, 1880-12-24

II " 1t IL Composed, and What Arc
Its Functions.


u Init Is called tic Ministry has never been
rcct EEtzc.l by inw, but grew uat nf tho cus-
tom of n few Ut The .l'riyy or Kings Council
meeting Ut thu 1loyni cabtnet a,ld assuming
tile power Of ntty1sing the Crown oil in.por-
talit measures of government. Tho real name
Of whit VIC call tho 1t[nistryis tho Cabinet. or
Cabinet Council, ,as tho history of Its origin i'm
plies. Tho only Council required BY law istl!o
prlvy Council, ind wien official announce
mont Is matlo Of tho members Of tte Cabinet
they nro ANNOUNCED simply rs members Of
that Council appointed to ill certain offices.
Tho rrivy Council Of Englalid is coeya with
It's Monarchy, but, rs tho custom OK coll
filling nly1co ulltl COUNSEL to tile Cabinet tlas
grown, its powers l,ayo largely diminished.
and the wl,ole Council Inns not been convened
;; sss lS s,n s Iy ryy GGnco,S ;r arS H. a. a.
soverclgn, and they may. be tlsnlsse!l, or
the Council may be dissolved, ut the Royal
pleasure. No qualification Is necessary ex-
cst tlt thGy s1 1c qtysh3rn i, s1hscts
spcct may bc removed by III net Of r'arlia-
nle!'t. us Y was i!l tho cnsu OF prinso Albert
md the King Of tho Bclglans. Tho l'rlyy
Gnunsll consists ct members Of tlo Noyai
Canterbury, the bishop of 1.o'!don,. THO
ClInllevl!or, tic, chief officers Of. tln
l!oyal iGlsehohl, the J@!gss Or tie
Courts of. Common Law, lilo Eeclrsiastiral
a1Ml Admiralty Judges. tic .1uttgc-Adyocatc,
of tl!g llonsc Of Commons, TIC E'nhassadors
Governors Of tho chief co!n,iIes, tho CollI+
,nai,tlci-In-cllief, tho Vfcr-l'resItient of tho
coIntnItteu Of Council for Educntiun, mil
such others ~ tllo Crowll nlay appoint. ~
and t;akes precedence Il all Baf",eis, KniEilis'
nnd younger SUNS OF Ffsegl.nts aud IiArous,
II was Iii tl,o relgn or llenry VI. TINT thu
Kings Council ttrs! assumed tho 'inlno OF
mli9rity of that king tint i select council
gradually emerged from tho larger bntly,
WHICH ultimately resulted III tbs modern
Cabinet. II. earifcr times 1t WINS wholly sllb-
sftc'ef aftc ts % ts stret s "
niN! nrbftrnry proceedings. Sl,cg tha isnvu.
lul!nn It hns lost much Ut It's dignity, a,nl
NOW tl,onnly reilcof Its authority III crtIsl'lnl
'natters Is Its power OF linking exn'nlnations
still, laWeycr, continues, 70 Gxerclso Ill
Original jurisdiction ih nttvlsing tllc Crown
concerning tho grants Of ctlartcrs, and It has
assumed exclusive appellate jurls.lict!on
Crown. Theoretically thu l'riyy Council re-
tnlllH Its nntient supremacy, n1lit III un.lstt
t,ltiolnl polnt Of view is presumed to by tho
n,,ly logical and responsible council Of tho
Tic Ministry proper, OF. rather tt,oso menl-
Me'ube1s nnss ct Ct tis ' Gabinst, c"i,stitato
tho cllet members Of tho Administration.
Of tho I'rvy Council lid cxisted, is llns bsci'
suiti, for long period, hut tho iirst n!usIutl
IT, tho CabiEut Council occurs III tho rciEn Of
CtMrscs !; It WIS extremely ~ @ .tnpopsllnr vt
iutel by those rules which Il ntw e,!forces.
Formerly tllu King mot witl. lilo Ministry;
hut Mt tNc accession Of aeorgo l., thu first
llnnoverIan Primes on The throne of England,
tho praetiss a,a wS a,se9,1!'g ~ H4fsy ~
the EnElislt language. 'fhu rreo hid altre.
strntnca discussion of tlleasllres III Ills NIB
sclce proved 70 beneficial that the old rrlc-
tIco as 1t exer bsstl peylye 1ef9re TINT
posed Of men Of sEliInr Judgment aud pr,lcl-
l}oartl Wings ulul rorfes antl liigll'cllurcll-
men alnl Dlsseniers,, a1ld L was no NJ.
sittos In Parliament. i!ut .sLnce 1879 It l,ns
bcnu nll established principle that nll Cabi.
nets nro to DO constructed Ol, so!l0 basis of
p9lticnl i,lon ngrSst! uGtt i ny t i,smoefs
and aI'' eIe personally Responsible for saek
otllor,,s acts, ulid tltat o.. the resignation
Of tho Prime AlInister l,ls colleagues,
jut, only appoints tie Premier, iul that tic
other nle.nl,ers aro selected by him. n!'a 81.
Ways, except III rnro casrs. without uletntion
fts rcssnation sd eG q rne III 'si sistcr scstS
t1o caso W Of Of sir itolurt Wapoie; an'l ito rcs!g
llatIon Of tho Ministry OF LDrd Noftll, under
famous change Of tho whulu Administration
III defeIoMce to ti,e opinion Of tie C0ntilin!ls.
From TINT ttlnc, however, q chango 0f al!ls"
istry has been simultaneous MIL e0Alrltte:
Inst iai unlt = soiS ;eSGsfs asS %a exeio w
constitute tic CaDtnut nru thu Prime Minister
High cha,,eo!lor, tho lnrl rGslasnt Of tlio
P'S " Exssaass asa s!s' Sss Sc Ss'Sf F
Foreign At!nlrs. tl!o Secretary Of Stasu
for tie llnino Department., tho Sec.
retary Of StAte for Coloia1es, the Secretary Ut
Trsslient Of tho hoard OF rralu; iaiI sn,lit,.
tlnlas tito ChaAeellOr Ut the nncty Ut I.Mtl.
cnstgr, tl!o flrst CoWnlss!oaor Ut Wnfks, tlsY
tIo l'ostmastrEt;enornl. and tl,a UhIot Strrc..
tary fur lrulAlhi Like thu Cabinet. thu 0llico Of
PEiu!u Minister ~ unknown 70 tic law Till!
eo,!stitM!!on. llo Is si,nHty, sho .!letI1cr Of
eontiie,les OF tiiu cro%i!, arl !any Ge eiflsra
l'evr or Cnlnnloi!er. lDy1 R1rklng!lan IN
lstia tlu Duko u Portland ln ls;k', aisl Atr.
At!tuEtun III 1873 lad MEYER held any utlicu
Lord Hutu becaliu Ptol,lier before lls Ind
nycn sInken III Parliament, anl Mr. l!tt was
prI,Mp Munster u, tho ago Of n. l3rf0ro
lstJ tho l'feInlsfs'in was occasionally l'tl!t
lor ut Tho ;xchenuer, Or Secretary OF Stnte,
or Lard Chancellor, but Il Is nnw Invariably
hsld III coinectio,, With Tie o9co VI tho First
Lur1 ot tilo Treasury.
DHnkr