Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-02-23

We come now to the Cabinet as it exists
at the present day The English Cabinet |
is not a specific and uniform list Of Heads Of .
Departments. The Offices held by the mem
beers of different cabinets have varied consid-
crably, according TO the emergencies Of the .
times, or to suit the plans Of the principal .
ministers. For instance, until the present
war, there was in the late Cabinet no Sccre-
taryship of State for War separate from that
for the Colonies, but to meet the cxigcnry,
the two Offices were separated, and have been
borne by different Ministers Every Cabinet
includes the following officers The first Lord
OF the Treasury, the Lord Chancellor the
Chancellor of Exchcqucr, and the three Secrc-
tarics of State for the Home, Colonial, and
Foreign Departments. From three to eight
other iunctionares have at different times
been selected for their cmnence and influence,
to sit in tho Cabinet. Sometimes, as in the
case of Lord Carlisle in Earl Grcy's Ministry,
and the Marquiss Of Lansdowne in Lord
Aberdeen s, man whose talents would make
him great acquisition to the government. is
invited to sit without any particular Office
Generally, however, in such case. he takes
the somewhat nominal Office of Lord presi
dent of the Council, as did Lord John Rus
sell in the late Cabinet As | have before
intimated, the Cabinet eits in conclayc. the
members who compose it are never officially
announced no record is kept ofits meetings
its plans are often determined upon by the
oh Infr mi nd boz
their colleagues.
The Prime Minister is First Lord Of the
| Treasury, that is, he is Head Of the DEPART
ment which controls the collection, expcndi-
turc and general management of the public
revenue. The Chancellor of the Exchcqucr
! is under Treasurer and the principal finance
Minister of the Crown. 1t is part of his bu
sinees to prepare and bring before the Com
mons, every year, the "budgct' or scheme Of
financial plans and estimates for the year
You must bear in mind that every Cabinet
contains members OF both Houses Of Parlia-
mcnt, not that they become so ex-olhcio but
on account Of the great dcsrablcness OF hay
Ing representatives. Of the Government in both
Houses, it is always SO cuntrivcd, Now rs all
bills OF supplies must originate IL the COM
mons, the Chancellor of the cxrdcquer is al
ways member of the Lower House. When
the Prime Minister is Commoncr, he gene
rally seeks a seat in tho House, and some
times takes the Office of Chancellor of the
Exchequer himself We may note in passing,
that Prime Minister is by no means of ne
cessty a Lord of Parliament, the title of
Lori Of the Treasury conveying no rank OF
nobility to one who holds the Office Of the
fifteen Prime Ministers who have held that
office during the present century, six or more
have been Commoncrs.
The second officer Of the Cabinet is the
styled the Keeper of the King conscience, 81
which suppose sounds very strangely to the
ears of some. In early times the Chancellor OIL
Chief Secretary of the Crown, was an eccle.
siastic, and the King coniessor it was from
this latter Office that he derived that singular
title. The Lord Chancellor is by virtue q
his Office, Lord Keeper of the great seal, the
principal adviser of the Crown in matters o
law, and Speaker of the House of Lords.
the Lord Chancellor was not Peer pre-
viously to his receiving that office, the mo
dern practice has always been to raise him tt
the peerage. 1t was in this way tina
Brougham Lecame Lord.
The general character of the duties be
longing to the three, or as the late Cabinet
was modified, four Secretaryships of State
NAV be inferred from their titles. If yor
s''ouiu pirea iuc 70 distinguish between the
duties Of the Secretary of State for War, anc
those Of the Secretary at War, should lc
fain to refer you to the Duke Of Ne",astl,
and Mr.. Sidney Herbert, the late Minister.
in these two departments. The probability
is that it these two gentlemen could compro-
mise the matter satisfactorily to each other
they would come into collision with the FRS
Lord Of the Admiralty and the Commander
in-chief of the forces both civil officers
and that the final adjustment of the conflict
ing claims could not be made before tn,
Greek Kalends. 1t is just this confusion
respecting the appropriate duties of kindred
but independent departments, which has lee
to the overthrow of the Ministry, and if al
the world is right, to the disastrous results il
the East.
might have added to my account of thu
Privy Council that it consists at present 0
nearly 900 members, including all the emf
ncnt statesmen of the Kingdom. They ar,
not attached to any particular government
but remain in Office during the pleasure 0
the Crown
Thus much for a general outline of tn,
constitution of an English Cabinet. For tn
matter Of news-if it be news to you-suific,
it to say that according the usual custom o
sending for the leader of the party oppose,
to the late ministry, the Queen summoned
Lord Derby Immediately upon the resigna
ton of Aberdeen and his colleagues. 1t i
generally thought that Lord Derby canno
stances, and that Lord Palmerston will mex
be called upon. 1t is rumored that tn
Queen is offended at the course taken by Lor,
John Russell, and that for thi. reason as vel
as others, his chances for resuming the Jos
which he vacated three years ago, are no
very favorable. The Times is employing al
its weight to favor Lord Palmerston and il
violent opposition to Lord John. When tn
political sky is clear again, shall hav
more to say upon this Ministerial revolution
Your Chroniclcr,
GRIFFITH.
, IRON FREE FREss.1