The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1901-08-03
NEW KINGS POWERS.
RssrSst3eas UnAs9 Which Britain's
lGsaareh WIN Reign.


Considerable ~ are the powers OF the
new king they are not unlimited.
There are some very curious restric-
tons on the royal prerogative- The
king cannot, for instance, communicate
with his subjects a. 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 hia majesty, says . London
exchange.
The king could sell or give away the
royal navy, but he could not spend q
single farthing of public money with
out the consent of parliament. The
king has no power over taxtion. and
could not create any new Office with
fees attached to il. 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 I'M act of par
lament passed in the reign. of George
III. This act deals with Sabbath break
ing, and in 1t It is distinctly stated that
the monarch cannot pardon offenders
who have been convicted of 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 IL COM
plete until it has been signed by the
king, his Ajesty is subject to the laws
that he signs, and cannot issue a proc
1amation contrary to law. If, for in
stance. it were the law OF England that
no train should travel at a rate exceed
ing so miles an hour. the king could not
issue . proclamation exempting = GER
tain train from the operation of the
law. Nor can his majesty Issue a proc
.amAtiop which would injure the com.
munity, such as, for example, a procla-
nation eNempting a whole town OF
neighborhood from serving on jury.
Though the king could recall any
subject from abroad. he cannot com
pei n subject to leave Great Britain.
This disability does not cease to oper-
ate even in time OF war, and, though at
such q time the king could call upon
every able man to take up arms. he
could not force single civilian to
leave the country, even to carry on a
necessary war.
His majesty could not set up courts
such as the star chamber, the child OF
Henry Wis misguided geniu., mol
could he invest q spirItua. court with
temporal power. Though his decision ID
absolute after prisoner has been sen.
fenced, he could NOT intervene with the
course Of justice before the sentence
has been paGsed, nor could he exert any
influence over the Judges. Neither
could he interfere In . case Of privat1
- opposed to public wrong.
The king 10 the only person who cen.
not arrest . suspected felon. No ac-
ton can be taken against him for
breaking the law, and therefore he il
preclnded from making an arrest, a.,
supposinz the suspected prisoner were
innocent. no action for false imprison.
ment could be taken against his maj.
esty. The law, indeed, assume,
that the king can do NO wrong, which
seems about as absurd as the legal A.
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 signing laws TO anyone. His power
Of disposing Of territorys@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 cannot subject any
part Of tho empire to the sway Of q
foreign power.
still At Il.
G,.~d~~ <ka