GOVERNOR 



2547 



GOVERNOR-GENERAL 



world has few modern examples; that of Tur- 

 key is the most prominent, although Russia 

 was a pure autocracy prior to 1907. Of popular 

 governments the early democracy of Greece 

 is usually cited as the most striking ancient 

 example ; numerous attempts at republican in- 

 stitutions have been made in various countries 

 of every era since the Greek, but the United 

 States, Switzerland, France, Brazil, Chile and 

 the Argentine Republic, are the only conspic- 

 uous present-day examples of important coun- 

 tries in which republican government appears 

 to be successful and permanent. 



The mere form and name of a government 

 are not sufficient to place it in one or the 

 other of the above classes. A republican form 

 existed in Rome long after the assumption of 

 power by the emperors, while on the other 

 hand, most of the so-called Spanish-American 

 republics of the present day are scarcely more 

 than autocratic control in disguise. It may 

 be noted also that the present regime under 

 the king of England, known as a monarchy, 

 is in reality controlled and managed by the 

 people and is therefore republican in fact. 

 The monarchical is still the prevailing world 

 type, except on the two American continents, 

 yet in nearly every monarchy the royal power 

 has been partially transferred to the people 

 by means of legislative bodies, the members of 

 which are elected directly by the people. The 

 present governments of the United States and 

 Great Britain are the best types of popular 

 control in the world to-day. They differ in 

 many features. W.B.G. 



See ARISTOCRACY ; MONARCHY ; REPUBLIC ; also, 

 in alphabetical order, concrete descriptions of the 

 government of each country, state and province. 

 At the end of the article CIVIL GOVERNMENT nu- 

 merous topics of interest in this connection are 

 indexed. The following books are recommended : 

 Beard's American Government and Politics: 

 Liefroy's Canada's Federal System ; Bryce's The 

 American Commonwealth. 



GOVERNOR,, a mechanical device for con- 

 trolling the speed of steam engines and motors. 

 ' The usual form consists of an upright shaft 

 kept revolving by power supplied from the 

 engine and supporting a pair of metal balls. 

 If the speed of revolution becomes too great 

 the two balls are compelled by centrifugal 

 force to fly farther apart. By this action a 

 valve connected with the cylinder is opened 

 and steam is allowed to escape until the nor- 

 mal speed is again reached. Should the speed 

 be too slow the balls fall closer together and 

 automatically open a valve which admits more 



steam to the cylinder. Governors differ in 

 design but the object of all is tin- s;unr. 



GOVERNORS 



(a) The simplest form, called Watt's governor- 

 (6) Porter's; (c) Pickering's; (d) Prttll's ; (e> 

 spring governor. 



GOVERNOR, the chief executive of each 

 state of the American Union, elected by the 

 people for a term varying from one to four 

 years. One of the duties of the governor is 

 to report to the legislature the general condi- 

 tion of the state and to recommend needed 

 legislation; he also has power to convene the? 

 legislature in special session. In nearly all 

 states, before a bill becomes a law, it must 

 have his signature, and if he vetoes a bill it is 

 returned to the legislature for reconsideration. 

 The power of pardoning criminals is generally 

 vested in him, although a number of states have 

 created pardoning -boards which share this 

 power with the governor. He appoints minor 

 state officers and in some states the members 

 of commissions and boards, but confirmation 

 is usually required by the Senate in these 

 cases. The state constitution requires that the 

 governor faithfully execute the laws, and he 

 is commander-in-chief of the state militia. 

 Salaries of governors range from $2,500 to 

 $12,000 per year, in the various states. 



GOVERNOR-GENERAL, the personal repre- 

 sentative of the English sovereign in Canada, 

 and under the king the executive head of tin- 

 Dominion government. In all executive func- 

 tions relating to the internal interests of the 

 provinces he acts with the Privy Council, and 

 is bound by the advice of its members, but 

 has the power of reserving for the consider- 

 ation of the imperial government any proposed 

 legislation which in his opinion endangers im- 

 perial interests. The Governor-General's posi- 

 tion is therefore dual ; he knows no suporioi 

 other than his sovereign when ro\'al right.*' 

 are threatened, but is a servant of the Do- 



