Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-03-16
KING, CABINET AND PARLHA-
MENT M ENGLAND


We mooted a subject in our last
number to which we propose to
reeur in the present. It was the
anomaly in a representative Gov
eminent of a Cabinet Numerically
opposed in policy to the majority in
both houses of Congress. We repre-
sented that such was a state of things |
utterly impossible in any European
State, and that, especially in Eng
land, an attempt ON the part of any !
Cabinet to hold such a position
would occasion formidable disturb
ances there, and at the very least
would consign to lasting and ignO-
minious exclusion from public Office
any politician who might be rash
enough to attempt it.
We have long been convinced that
it was the intention and expectation
of the founders of our Constitution
that the system which they estab-
lished would work i'm the same way,
at least in regard to the relations of
the Cabinet to Congress, and by way
of showing how very far the result
has falsified that anticipation we
will in the present paper endeavor
to furnish our readers with a sketch
of the way in which the relations of
Crown, Cabinet and Parliament are
practically carried out in England.
Let ii be first understood that Eng
land has no written Constitution.
The very existence of Cabinet, or
Parliament either, is provided for
by no written law, and yet it is GER
tain that the arrangements about to
be described have an indefeasible
force of persistence far beyond the
written provisions of our COnstitu-
ton. We have not to go back more
than ten years to arrive at time
when it was looked upon as test
of loyalty not to be too particular
about the Constitution. These were
the days when OH Thad. Stephens
denounced A. the worst traitors and
cOpperheads those men who, as he
said, were forever whining about
the Constitution. Usage in England
has been stronger than law in Amer
lea. The English usage, then, is
that all the members of the Cabinet
must be members of Parliament.
They are always chosen from among
the prominent members either of
the House of Lords or House of
Commons, and from the party which
at the time has a majority in the
House of Commons. When so
chosen a member, if he accepts Of
flee, has to vacate his seat and go to
his constituents for reelection, and
if he fail to be reelected cannot hold
the Office, unless, as sometimes hap
pens, some other constituency elects
him. The purpose of this provision
is to prevent the Crown exercising
too strong an influence over men,
bers of Parliament by means of its
appointing power; if, however, the
appOintee belonged to the House OF
Lords no such ordeal is necessary,
for that House is not elective. All
the members of the Cabinet, then
having seats in either one or the
other House, they are expected to
prepare and defend and carry
through Parliament all the leading
measures of the session. They in.
deed in their bureaus and with the
help of their subordinates do nearly
the same duties in reference to the
preparation and parliamentary man
agement of bills as is done byours tan
ding committees through their chair
men. For example, a financial
measure in this country is intro
duced and engineered through Con
gress by the Chairmen of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, having
been previously drawn up and ma
tured in that committee; but il
England such a measure is matureC
in the Exchequer Office by tn,
Chancellor of the Exchequer (cor
responding to our Secretary of tn,
Treasury, and defended and carried
through the House of Commons b!
him. In a similar manner if tn,
measure relate TO the army it is en-
gineered by the Secretary of War
if to the navy, by the First Lord o
the Admiralty, and so forth.
But now comes the per contra
Any measure so introduced by
Cabinet minister becomes what i
called Cabinet question, and, if
fail to receive majority of votes il
the House of Commons, the Cabine
must resign and a new one be selectet
from the opposition. Further, sup
pose a measure to be introduced int
the House by private member
and suppose that at Cabinet coun
ell it be agreed that the Cabine
shall oppose it; if then the measure
be carried by a considerable major
ity the Cabinet is equally required
to resign. If, ON the other hand
the Cabinet conclude not to elevat,
it to the importance of a Cabine
measure, then each member of tn,
Cabinet votes for or against it at hi
own discretion, and a majority on,
way or another does not deterInin,
the fate of the Cabinet. But her,
it becomes necessary to describe ont
mode in which a Cabinet may aver
the consequences of finding them
selves in a minority for while. i
will sometimes happen that tn,
measure before Parliament on which
a Cabinet is defeated was not, at tn,
time that Parliament was elected, 1
question before the people. Tn,
Prime Minister, then, who is tn,
head of the Cabinet, considers him