rs (Dresden, 1898); R. Steinbach, Die
rechtliche Stellung des deutschen Kaisers
verglichen mit des Praesidenten der Vereinigten
Staaten von Amerika (Leipzig, 1903).]

II. THE CHANCELLOR

*224. Non-existence of a Parliamentary System.*--Within the domain of
Imperial government the place filled in other governmental systems by
a ministry or cabinet of some variety is occupied by a single official,
the _Reichskanzler_, or Chancellor. When the Imperial constitution was
framed it was the intention of Bismarck to impart to the Imperial
administration the fullest facility and harmony by providing the
Chancellor with no colleagues, and by making that official responsible
solely to the Emperor. Such a scheme would have meant, obviously, a
thoroughgoing centralization in all Imperial affairs and the utter
negation of anything in the way of a parliamentary system of government.
The more liberal members of the constituent Reichstag compelled (p. 214)
a modification of the original Bismarckian programme; so that when the
constitution assumed its permanent form it contained not merely the
stipulation that "the Imperial Chancellor, to be appointed by the
Emperor, shall preside in the Bundesrath and supervise the conduct of
its business," but the significant provision that "the decrees and
ordinances of the Emperor shall be issued in the name of the Empire,
and shall require for their validity the countersignature of the
Imperial Chancellor, who thereby assumes the responsibility for
them."[309]

[Footnote 309: Arts. 15 and 17. Dodd, Modern
Constitutions, I., 331.]

Nominally, this article establishes the principle of ministerial
responsibility, even though there is but a single minister to be made
responsible. Practically, it does nothing of the sort, for the reason
that no machinery whatever is provided for the enforcing of
responsibility. There is not even specification of the authority to
which responsibility shall lie. The article stipulating
responsibility, appropriated from the constitution of Prussia, was
merely tacked on the Imperial instrument and has never been brought
into organic relation with it. In practice the Imperial Government has
always been able to do business without for a moment admitting the
right of the Reichstag to unseat the Chancellor by an adverse vote.
The Chancellor may be criticised and the proposals