Empire Government - An Outline of the System Prevailing in the British Commonwealth of Nations

In view of the great advances which have been made of recent years in the constitutional relations between Great Britain and the self-governing Dominions, as evidenced in the Report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee presented to the Imperial Conference of 1926, the time appears opportune for the publication of a sketch of the general system of government which now prevails, both in Great Britain and in the Dominions and other possessions of the British Crown oversea. My object has been to give an account of the existing system, that is, of the Empire, or, as it has latterly been termed, the British Commonwealth of Nations, in a purely statistical aspect. I have not dealt with political considerations, except in so far as they affect past historical changes, nor have I ventured upon any speculations in regard to future developments. My sole aim has been to present a general view of the government of the Empire as it is. In order to avoid confusion, and to give a clear outline of the subject, I have refrained from entering into the details of past history, except in so far as they are necessary for the elucidation of the existing position. Nor has it been thought advisable to enter into minute details regarding administration. Information on such matters must be sought in the recognized works dealing with constitutional history and constitutional law. At the same time, I venture to hope that this work may be of assistance to those who desire to obtain a general acquaintance with the salient features of what may be denominated the British system of government. With this object in view, I have endeavoured to make the work as accurate as possible, and to furnish within a brief compass all the information necessary for the purpose. Here and there references to authorities are given, but I have not deemed it desirable to overload the work with them. My main object has been to assist the general reader and the student in obtaining a rapid and succinct acquaintance with the whole subject. With this in view, I have endeavoured to avoid the use of technical language, wherever possible. In the chapter on the self-governing Dominions, I have given a full summary of the Report of the Inter-Imperial Relations Committee, with some necessary commentary.