The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-31
TWO GOVERNMENT BREAKDowSs

Two interesting problems i'll government
are now being worked out in countries far
apart, yet which are engaged each in its
own territory in endeavoring to establish
constitutional regime. Some two years ago
the Mikado of Japan adopted new consti-
tuition, by which Diet, or House of Repre-
ntatiyes, was created, with modified
control Of the public purse. This body
met for the first time on November 25. 1890
Its deliberations lave not attracted much
general attention, but it has been remarked
that majority of the members were op-
posed 10 the compromise between free gov
eminent and feudal privilege, which the
Japanese Constitution borrowed from the
German Constitution OF 1870. The Diet has
shown itself to be pretty radical body, and
it has latterly brought things TO head by
refusing 10 vote the supplies and rejecting
the Government budget without debate.
Upon this, on the 18th inst, the Mkado
dissolved the house. and following the
precedent established in a similar eIner-
gency by the King of Sweden, has pro-
ceeded to levy and collect taxes without
warrant OF law Meantime new election
has been ordered to be held next April.
simultaneously the Lieutenant Governor
of the Province of Quebec, being an ad-
herent of the Tory party. of which the late
Sir John Macdonald was the head. has
dismissed his Ministry-aot by reason of
any vote of want of confidence in The
local Parliament, but on the alleged
ground of their corruption, of which he
assumed to be the Judge. 1t will be borne
in mind that the Leutenant-Governors of
the Provinces constituting the Canadian
Dominion are not chosen by the people, but
cd h.yt ba
Ottawa. Lieutenant-Governor Anglers of
Quebec is Tory; Nj. MERCER and his col
leagues were Liberals. Anglers turns them
cut and replaces them by Tory ministry,
which could not have commanded a ma
iority in the last provincial Parliament.
The usual appeal to the people has been
taken, and MERCER goes to the country on
the issue that Governor Anglers action is
subversive of the self-government which
the Qnebeckers have right TO demand.
1t will be observed that the deadlock in
both these cases arises from an attempt to
blend free representative government with
autocracy. The Canadians wanted to govern
themselves and to make their own laws :;
they now perceive that that provision of
the act Of 1S67-which is their Federal Con-
stitution-empowering the Queens repre-
sentative at Ottawa to choose the provincial
Governors is irrec0ncilabIe with self-gov-
eminent. They only govern themselves in
part; the rest of the governing is done by
the Ministry of England. They begin to
realize that their dream of absolute self
government is delusion so long as their
will can be set aside by the fat of the holder
OF a commission from the Queen.
SO in Japan, when the present Mikado re-
solved to establish self-government through
out his empire, he appointed a committee
to study the various systems of govern
ment in use in constitutional countries.
On that committee some of the ablest
living japanese cheerfully served. 1t
was pointed out to them that all forms
of self-government must sooner or later
take on the shape which is found in this
country, and that compromises between
hereditary privilege and popular con-
troll must break down sooner or later, pos
Sfbly with severe friction. But the Japan
ese constitution-makers had to deal with a
country in which fcudalsm had prevailed
from time immemorial. They thought it
wlsest, while comforting on the people
measure of self-government which was
large In comparison with the old regime,
to preserve the rights of the nobility and
many OF the prerogatives of the throne.
What was foreseeu by Americans has now
happened. The representatives of the peo-
pie, having obtained a measure of power,
want more. They insist on controlling the
expenditures Of the public money, which
they contribute in the shape of taxes. They
refuse to vote supplies till their demands
are granted. The Emperor dissoves the
Diet and public affairs are at deadlock.
1t would be unfair to accuse either ia
panese or Canadians Of political ignorance
when we see so intelligent and progressive
country AS Germany committing the same
mistakes as they. Bismarck's constitution
was devised so as to give the German people
as little power as possible, while seeming to
give them great deal. 1t aimed at pre-
serving the autocracy Of the throne and the
privileges of the nobility as far as its
authors dared. Various causes have de-
ferred the inevitable collision between self