Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-25
The Queens Power.

Has the Queen OF England any real
power? Or is she, as we often hear it
asserted. q mere fgure.head and orna.
mept Of the State, whose royal Office
has long ago been stripped Of the au-
thority that the English kings and
queens of old were wont to sway.
We know that things have greatly
changed in this respect, since Henry
VIII. ruled the realm with an iron
hand, and even since Charles II. tried
to reign without his Parliament. Ger.
tainly, the power of governing Eng
land has passed, in a very large meas.
ure, into the House of Commons, the
body that represents the will of the
people ; and the ministers, who are the
servants of the House of Commons,
WELD, under its dictation, most of the
authority and prerogatives of "the
They are responsible for all its execu-
tive acts, the carrying out of the laws,
the making of appointments, the con-
Guiding of treaties. and the declaring
of war. All these acts used to be done,
in the olden time, by the monarchs,
who, after taking the advice of their
counsellors, followed their own royal
pleasure.
But, although the Queen cannot
make treaties, wars, or even appoint
ments, independent OF the advice of the
ministers, it would he an error to sup
pose that she has no power left.
She has certain prerogatives which,
indeed, she never uses. For instance,
she still retains the veto" power !;
that is, she may refuse her assent to
any measure passed by Parliament, and
may thus prevent it from becoming q
law. But no English sovereign has
really dared to use this veto power for
nearly two hundred years +; and if
Queen Victoria should do so, she
would probably incite n revolution, and
put her throne in peril.
Another authority she has, but never
uses, Is that of Diminishing ministers
She has right to do this but it she
should dismiss minister who had the
confidence of the House of Commons,
she would do an act dangerous to the
stability of her throne. Her prede-
cessor, King William w., once dis
missed ministry supported by the
House but he raised such o commo-
ton by doing SO, that he was very soon
forced to retract and to take it back
again.
But Queen Victoria has what may be
called u power of advice and influence
She is entitled to be informed by her
ministers of every measure they pro
pose to take, and every appointment
Of importance they intend to make, and
to discuss these with them.
She has right to argue with them,
and if she can, to influence their action.
1t muy be easily seen that the ministers
always listen to the sovereign with def
erence, and are always inclined to yield
to her wishes, if they can do so consis-
tently with their responsibility to Par
Lament.
Thus, the Queen has no power to act
over the heads of, or against, the min
listers but she has the moral power of
persuAding them and inclining them to
her views.
OF course, this influence of the SOW
ere.gn is all the greater if she or 9 has
experience in public affairs, political
talent or tact, and solidity OF character.
A weak minded monarch would be lis.
tened to with respect, but the ministers
would pay less heed to him than to a
wise one.
Aside from this, the Queen has very
great influence, both upon the morals
Of her people and upon the current of
public opinion, by reason of her posi-
ton at the very top of society. A pop
ular aud revered sovereign in England
finds the people inclined to yield to
what is known to be that sovereign's
wish. This is persuaStue power, act
ing upon the masses.
A pure and moral court, such as that
OF Queen Victoria, made SO by her per-
sonal example, has profound influence
upon the tone Of society throughout
the country. Her domestic and home
like virtues have done great deal to
make British society far more elevated
one, morally, than it was before she as
cended the throne.
Thus we see that the Queen, though
no longer potentate welding the great
important powers of the State, is much
more than mere tigure-head and
that she has her far from contemplate
part to play both in governing the
country and in leading society to a
higher plane.