The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-28
NOT SHORN OF POWER.
British Sovereign Does More Than
Reign as q Figurehead.

Kansas Clty star
The declaration that the King of Eng
land reigns but does not rule has produced
a wrong impression in many quarters. 1t
has frequently been assumed that Victoria
was a mere figurehead for the actual gov
eminent. 1t is true that the crown has
not vetoed an act of Parliament since the
days of William III. 200 years ago. But
that does not mean that the head of the
monarchy is without influence in the gov
eminent The predecessors of the Queen
ventured to retain favorite ministers in the
face of adverse votes in the Commons.
Victoria did not go so far as that, but her
intimate acquaintance with the affairs of
the realm, her wonderful memory, her good
sense and her womanly tact combined to
make her a most powerful force in the
government. AS time passed and states
men came and went, the Queen, remaining
the same, had the advantage of unrivaled
experience in dealing with all manner of
questions. Even the venerable Lord Sails
bury was a youth in public affairs COM
pared with his sovereign.
AS girl, Victoria showed that she would
not allow what she believed to be her con-
stitutional prerogatives to be encroached
upon. Her firmness was exhibited two
years after her accession In what was
known as the "bedchamber conspiracy"
The Wing ministry of Lord Melbourne had
been defeated and had resigned. The young
Queen. then only twenty years old, sum-
moned Sir Robert Peel, already famous
statesman, thrty-one years her senior, TO
head the new ministry. He found the
women in attendance on the sovereign
were strong Wings, and insisted that they
be replaced with others more in sympathy
with the administration. The Queen re-
piled that she could not consent TO a
course which she conceived to be con-
trary to usage and repugnant to her feel
ings.' Consequently Peel refused to retain
the premiership and Lord Melbourne was
forced to resume office.
Eleven years later Victoria again en-
gagged in a conflict with Minister-this
time with the brilliant Lord Palmerston.
man of quick action, he disliked delay,
and chafed at the necessity of securing
the Queens approval for the dispatches
which he sent as foreign minister. She
warned him repeatedly, and he promised
TO do better, but the trouble continued.
His sovereign found she frequently knew
of some important dispatch only when it
had been already sent, and could not be
recalled. Victoria finally drew up a Wig
orous memorandum on the subject and sent
it to Palmerston through her prime minis
ter, Lord john Russell. This brought the
foreign minister to terms.
Another occasion, when the Queen en-
tered on a contest with her cabinet, was
on the return of the Liberals to power In
1880. Mr.. Gladstone on the issue of anti
100 in Commons. His policy involved the
evacuation Of Candahar. recently captured
by Lord Roberts. When the speech from
the throne was read to Victoria she pro-
tested against the paragraph announcing
the plan for evacuation. A long argument
followed. lasting for several days, and it
was only when the chiefs of the cabinet
called upon her in a body a few hours be-
fore time for reading the speech that she
was made TO feel the necessity of giving a
reluctant assent. In 1892. when the Liberals
again swept the country, she tried to
avoid making Mr. Gladstone premier, on
account of her dislike for him. She had to
yield simply because other Liberal
would take the office.
An occasion when she had better success
in influencing the ministry was during the
controversy with the United States over
the Trent affair. The note to Washing
ton, prepared by Lord Palmerston was so
insulting that war would probably have
followed its sending. The Queen had ii
modified until the language should give no
grounds for offeuse.
Under present conditions the influence of
the sovereign of England depends largely
on his personal ability. 1t is safe to pre-
dict that King Edward VII will have as
as he shows fitness for. 1t will probably
be years before his influence can equal
that of his mother. He has inherited her
crown, but not her knowledge, experience
and influence.