The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-02
The BRITISH CABINET.
A National Institution Which Has No Le-
galized Existence.

A National Institution which Has No Le-
| galized Existence.
1t is remarkable circumstance that
a body so august as the English Cabinet
should be unknown to law. Its MEM
bers are constitutional advisers of the
sovereign, and vet their appointment is
not provided for by any act of Parlia-
ment. They speak of themselves, and
are generally regarded as Her Maj
esty's Ministers; but, in reality, they
represent the declared will of the con-
/ stituencies, and hold Office only so long
as they command the confidence of the
/ House of Commons. The choice OF
Crown. but practically that choice IS
/ limited to the selection of a Prime Min
lister. who has already been nominated
! by the voice of the party; and he Sc
lectS his colleagues according to the po-
| litical exigencies of the time. The body
! thus constituted comes into existence
without any official proclamation of the
| fact Such of its members as had not
before been admitted into the ranks of
| Her Majesty's Privy Councillors are
forthwith summoned to the Council,
! and the fact of their being sworn is
formally announced in the London Ga
zette; but their appointment as men,
bers of the Cabinet is never thus made
known to the world.
! There is no rule as to how many Min
listers shall form the Cabinet. or what
shall be the relative proportion of Peers
| or In, T,hf
net consisted of himself and seven
Peers. One Cabinet consisted of seven
teen members, another of eleven; but
the usual number is either thirteen or
fifteen. At one time the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Lord Chief Justice, the
Master OF the Mint. and the Command
er-in-Chief were entitled to places in
the Cabinet; but they have not been in
! cluded in the ministries of modern
times. The ministers who are now
generally regarded as indispensable
members of the Cabinet are as follows:
! The First Lord of the Treasury, the
Lord Chancellor. the Chancellor of the
! EXchequer, the Secretary for Home At
fairs. the Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
the Secretary for Colonial Affairs. the
Secretary tor Indian Affairs, the Secre-
tary for War, the President of the Coun-
Gil, the Lord Privy Seal. the First Lord
of the Admiralty. The heads of other
departments of the government are
sometimes placed in the Cabinet, ar-
cording to the personal views of the
Premier as to the Importance of the
offices which they fill, or as to the value
of their individual counsel and infiu-
ence in political affairs There are
usually two parliamentary chiefs of the
principal Departments of State. one in
| each House, to represent the depart
ment to which he belongs, to defend its
! policy, and to answer any questions
| which may arise in relation to it.
1t was formerly the custom of the
King to preside at meetings of the Cab
/ met Council. William and Anne were
always present at the weekly v meetings
of the Cabinet; but the inability of
/ George |. to converse in English COM
! PEELED his absence from the delibera.
tiOns of the Ministry, and since his time
no member of the royal family has ever
been present at Cabinet Council.
! Meetings of the Cabinet are usually
convened BY summOnses formally all
dressed by order of the Premier tc
Her MajestyS Confidential Advisers"
but any member of the Cabinet has the
rightto call his colleagues together.
They are generally held at the Foreign
Office, or Ut the Prime Minister'S official
residences. but they may be held
| wherever Ministers can be most cOnven.
iently got together. There is no. fixed
quorum, nor is the president formally
appointed. The Cabinet Council has no
secretary, and no official record Whatever
is kept of its proceedings; even a private
record of what passed would be con-
sidered a breach of ministerial conf
dence- Hence. no member of the Cab
met, not even the Prime Minister, is. at
liberty to make any revelation of its
proceedings without having first OBJ
tanned the sOvereign's permission to,do
So 1t is, of course, necessary for the
head of the State to be kept informed
of what matters have engaged the. at
tention of the Cabinet; aud for this pur
pose a ministerial Memorandum. D."
first introduced bv Sir Robert Peel, is
prepared by the Prime Minister for the
Queens use; but after an important
Cabinet Council he usually seeks an
audience of the Queen. and gives an
oral communication of the. decisions
that have been arrived at. In relation
to the sovereign. the Cabinet is an indi-
visible and absolute unity. and therefore
the opinions of individual members are
not reported to the Crown. When it is
found necessary to put any question to
the vote, a majority decides; but it is, a
rule Of Cabinet Councils and of all
meetings of Committees of Councils
alike, that no man shall make publica-
ton of how the minority voted. On
being admitted into the Privy Council.
every member is sworn not to. divulge
its proceedings; and this rule is most
sscredly observed, as regards ali meet
ings of the Cabinet.-LOHdOJs Cor.
Brooklyn EagLe.