AMERICAN CABINET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1629, 21 December 1912, Page 7

AMERICAN CABINET.

«. MR. TAFT AND THE CONSTITUTION. SUGGESTS BRITISH MODEL. By IWeEraph—Preaa Association—Copyright Washington, December 19. President Taft, in a Messago to Congress, advocates tho remodelling of tho American Constitution in a direction enabling members of tho Cabinet to have seats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, similar to ■ the members of the British Cabinet. pONSTITUTION AND CABINET. "In the Government of the .United States there is no such thing as a Cabinet in the English sense of the term," comments the Right Hon. Mr. James Bryce, lately British Minister at Washington, in his book, "Tho American Commonwealth." Tho only reference in the Constitution to the Ministers of tho President is that contained in tho power given him to "require tho opinion in writing of tho principal officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices." All the American State Departments are created by Acts of Congress. Washington, in 1789, began with four—tho Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War, and tho AttorneyGeneral. Tho Secretary of the Navy, Postmaster-General, Secretary of the Interior, and Secretary of Agriculture, have 6ineo been added, and these eight now constitute the President's Cabinet. Each of the Stato Secretaries receives a salary of ,£IGOO a year. All are appointed by the President, subject to tho approval of the Senate (practically a formality), and may bo removed by the President alone. Nothing marks them oft' from any other officials who might be pi ami in charge of a Department, excopt that are summoned by tho President to his private council. None of them can vote in Congress, tho Constitution .providing that "no person holding any offico under the United States shall bo a member of either House during his continuance in office." There is, however, says Mr. Bryce, "nothing in tho Constitution to prevent Ministers from being present in either House of Congress, and addressing it." In 18S1 'a committee of eight Senators unanimously reported in favour of a plan to give seats (without the right to vote) in both nouses of Congress to Cabinet Ministers. Nothing was dono to give effect to this report.