The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-11
MANY THINGS SHE CAN'T DO.
From Tid-Bits.

Considerable as are the powers Of
the queen, they are not unlimited.
There are some very curious reStric-
tions on the royal prerogative. The
queen cannot. for instance, com!hun-
icate with her subjects as
can the most menial of her servants
nor can she receive presents from her
people except through officers of state
OF friends personally known to her
majesty.
The queen could sell or give away
tho royal navy or declare war with
Russia, but she could not spend sin
gle farthing of public money without
the consent of parliament. The queen
has no power over taxation, ana could
not create any new office with fees
attached TO il. Neither could she an
mex new fees To old offices. She could
footmen. unless she did it out of her
footmen, unless she done it out of her
private funds, or without exceeding the
allowance made to her bv parliament.
\ curious curtalment of the royal
prcrogative is effected by an act OF
parliament passed in the reign or
George III This act deals with Sab
bath breaking, and 1t is distinctly
stated that the monarch cannot par
don offenders who have been convicted
of a certain form of Sabbath breaking
Yet her majesty could pardon 99 per
cent. of all the other prisoners in the
| land.
Though no act of parliament is COM
! plete until IT is signed by the queen,
| her majesty is subject to the laws that
| she signs, ami cannot issue proclaim
! alton contrary to the law. II, for in
| stance, it were the law Of England
! that no train should travel at a rate
exceeding fifty miles on hour the
| queen could not issue a proclama-
! ton cXempting a certain train from
| the operation of the law. Nor can her
majesty issue a proclamation which
would iniurc the community such as,
for example. a proclamation exempt
ing a whole town or neighborhood from
serving on a jury.
| Though the queen could recall any
subject from abroad she cannot com
pei a subject to leave this country
| This disability does not cease to ope-
rate even in time of war, and, though
at such a time the queen could cal
upon every able man To take up arms
she could not force a single civilian tc
leave the country, even To carry on q
necessary war,
Her majesty could not set up courts
such as the star chamber, the chile
of Henry Wis misguided genius, MOI
could she invest a spiritual court viii
temporal power Though her decision
is absolute after prisoner has beer
sentenced, she could not interfere will
the course of justice before the sent
ence has been passed, nor could sh'
exert any influence over her judges
Neither could she interfere in a cas-
of private as opposed To public wrong
The queen is the only person VIII
can not arrest a suspected felon, n,
action can be taken against her fo
breaking the law, and, therefore, sh
is preCluded from making an arrest
as, suppOsing the suspected prisone
were innocent, no action for false i'm
prisonment could be taken against he
majesty. The law. indeed, assume
, that the queen can do no wrong, whic
seems about as absurd as the legal as
sumption that the queen can not b
under age, and can not die,
The queen can not exclude a mem
ber from parliament after he has bee
r duly elected, nor can she delegate tn
duty of signing laws to anyone.