The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-30
VtCEEoY or IRELAND.

VtCEnoY or IRELAND.
In Recent Years His Duties Have Become
manly of a Social Nature.
The Lord Lieutenant is the direct
representative of the sovereign In Ire
land, and acts as her deputy. Ever
since Ireland came under English rule
some official-or in some instances
several officials acting tOgether-has
thus served in Dublin as the Kings or
Queen representative.
In old times this official was called
either the General Governor. the Lord
Justice, or the Lord Deputy. When
two or more persons performed the
duties of the executive Office, they were
usually two or more of the Lords JUS
tees of Ireland. and they were said to
act for the sovereign sin commission. :"
The chief official was, indeed, often
called the ''Lord Deputy" but it was
sometimes the case also that the Lord
Deputy was one who acted in the place
of an absent chief official, whose title
was "Lord Lieutenant.
This title only came into vogue about
three centuries ago. the Earl of Essex,
under Elizabeth, having been one OF
the first to bear it, The last occasion
on which Lords Justices in commits
sion exercised executive power was in
1889, just one hundred years ago. Since
that date a single ruling official of Ire
land has always borne the title OF
Lord Lieutenant
The Lord Lieutenant is invariably
nobleman of high rank, and usually
one of great wealth. He resides in
much state at the ancient Dublin Cas-
tie, in Dublin, and he has salary OF
twenty thousand pounds Zone hundred
thousand dollars) year-double that
of the President of the United States.
Yet such are his social duties that he is
said often to spend much more than the
amount of his salary in year.
The Lord Lieutenant is often called
the "Viceroy of Ireland" which means
that he is there in the place, or stead.
of the King or Queen.
In his hands are all the purely exec
utive powers in Ireland. He is the COM
mander of the troops and of the con-
stabulary. He issues proclamations.
He presides over the various branches
of administration, and the appoint
ments of inferior officials in Ireland
are, in many cases, nominally made by
him.
But in recent years the duties of the
Lord Lieutenant have become mainly
of social and ornamental nature. He
holds levees and gives state banquets.
on occasion, at Dublin Castle, and some
times makes journeys to different parts
of the island.
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland some
times is, and sometimes is not, a men,
Der of the British Cabinet The Duke
of Marlborough sat in the Cabinet.
The principal executive duties in Ire
land have gradually come to be per-
formed by an official nominally inferior
to the Lord Lieutenant; that is, by the
''Chief Secretary for Ireland" an Of
flee now held by Arthur j. Balfour.
The Chief Secretary is always mem-
Der of the British House of Commons,
and is included in the Ministry, and
sometimes in the Cabinet. Mr.. Balfour
is Cabinet Minister and so was John
Morley, his predecessor.
Not only does the Chief Secretary
have principal share in managing af-
fairs in Ireland, but he represents Ire
land on behalf of the Cabinet on the
floor of the House of Commons. He
has charge of bills relating to Ireland,
and answers questions put to him in
respect to Irish subjects. Practically,
he is the responsible Minister for Ire
land.
Many famous men have held the Of
fees, both of Lord Lieutenant and of
Chief Secretery. Early in the century
the great Duke of Wellington, when
Sir Arthur Wellesley, was chief Secre-
tary; and later, two of his brothers
the Marquis Wellesley and the Earl OF
Mornington-held, the one, the post OF
Lord Lieutenant, the other, that of
Chief Secretary. Youths Companion.