AMERICAN POLITICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21935, 19 October 1934, Page 12

AMERICAN POLITICS

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT ADDRESS BY MR. W. F. BOYLE The first of a course of lectures on various forms of government, arranged by the Royal Empire Society, was: given in the Navy League rooms last night by Mr. Walter F. Boyle, United States Consul at Auckland, who spoke on the republican system of the United iStates. The president of the Auckland 'branch of the Royal Empire Society, Professor F. P. Worlev, presided. . Mr. Boyle- said that, although the American Constitution was a trritten document, the nation had adopted, practically without change, the English common law, which was still the basis for the American legal system. He referred to the large measure of self-government still retained by the States which made up the union, but stated that in a country so large and varied it was essential for the purposes of unity that each State should hare charge of its own domestic affairs. Mr. Boyle dealt briefly with the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the Government, and stated that although there appeared to be some contradictory practices, * the system of government bad already stood the test of 150 years of vigorous national growth. During that time there had been really only nine amendments the Constituttort. Actually there had been 21, but 10 had been introduced shortly after the framing of the Constitution, and of the two others, dealing with prohibition, one had cancelled the Other.