tried Representative, moreover, very frequently blossoms into a Senator but a Senator does not frequently fade into a Representative. Such occasionally is the case, and it is not even unconstitutional for an ex-President to reappear in either House. Mr. Benton, after thirty years' service in the Senate, sat in the House of Representatives. Mr. Crittenden, who was returned as Senator by Kentucky, I think seven times, now sits in the Lower House; and John Quincy Adams appeared as a Representative from Massachusetts after he had filled the presidential chair.

And, moreover, the Senate of the United States is not debarred from an interference with money bills, as the House of Lords is debarred with us. "All bills for raising revenue," says the seventh section of the first article of the Constitution, "shall originate with the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills." By this the Senate is enabled to have an authority in the money matters of the nation almost equal to that held by the Lower House--an authority quite sufficient to preserve to it the full influence of its other powers. With us the House of Commons is altogether in the ascendant, because it holds and jealously keeps to itself the exclusive command of the public purse.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 复仇三公主:嫣然一笑百媚生

    复仇三公主:嫣然一笑百媚生

    她们,曾经是万人瞻仰的大小姐,却因为一个个不幸的人,冷血残酷。当她们遇上他们,爱的火花会愈演愈烈吗?
  • 久凌

    久凌

    世界上最阴毒的不是蜈蚣不是毒蝎。也不是毒蛇,而是那邪恶的心灵。强大的力量滋生出罪恶的种子。他们想要力量,哪怕背负所有骂名。
  • 青春涩雨

    青春涩雨

    没有逗号的文章结束很快,没有句号的文章永不完整。难过了可以假装快乐和别人一起兴奋时就能遗忘了自己难过了不必告诉别人自己的悲伤为何要别人也承担呢知人不必言尽言尽则无友责人不必苛尽苛尽则众远敬人不必卑尽卑尽则少骨
  • 余生太长,你太难忘

    余生太长,你太难忘

    梁知璇为救父亲向热情爽朗的穆嵘求助,不料却阴差阳错与他的孪生哥哥穆峥发生纠葛。多年后成为空中小姐担起家庭重负的梁知璇再遇穆峥,方知当初的一切都不是偶然。隔着上一辈的恩怨与重重误会,想爱又不能爱的两个人是否能够解开彼此的心结?聚散离合间,一次次牵心动脉的疼痛,他们是否能守得云舒雪霁,携手一生?
  • 回不去的童年时光

    回不去的童年时光

    重拾一片片快被遗忘的记忆,祈求唤醒心中曾经的美好的记忆,农村的童年懵懵懂懂,趣味无穷。
  • 女性心理说明手册

    女性心理说明手册

    本书介绍了八种类型的女人,从心理的角度去审视不同的女人,会发现女人主要有以下九种心理类型:完美型女人一一尽善尽美,无懈可击;给予型女人——赠人玫瑰,手留余香;实干型女人——高效专注,平稳务实;浪漫型女人——率性而为,相信感觉;观察型女人一一剥离情感,冷眼看世界;忠诚型女人一一忠心尽责,渴求安全感;享受型女人一一自找快乐,享受人生;领袖型女人——追求权力,讲究实力;和平型女人一一善解人意,避免纷争。
  • 天元五歌

    天元五歌

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 双子座的旅途

    双子座的旅途

    双子座,一个内心单纯,外表洒脱的星座。金小灿,一个内心坚韧,外表放荡的男孩。在1990年6月19日,随着一个哭声的响起。他和这个星座,达到了完美的结合。他今年已经23岁了。在过去的22年里,他经历了人生中各种各样的挫折。人的离去,恋人的别离,身体的病症,梦想的破灭。在过去的两年里,他经历了命运中形形色色的诱惑。女人的诱惑,名利的诱惑。在过去的一年里,他经历了生活中各种各样的牵绊。金钱的金钱,地位的牵绊,就业机会的牵绊。他是如此的平凡,可他的人生却那么的多磨多难。他是如此的善良,可身边的人却那么的黑暗。在2012年,元宵佳节这一天,他开始坐在电脑前,静静地回忆起,过去的一切,希望给自己的未来找到方向,给自己的梦想一个交代。
  • 秋雨叶芽之隐私的日记

    秋雨叶芽之隐私的日记

    七岁,是他与她相见的时间。他对她的爱恋放不下:“叶芽,你爱我吗?”她却只视他为亲人:“当然,因为我最喜欢秋雨……哥哥啦!”感情随日月丰富,改变。得知真相的她,终于理解那份不可能实现的感情。但一场车祸,将她从弥补这条感情的道上分离。“为什么我当时不去珍惜啊~!”她伤心欲绝,拼命挽回,望着低低的坟墓,秋雨又一次滋润了新发的叶芽,但他永远不会回来了,25岁的路过,擦肩而过,会是“死而复活”的他吗?
  • 腹黑老公,不要闹

    腹黑老公,不要闹

    在梦影星球上,有着传说中的四大家族,他们的前辈为他们打下一片天地,并签约和平相处。但是,家族中的内斗却从未停止过……【这是一篇原创文,有一点点玄幻,但这个梦影星球和地球差别不大。】{ps:我保证不会写流水帐!如果发现,请指出,我一定会改正,我发四!}