The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-02-15
The American aad English Cabinets.

/ The American aaG Engnsn C2DlhetSs
In both the United States and En-
| gland, the Cabinet, as body, is unknown
10 the constitution, and Is not officially
recognized by the law. The name "Cab-
| met never occurs in formal documents;
it has gradually come into use, from the
fact that In England the King advisers
were wont to meet and consult HIM IN
his private cabinet.
Each Cabinet officer, however, Is Off
cially recognized in both America and
England-not as a Cabinet officer, but
as the chief of one of the great depart
ments of the executive administration.
LIN this country, such an officer Is
known as Secretary the Secretary
of State, of the Interior, aud so on. In
England, the title of Secretary is used
tor the five highest administrative Off
Gers, those of Foreign Affairs, Home
Affairs, the Colonies, India, and War.
The Office corresponding to our Secre-
taryship of the Treasury, on the other
hand, is In England divided between
two high officials-the First Lord of the
Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Ex-
ehequer the officer known TO us as the
Secretary of the Navy is called in En-
gland the First Lord of the Admiralty.
In England, moreover, there are sew
eral Cabinet officers unknown to our own
Cabinet. These are, the aLcrd High
Chancellor, the President of the Board
of Trade, the Chancellor of the Duehy
of Lancaster, the President Of the Coun-
Gil, and the Lord Privy Seal
In the United States, the members of
the Cabinet are nominated by the Presi-
dent, and are approved or confirmed
by the Senate. The President can also
remove any one of them nc any time.
But in England, the Cabinet is really
selected by the Prime Minister, subject
to the approval of the Queen; and,
| though he can remove them, the English
Cabinet usually comes IN and goes out
of Office IN body.
There are other notable differences
between the two Cabinets. In the United
States. no Cabinet officer can sit IN
either house OF Congress. In England,
no man can sit in the Cabinet who Is
not a member of either the Commons or
the Lords.
With us, the Cabinet officer has two,
and only two, functions the chief OF
an executive department, aud as an adj
wiser of the President on matters of gem
! eral policy. With the English, the
| Cabinet officer adds third function TO
| these two; for he is a Parliamentary
leader, and IN the Commons or Lords
defends either the policy of his own de-
partment, or the general policy OF the
| Ministry of which he is member.
While in the mother country Cabinet
always goes out of power in body when
the House of Commons casts o vote I'D
verse to its proceedings. in the United
States the position of thesCabinet, as n
whole, Is quite unaffected by any vote of
either or both houses of Congress.
Each English Cabinet officer has his
own rank and dignity, while the Ameri-
can Secretaries are officially equal. The
salaries Of these officers, moreover, differ
widely IN the two countries. Our Sec
retaries get s., eco year. The English
] Prime Minister receives S25, eco a year;
( SO do the Chancellor of the Exchequer
and the five Secretaries Of State. The
Lord High Chancellor has $50, 600 a
veal. ana a pension, when he retires, Of
2Ia. gc9 vesr FOR Efe The lowest sal
arE HeaeiTe3 bg an English Cabinet
member Is 0,O00. which - the sum re-
eeived Ivy the President of the Council,
the Lord PriHy Seal, tile President of
the Board of Trade and the Chancellor
of the Duchy of Lancaster.
From these differences some idea may
be derived of tina contrasts which appear
between the institutions Of the ancient
monarchy of England and cur own still
youthful republic.