The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-02-09
ENGLISH PRIME MINISTER.
he Has the Right to Advise as to Every
Department.

Let us consider for a moment
what is the real as contrasted with
the theoretical position ct the
prime minister. In the first place,
the prime minister, as rule, makes
his cabinet. He Is commissioned by
the queen to form cabinet because
he is the man whom she considers
10 possess the confidence of the ma
ioritv of the house of commons. lie
forms his cabinet by asking certain |
members of the two houses TO hold |
the great offices of state He mlght |
do this in one day and without con-
sulting any one.
As matter of fact, what usually
happens IS this: As soon as the COM
mission to form Il government mas
been received the prime minister
takes into his confidence the two or
three men who will hold the CHIEF
offices. and they together talk over
the other names. When man IS
decided upon, he, as rule, joins the
conclave and helps to consult az 10
men and places, and 50 the cabinet
gradually evolves itself. No doubt,
as generally happens i'll this world
the Drime minister ; choice Is never
really free. Certain men must be IN
the cabinet whatever happens, and
hence they may be said not to be
chosen by the premier, but to be
ministers in their own right. In
snite. however. of this, the fact
that they are asked to serve by the
Dremier makes them feel his su-
Deriority. When the cabinet Is made,
the theory of the unwritten consu-
tuition is that the cabinet governs
In reality it seldom does anything
of the kind. Each cabinet minister
has very great power in his own de-
partment, but the cabinet as cabl-
net can do little
Since, however. il knows every
thing OF almost everything that
is going on it can exercise a great
deal of indirect power. The pre-
vious knowledge that the majority
of the cabinet would like or dislike
particular policy has a great infiu
ence. but still the cabinet does moi
rule
Who, then, really rulesl Th'
prime minister, but limited in ;
way which we must describe later
What gives the prime minister thi
powerl In the first place, he sum
mons and presides over and 6
largely controls the cabinet meet
ings. Next, if a vacancy occurs
he fills it, and 50 can promote me
from the lower to the higher offices
Then he can and does confer with hi
colleagues in regard to the buslnes
of their departments and so has
hold upon the whole machine go7
ernment. Sir Robert Peel saw ever
member of his cabinet separated
every day.
Again, if there is a difference b
tween two other members of Il
government, the premier decides.
there is an irreconcilable differen
between himself and a minister,
is the minister and not the premi
who resigns. Lastly, the prime mn
lister can, by resigning himself, d
solve the whole ministry. The
things, small in themselves, tax
together, make the prime minister
position what it is. He makes a
can unmake a cabinet. He presid
over it, and he has the right to {
wise in regard to every departmel
though this right Is, OF course, 5
dom exercised, ard he has secuT
to him beforehand the support
the rank and file of any cabinet
it comes to struggle between h
and colleague, because the IA
and file know that if the premier
beaten he has it in his power to I
set the whole machine of COVE
ment Hence the voices of tn,
who want to keep in office are
ways found on the side of the =
mier London Spectator.