The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-26 00:00:00

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL.

The Times publishes the following letter :7

Sir,—Lord Beaconsfield has taken the office of Lord Privy
Seal in addition to that of First Lord of the Treasury. This
measure is said to be a transitory one. Would it not be well
for various reasons that it should be made permanent?
In the first place the salary of £2OOO would raise that en-
joyed by the First Lord to a little nearer the standard of
adequacy. The First Lord's pay, k 6,000 a year, is less than
that of a railway manager. The question of increasing it has
more than once been raised. Such a step might lead to in-
convenience. The amalgamation of the two posts and of the
two pays could be carried out by a mere ministerial order,
and under the authority et existing laws. Secondly, the
amalgamation of the places would be advantageous in a poli-
tical and administrative light. The office of Lord Privy Seal
has been more than once the subject of cavil on account of
its alleged uselessness. It is not useless. On the contrary,
its functions are always important, and might in certain
critical moments become urgent and essential.
The Lord Privy Seal is, as his title implies, the keeper of
the Privy Seal, in contradistinction to the Lord Chancellor,
the keeper of the Great Seal. The latter seal is kept by and
travels with the Lord Chancellor, is physically under his
exclusive control. Morally and legally he can only use it by
order of his Sovereign. This order is signified under the
Privy Seal, the keeper of which, a responsible and confiden-
tial Minister, Is a check on the employment of the Great
SeaL Without him the Lord Chancellor cannot obtain a
voucher for the important acts he performs.
Surely, the very nature of this office points it out as one
fitly to be united with the functions of Prime Minister.
Thirdly, this point is social and apparently less pressing,
but still it is of no slight importance.
By one of the anomalies of English life, the First Lord of
the freasury has no social precedence save that of a Privy
Councillor. As such, he ranks below the Treasurer, Control-
ler, and ViceeChamberlain of the Household, below Secre-
taries of State, below the younger sons of Earls and the elder
sons of Barons, many of whom are clerks in Government
effices or ensigns in the Army. No doubt in the case of ex-
treme yoeta exemptions are made, or attempted to be made,
in general society in favour of the Prime Minister; but
where no place is legal it is difficult to assign the proper
degree of illegality, and the Prime Minister when a com-
moner often walks down at the tail of a dinner party. This
incongruity might cease if the Prime Minister were ex officio
Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President of the Council and the
Lord Privy Seal if of the rank of a Baron take precedence of
all Dukes. Such at the present moment is Lord Beaconfield'a
place.
Neither of these two offices has ever, before Mr. Disraeli's
interregnum. been held by a commoner, but the Herald's
College could no doubt find an analogy, or an Act of Parlia-
ment might create a precedent by which to secure a proper
Status to a commoner holding either of those posts.
On every account, therefore, of economy, policy, and social
decorum, it would be well if the arrangement now made for
passing convenience should be laid down as a permanent
settlement.—! am, Sir, you obedient servant, M. P.