Daily camera., 1901-03-21
NEW KINGS POWERS.
Restrictions Under Which Britain's
Monarch Will Reign.
Curtailme mt of Royal Prerogafive Eff
fccted by Parliament Daring the
Reign of George IlI.-Limita-
tiOns Of Authority.

NOISlucIdUlC dI Z thS pONCIS VI OuC
new king. they are not unlimited.
There are some very curious restric-
tions on the royal prerogative. The
king cannot, for instance, communicate
with his subjects as can the most meni-
al of his servants; nor can he receive
presents from his people save through
officers of state or friends personally
known to his majesty, says a London
exchange.
The king could sell or give away the
royal navy. but he could not spend
single farthing of public money with
out the consent of parliament. The
king has no power over taXtion, and
could not create ahy new Office with
fees attached to it. Neither could he
annex new fees to old offices. He could
not increase the wages of one of his
footmen, unless he did it out of his pri
vate funds, or without exceeding the
allowance by parliament
A curious curtailment of the royal
prerogative is effected by an act Of par
lament passed in the reign, of George
III. This act deals with Sabbath break
ing. and in it it is distinctly stated that
the monarch cannot pardon offenders
who have been convicted of a certain
form of Sabbath breaking. Yet his
majesty could pardon 90 per cent. of all
the prisoners in the land.
Though no act of parliament is COM
plete until il has been signed by the
king, his majesty is subject to the laws
that he signs, and cannot issue a proc
lamation contrary to law. If, for in
stance, it were the law of England that
no train, should travel at rate exceed
ing 80 miles an hour the king could not
issue a proclamation exempting GER
tain train from the operation of the
law. Nor can his majesty issue proc
.amation which would injure the com
munity, such as, for example, a procla-
nation exempting a whole town or
neighborhood from serving on jury.
Though the king could recall any
subject from abroad, he cannot com
pei subject to leave Great Britain.
This disability does not cease to oper
ate even in time of war, and, though a
such a time the king could call upon
every able man 10 take up arms, he
could not force single civilian to
leave the country, even to carry on
necessary war.
His majesty could not set up courts
such as the star chamber, the child OF
Henry Wis misguided genius, nor
could he invest a spiritual court with
temporal power. Though his decision is
absolute after a prisoner has been SEN
fenced, he could not intervene with the
course of justice before the sentence
has been passed, nor could he exert any
influence over the judges. Neither
could he interfere in a case of private
as opposed to public wrong.
The king is the only person who can
not arrest a suspected felon. No ac
ton can be taken against him for
breaking the law, and therefore he is
precluded from making an arrest, as,
supposiug the suspected prisoner were
innocent, no action for false imprison-
ment could be taken against his maj
esty. The law, indeed, assumes
that the king can do no wrong, which
seems about as absurd as the legal as
sumption that the king cannot be under
age and cannot die.
The king cannot exclude a member
from parliament after he has been duly
elected. nor can he delegate the duty
of Sip,IiDp laws to anyOne His DDwer
of disposing of territory in time Of
peace has been disputed. In time of
war his majesty could hand over Lon
don to France to bring the war to an
end, but it seems clear that in time of
peace his majesty caupot subject any
part of the empire to the sway of a
foreign power.