Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-17

Outstanding. The cabinet must. In a
| sense be master of the house or 1t can
not continue to be cabinet. 1t must
command its majoritics. In the old
days when majortics were purchased
Dy money and office the relation was
| one OF contract. But that has passed
| away since the civil-service act of 1856.
| me democratic cabinet can control the
mousse only by satisfying the demands
of the house. by yielding to its wishes,
| by giving expression to its aspirations.
| The cabinet i'll Il sense, guides and con-
\ trolls the house of commons: in Il sense
the house guides and controls the cabi-
net. 1t would be difficult to imagine n
| body of men whose conduct was more
| effectively checked and guided at every
point thar Is the case of the English
| cabinet in the house OF commons Cabi-
net oiilcers In the commons sit on tho
government bench at the right of the
speaker. They face the leaders OF the
opposition. who occupy the correspond
\ ing bench on the speakers left. Be
| hind and to the right of the cabinet sit
the members of their own party. who
| usually vote with them MIR. Racehot
| quotes Il wit who looked upon The long
rows of members of the commons and
| pronounced them 'the finest company
| or brute voters on earth" But these
| men are not mere brute voters: they
| have. many of them, minds of their
| own. On the government side of the
house there are always those on the
| point oil dcsertion or whose supDort is
uncertain. Any important measure
which the cabinet brings in is sure to
encounter more or less oDDosition
among their own supporters. There
may De hkcwarm supporters among the
| ministers who are not in the cabinet
| The cabinet must be ever sensitive and
| open to suggestion from members OF
| It's own party, ana at the same time ia
must pursue Il rcsoiute and reasonably
| consistent course. The action of the
cabinet ,is thus constantly modified by
| members of It's own party
But This is not all. The cabinet faces
a company of men equally skilled with
themselves In all the arts If politics ana
| craftsmanship. These men have them
selves been cabinet officers. In n few
| weeks or few months or ut most in
a few years, they expect TO be cabinet
officers again. II is the business of the
lenders OF the opposition to discover
| and bring to light every weak point in
| the policy of the government; Not only
| Is the legislature policy of the cabinet
brought under public notice In the
mouse OF commons. but their adinInis-
| tratWe business MS well. If soldiers
nave been supplied with bad boots or
bad meats the secretary of war is call
ed upon To explain by one. perchance
| who has himself been secretary of
| war or one who is an expert in the bus
| ireSs in hand. There are daily uucs-
tons whereby the conduct of the cabi-
| net is called in question. The legisla-
tive programme of the cabinet must
| encounter the criticism Of this skilled
opposition. II weak points are exposed
the cabinet may adopt amendments
1t often happens that votes on amend
mcnts to cabinet bills are carried IN
the commons. This always tends to
discredlt and weaken its position. 1t
IS much better for The government to
iorcstall defeat by adopting the pro-
posed amendment before the vote is
taken. y cabinet may, however make
| up its mind that Il proposed amend
mcnt shall he defeated. In that case
they give definite warming to the house
that they consider the amendment de-
structlVc TO the main purposes OF the
bill. This means that If the amend
ment is carried after such n notice
| they intend to dissolve parliamcnt The
cabinet stakes it's life on every import
ant measure 1t introduces. /; must not
| allow itself 10 he defeated on n men-
sure involving its main purpose. The
government after introducing bill
may become convinced of their inabil-
lily To pass it, III that case they may
prolong their existence by withdrawing
the measure before defeat Thus in the
house of commons the cabinet has it's
conduct checked ANA modified n, every
stage by members Of its own party
ana more especially by the trained and
experienced opposition. This applies
noi only L. Legislative measures but to
| executive business as well. An English
cabinet could not live two hours II
there were wel!groundci suspicion
that '.cnpalmci beef" had been fur
nlshcd TO British soldiers. y vote of
ccnsure would he carried and the gov
eminent would resign. The cabinet
must not only face 4 trained opposition
, in The house Of commons II must face
an intelligent constituency in the cOun-
: try ut large. y cabinet may Dc all
: powerful ~ the house. it may be abba
, 10 carry It's measures by brute votes.
and yet the English public may rise up
ana demand change. II has hnppen-
, "a time and again that II pc piliar agita-
ton throughout the country. followed
by demonstration i'm i!yde Park. has
induced the government ~ change It's
policy. The English ncwspape are
l-Naincd to habits-n Le0ntinual Watchtul-
noss over the deeds Of their govern
ment. The cabinet. with the approval
of the naiion. can do anything at any
time. There is no written constitution,
there are no legal checks which can
stand against united nation, there
are 10 courts whose decisions may
hamper its action. The members OF n
cabinet cannot therefore excuse them
selves by IL plea of lack Of power.
Backed by a united ana irsistent ma
ton, they have all power. This gives
an intensity of interest to English pol
itics which it is diliicult to attain in a
presidential government where power
and responsibility are divided up and
placed in separate and independent
hands. The cabinet performs all its
duties. executive ana legislative, In the
open light Of day. 1t is constantly ar
ralSned before an alert and trained OPP
position. both In and out of parliament.
1t is responsible to the people and must
fulfill their demands.
T