New-York tribune., 1900-05-13

but likewise the British subject beyond the seas
be deprived of of his birthrights-name
that Of appeal to the Crown when unable to OBJ
tain redress elsewhere-determined upon COM
promise and is in a fair way to solve the prob
lem by means of the organiza ton of Supreme
Court of Appeal for the entire Empire, which
shall comprise the powers not merely of the
Judicial Committee Of the House of Lords, but
likewise of the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council, and represent both the law and the
Grown.
REPRESENTATION IN LONDON
Canada. Australia, South Africa, India and
possibly, too, the West Indies. would each be
represented on the bench of this supreme trib-
unal of the Empire by their most eminent
judges, who would not only be paid by the I'm
perlaI Government but would likewise be pro-
vided with seats in the House of Lords and life
peerages in the same way the other members
of the existing Supreme Court known as
the Judicial Committee OF the House of Lords.
This would have the inestimable advantage of
giving these great self governing colonies rep
resentation of the best kind Westminster in
/ the upper house of national Parliament, which
IN that event would become in every sense i'm
perial, for the so-called Law Lords of the gilded
chamber Westminster take part and have
voice in all debates and just as much share in
shaping the policy of the Empire as any of those
other peers who known as Great Rritain's
hereditary legislators
| The Privy Council personifies the power of the
Crown, and the latter acts through the Council.
1t is to a great extent the executive instrument
of the Crown. For the sake of convenience it is
divided up into committees, one of which is the
Cabinet, while another has been the Judicial
Committee. Then there are privy committees
for all sorts Of other things and finally in
where there is no special committee the Queen
and a quorum of three members of the Council
! undertake the executive work alone
To give idea Of the varied character of the
functions Of the Privy Council. ! may mention
that the affairs Of the Channel Islands ad-
ministered by a committee of the Privy Council
appointed for the purpose The Channel Islands
are the Oldest possessions of the British Crown,
having formed part of the duchy of Normandy
ar the time of the Conquest, in 1866, and Queen
Victoria being the lneal descendant of the dukes
of Normandy, the old Norman dues and customs
still prevail in the island, the affairs of which
are regulated by the sovereign in council Till
the establishment of the Department of Agri-
culture all matters connected with agriculture
and cattle disease were dealt with administra-
lively by the Privy Council, and it is commit
tee of the Privy Council which directs and con-
trolls the entire educational system Of the United
Kingdom. All admiralty business, quarantine,
lighting OF coasts and of shipping, grants Of
municipal charters and schemes of ecclesiastical
commissioners are managed by committees OF
the PriVy Council. In fact, it is extremely diff
cult to define where the authority and the func-
tions of the Privy Council end. For instance,
the present war is credited with having been
managed from London, at any rate in its initial
stages, by a Privy Council committee, with the
Duke of Devonshire, who is Lord President of
the Priyy Council at its head
In olden times it occasionally served as an in
strument of tyranny to the monarch, as, for in
stance when of its committees, known as
the Star Chamber, was used by King Charles 1
to rule the United Kingdom in defiance of the
terms of the constitution and of the rights Of
Parliament To-day, the contrary, it may be
regarded as a check on the power of the Crown,
since the executive role of the latter has to be
performed TO a great extent in conjunction with
the Priyy Council.
ORDERS IN" AND "OF'' COUNCIL.
There are orders '-n" Council and orders "of
councu Orders in Council are made by the
Oueen herself in Council. Orders "of' Council
are made bv the Lords of the Council; that is 10
say by members of any of the committees OF
tbe privv Council. Thus, for instance, when the
Oueen decides in Council in her role of Execu-
tive the date at which this or that act OF Paria-
ment shall come into operation, or summons the
trtyFa mr.