42 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
immediately affected. In no respect have the Canadians followed the 
example of the United States, and made their executive entirely separate 
from the legislative authority. On the contrary, there is no institution 
which works more admirably in the federation—in the general as well as 
provincial governments—than the principle of making the ministry respon- 
sible to the popular branch of the legislature, and in that way keeping the 
executive and legislative departments in harmony with one another and 
preventing that conflict of authorities which is a distinguishing feature of 
the very opposite system that prevails in the federal republic. If we 
review the amendments made of late years in the political constitutions of 
the states, and especially those ratified quite recently in New York, we see 
in how many respects the Canadian system of government is superior to that 
of the republic. For instance, Canada has enjoyed for years, as results of 
responsible government, the secret ballot, stringent laws against bribery 
and corruption at all classes of elections, the registration of voters, strict 
naturalization laws, infrequent political elections, separation of municipal 
from provincial or national contests, appointive and permanent officials in 
every branch of the public service, a carefully devised code of private bill 
legislation, the printing of all public as well as private bills before their con- 
sideration by the legislative bodies ; and yet all these essentials of safe admin- 
istration and legislation are now only being introduced by constitutional 
enactment in so powerful and progressive a state as New York. Of course, 
in the methods of party government we can see in Canada at times an 
attempt to follow the example of the United States, and introduce the 
party machine with its professional politicians and all those influences that 
have degraded politics since the days of Jackson and Van Buren. Happily, 
so far, the people of Canada have shown themselves fully capable of 
removing those blots that show themselves from time to time on the body 
politic. Justice has soon seized those men who have betrayed their 
trust in the administration of public affairs. Although Canadians may, 
according to their political proclivities, find fault with the methods of gov- 
ernments and be carried away at times by political passion beyond the 
bounds of reason, it is encouraging to find that all are ready to admit the 
high character of the judiciary for learning, integrity and incorruptibility. 
The records of Canada do not present a single instance of the successful 
impeachment or removal of a judge for improper conduct on the bench 
since the days of responsible government, and the three or four petitions 
laid before parliament, in the course of a quarter of a century, asking for 
an investigation into vague charges against some judges, have never 
required a judgment of the house. Canadians have built wisely when, 
in the formation of their constitution, they followed the English plan of 
having an intimate and invaluable connection between the executive and 
legislative departments, and of keeping the judiciary practically indepen- 
dent of the other authorities of government. Not only the life and pros- 
