The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-01-08

The queen alone can create peer haronct
or knight, and confer privileges upon private
persons. She alone can erect corporations
and raise and regulate fleets and armies,
though under such restrictions relating to the
appropriation and expenditure of money as
make it Impossible for her to exercise her
power to the detrlment of English liberty.
She is the head OF the church; she convenes
and dissolyes all ecclesiastical synods and
conversations, and dominates to vacant bish-
Oprlcs and other church offices. She sends
ambassadors to foreign states, receives embas-
sailors at home makes treaties and alliances,
and declares war and peace; though her pow
er in these respects also Is in large degree
limited by the power Of parliament to enact
or reject such laws as may be necessary to
make it effective. Previous to the revolution
of 1858 the government of England was main
" carried on by virtue of what was called the
royal prerOgatlve; that IS by the king in per-
son, with the advice of ministers appointed by
himself, who were only responsible to their
sovereign for their management OF public
affairs. One of the results, however, of that
revolution was the transfer of the power of the
state from the crown to the house Of commons.
Instead of government by prerogative there
was then established government by parlia-
ment, from whom all laws must cmanate, re-
quiring only the approval of the crown as q
condition of their enactment. As is well
known, the queen appoints her own advisers
irrespective Of the wishes or approval of par
Lament, and though popularity the ministry
is supposed to possess the whole executive
power, no important measure Is presented by
them to the consideration OF parliament with
out her sanction and approval 1t is not how
ever essential that all acts and measures
should be presented 10 parliament through the
channel of the ministry, and parliament may
originate and pass acts al its pleasure, subject
to the constitutional right of the queen to
nulhfy them to her veto. The queen can con.
vene parliament and terminate its sessions at
will. There have been but two instances in
which the lords and commons have met by
their own authority, namely: Previous to
the restoration of Charles H., and at the revo.
luton in 1868. There is one contingency,
however, upon which, under authority at law,
parliament may meet without summons 1t
was provided in the reign of Anne that in
case there should he no parliament in beng
at the time of the demise of the crown, then
1.-THE last preceding parliament shall immedi-
ately convene and sit al Westminster, as If the
said parliament had never been dissolved"
Snch a parliament however, by statute in
the reign of George Ill, can only continue in
existence for six months, if not sooner dis
solved. This then, is the power Of the queen.
She may, with the advice of her ministers
alone assemble, prorogue, and dissolve parlia,
ment, declare war, confirm or disallow the
acts of colonial legislatures, give effect to
treaties, extend the term Of patents, grant
charters of incorporation TO companies or
municipal bodies, create ecclesiastical dis.
tricts, regulate the board of admiralty, and
make appointments to offices in the various
departments of the state, create new offices,
and define the qualifications of persons to fill
the same, and declare the periods at which
certain acts of parliament, the operation Of
which has been left to the queen and council,
shall be enforced. With regard to the expen-
dIture Of money, it is expressly provided in
the act of settlement to which reference has
been made, that money levied for the use of
the crown without grant of parliament is lille