The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1922-07-07
CABINET SHARING
CONGRESS- WORK
President and His Official Ad-
visers Favor Representation
in the Two Houses.
SUPPORT LAW FOR CHANGE
Would Attend Sessions to Speak on
Questions Relating to Departments.
Modification of British System ls
Provided for in Three Measures.

Washington.-A long latent move
ment to have cabinet representation
on the floors of the senate and house
of representatives was revived and
received an impetus at the last session
of the Harding cabinet. President
Harding and his cabinet associates
showed decided sympathy with the
proposal, and it was indicated after
ward at the White House that if the
practice was sanctioned by Congress
the President and the heads of the
executive departments would be glad
to cooperate.
The matter was brought to the at
tention of the cabinet by representative
NJ. Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania, who
had written letters to all the members
of that body asking their opinion as
to the merits cf a bill he had intro
duced in the house on August 20, 1921,
"to provide that the principal officer
of each executive department shall
attend certain sessions of the senate
and house of, representatives" 1t is
proposed in the bill that the various
heads of departments "shall be en-
titled to occupy seats on the floor of
the senate and the house of repre-
sentatives, with the right to partici-
pate In debate on matters relating
l. Of thnir rncnoPfiUn DO
partments under such rules as may be
prescribed by the senate and house,
respectively
There are two similar measures
pending in Congress-one offered by
Senator Mclean of Connecticut, on
April u, 1921, and he other by Rep
resentative Montague of Virginia, on
April II, 1921. The purpose of all
these Is to adopt in modified form the
practice of the British Parliament and
the parliamentary bodies of most ma
tions to have ministers of govern
ment appear at parliamentary sessions
and explain measures which they have
caused to be introduced, oppose meas
ures obnoxious to the government, and
answer questions pertaining to the
conduct of their offices.
Under this system the secretary of
war would attend the sessions of the
house whep the annual army appro-
priation bill or bill for the reorgan-
ization Of the army was der con.
sideration, while the secretary of state
would be at hand to give informa-
ton to the senate concerning IN i'm
portant treaty with foreign power.
It is not Intended that the practice
shall bring abe ut any mobilization OF
the constitutional designation of the
President as the sole responsible Off
cial of the executive government.
There is no constitutional sanction for
the cabinet, which is purely an ad-
visory body existing at the pleasure
of the President The cabinet is not
named in ,ither the Constitution or
any statute, and its members have
no such responsibility for the conduct
of the executive government as Is I'M
posed on members of the British Cabi-
net. They are subject to certain laws
relating to their individual depart
ments, and may be impeached and
dismissed by the legislative branch,
but, generally, complete executive re-
sponsibility rests, under the Consti-
tuition. with the President alone. Il
am my own Prime Minister said
President Wilson at Paris.
1t is not intended that by any OF
the pending bills cabinet officers shall
be members of the senate or the
house. Under the British system a
member of the cabinet must be either
q member of the house Of commons or
the house of lords, and if the COM
mons, he must again stand for elec-
ton in some constituency after he
has been designated for the cabinet.
The members of the Harding Cabinet
if the legislation is enacted, would
merely attend the sessions of the SEN
ate or the house and, while being
privileged to participate in debate,
would have no vote.