Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-01-19
ENGLISH STATE SECRETS.
abinct Nee tings Are Different from
Our Executive Sessions.

The reconstructed cabinet has held its
first Sittings, but what passed within the
chamber no one but the ministers them
selves know. The British cabinet, in fact,
is the most important secret society in
the world, and no meeting is ever held
that can compare for gravity of possible
issue with a cabinet council.
The room in Downing street where the
cabinet meets is large, and furnished with
the severity of Il city counting house. AT
one time cabinets We're held in the dining
room of the prime minister's official resi-
dence; but the accommodation was ride
ulously inadequate. Some of the minis
ters had actually TO squat on the floor; ut
any rate that is the story told.
The members having assembled, the
sOund-prOof doors are closed and under
no circumstances are they reopened eX-
cept at the bidding of the prime miniEser.
Occasionally messenger is seen to nNve
the House carrying dispatch box, RORY
document in which bears the insce fffsasfc
Most secret; for the use of the cabinet =
Immediately after the close of the cabinet
the premier sends by special messenger to
the Queen Il full account of its delibera-
tons. And this is the only record of the
cabinet that is kept.
The taking of minutes or other memo
randa would be highly dangerous. There
is always Il possibility of them getting
does Il whisper reach beyond the double
doors Of The cabinet room.
Only once within half a century has
a cabinet minister deliberately broken his
solemn oath of secrecy. 1t is romance
If the days of the corn laws. 4 beauti-
full and fascinating lady caJoed a minis
ter into telling her what decision Sir
Robert Peel and his colleagues had ar
rived at and then sold the information
to the Times The misguided minister
rendered his resignation, but it was not
accepted.
Perhaps the cabinets record in pre-
serving a great secret was furnished by
| the resignation of Mr. Gladstone. For
three months the secret was kept intact
pne day the veteran statesman aDnpaPed
Mt Downing street. He who had attend
cd more cabinets than any other man
OF ms time, and had in four successive
ministries presided over the deliberations
! OF his colleagues, had come to bid them
| farewell. He knew it. and they knew II.
| hut the outside world was ignorant ~
! the TACT. and was kept in ignorapce i'm
| iact' from December to March. The
! scene when the last farcwells were said
| m me council chamber was most pa-
! thctlc one.
One Of the ministers present on that
! historic OCCASION narrowly escaped same
! 'lnc previously inadvertently revealing n
/ GHulllet secret OF supreme importance
| ne went to his club to write Il letter.
ana left ON the table the secret draft
| copy of the home ruic bill printed for
| me use of the cabinet only. Shortly aft
| or ms departure fellow member of the
cup had occasion to use the same table,
| INV round the document lying on it.
| rms gentleman was himself the private
| secretary to a cabinet minister. He real
/ lzeu m a flash the CONSERVATION that
| would be caused if the contents of thc
/ uocuihGnt got abroad, and inclosing the
! paper IN an envelope, and carefully seal
t,IS IT, ne called Il cab and drove at once
! !" LOWING street. One can we'll imag-
| me with what relief the minister re-
HTNI;d the missing document.-London