The Irish Constitution: Explained by Darrell FiggisFiggis, Darrell
History
The Irish Constitution: Explained by Darrell Figgis
Figgis, Darrell
Ireland -- Politics and government -- 1922-1949
The whole twelve, it is true, are said to form one single Executive
Council. But what are the chances of this? Is it not only too clear that
the four internal Ministers, since they can be removed by an ordinary vote
(which the eight cannot), will frequently, and in most larger matters,
meet and act separately together in coming to their decisions? Will not
necessity drive them to this? But this would mean at once, not one
Executive Council, but two--one within the other. This is acknowledged to
be a dangerous practice. We know what happened in England when during the
European war a similar practice was adopted, and how soon it became
necessary to change it. And is it not equally clear that they will, and
must, use the majority that keeps them in power to make the eight external
Ministers subservient to their will, if their policies cross, without
calling them into council? For the policies of all Ministers cross, and
inter-cross, and should do so if there is to be a harmonious and healthy
administration, especially in questions and policies of finance.
Ultimately the temptation will always be present to these four internal
Ministers to get subservient persons nominated to the positions to be held
by the eight external Ministers. They themselves will have come to power
by a majority of the Chamber. Of that majority they will be the
acknowledged leaders; and it would be strange if they did not use that
majority to find eight external Ministers to their liking. But where this
happened (as happen it certainly would, in the ordinary human
probabilities of the situation) a very remarkable result would come to
pass, unlike anything in the history of representative government. This
is, that the Four would in practice dictate the Executive policy of the
Eight, but they would not be answerable to the Chamber for the
administrative conduct of those eight departments. They would require what
must be done, but they would not themselves be responsible for the manner
in which it was done, or whether it were done at all. For the Eight would
have been nominated for the life of the Chamber by a special Committee,
they would not be members of the Chamber, they would not be susceptible
to a vote of lack of confidence, but could only be removed when the
Committee which nominated them had found them guilty of some public
misconduct in their administration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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