288 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE. — 1920. 



Drawbacks thought to be inherent in democracy : 



(1) that it may resist progress — Sir H. Maine and Mr. Lecky. 



(2) that it may fail to govern. 



(3) that mob-rule may prevail. Cf. Greek historians. 



No form of government without possible defects, e.g. ' vote-catching ' policy. 

 Failure in Ireland. 



The need of etrengthening democracy by constitutional safeguards, as in U.S.A. 

 Burke's criticism of democracy. Democracy indeed above other forms of 



government requires high character in its citizens. 

 Modern tendencies : anti-centralisation. Bolshevist theory of the ^tate. 



5. Central Government. 



The State being one whole, a certain uniformity is necessary in its administration. 

 Such variety of laws and customs as might prevail in the Heptarchy im- 

 possible in the United Kingdom. Thus in U.S.A. authority tends to pass 

 from separate States to the Central Government, in such matters as the 

 railway service, divorce, and temperance. 



In general, as a ^tate grows larger, the province of the Central Government 

 becomes restricted. 

 Home Rule. 



Control of such matters as properly belong to the Central Government : Army 

 and Navy and Air Services, Customs and Excise, Post Office, Telegraphs 

 and Telephones, Taxation, Education, Foreign Affairs, including peace 

 and war, marriage and divorce, and the liquor trade. 



Definitions of the functions attaching in the British Constitution to the 

 Sovereign, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and Parliament. Lords and 

 Commons. Election of Parliament. Exchequer. Direct and indirect 

 taxation. 

 Passing of Bills into Acts. 

 The franchise and the ballot. 

 Devolution now inevitable within the Cabinet itself. 



Sir Robert Peel probably the last Prime Minister who tried to keep his hand 

 upon all departments of administration. 



Danger of allowing the Government to be upset by a chance vote in the House 

 of Commons. 



Disadvantage attaching to the American system of associating offices which 

 ought to be permanent with the fortunes of a political party. 



Amount of agreement necessary among members of the same Cabinet. 



Value of permanent officials in a democracy. 



6. Local Government. 



Danger of a Central Government being overburdened by a multitude of tasks. 

 The British Parliament a signal example of the difficulty arising from excessive 



centralisation. 

 Examples of local questions with which Parliament is obliged to deal. 

 Devolution possesses the advantage of an appeal to local knowledge, local interest, 



and local patriotism. 

 Scotland and Ireland respectively instances of success and failure in combining 



local with general sentiment. 

 Value of Municipal life. Unity of all large cities except London. 

 The Central Government to enunciate principles ; the municipalities to execute 



them in detail. 

 Good work already done by local Boards of Guardians, local Education Authori- 

 ties, &c. 

 Difference between rates and taxes. 

 Money collected locally to be as far as possible expended locally; revenue from 



dog licences, &c., expended in county in which licence is taken out. 

 Lord Mayors and Mayors. 

 County Councils. 

 Councils of County Boroughs, other Boroughs, other Urban districts. Rural 



districts. Parish Councils, Boards of Guardians. 



