The French Premier, Pierre Etienne Flandin, presided at a lecture which the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, delivered in Paris to-night on the British Parliamentary system.
Sir John expressed the view that every constitution tended "in incor porate national qualities and defects. Te might.be that the English constitutional system illustrated certain British characteristics, want of logie, a certain contempt for formality, great respect for lessons of past, a deep sense of realities and, above all, moderation, which resulted in no one claiming the literal fulfilment of all his rights beyond the limits: imposed by_ ood sense.
Strictly speaking, there was no British Constitution, but only the uncodifed results of long experience of parliamentary government.
This allowed certain liberties tobe taken with it in a new situation, the danger of abuse being checked by Inherent respect for tradition.
All he claimed for" the "British system was that it suited the British people and was the result of long experience of British conditions.
Tt was like an old garment which had come to ft the figure of its owner, but could not be copied and worn with equal' convenience by everybody.
He pointed out that Britain and France were two great European countries, which, at a time of change, had preserved democratic and Parliamentary system—Wireless through Reuter.
London, Mar. 1.
Through her Ambassador in Lon. don, Soviet Russia to-day formally confirmed her invitation to Sir John! Simon to visit Moseow—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.