The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-22
THE COMING CORONATION
What the King Can Do and
Mhat He Cannot
BY w. T. STEAD.
Copyright, 1902. by w. II. stead.


mons, and so long as that majority
remains faithful to him he is master
CT the situation, the uncrowned King
whose will is supreme over that of the
King himself. Although his right to the
position of Prime Minister is indicated
Enthusiastically by the will of the major
lty or the House of Commons for the
time being, he must in constitutional
law De summoned to form a ministry
by the King. When the will of the ma
Jorlty of the House of Commons is in
doubt, the King has the deciding
voice; but of late years there has been
very little room left for this exercise
of royal discretion.
Having asked the favorite of the ma
lorlty in the House of Commons to
form ministry, he can choose his min
listers as he pleases The King how
ever, has right, which he seldom ex-
erclSes, to veto these selections His
veto, however, can always be over
borne by the refusal of the prime min
lister to go on with the task of con-
structlng ministry unless the King
gives way. Hence, as a matter OF
fact, the prime minister can ALWAYS
get his own way as against the wishes
of TIE King if he is a man of strong
Will and can command a majority in
the House of Commons
When the ministry is constituted, it
becomes the governing committee of
the whole empire, and when it is unan-
imous, 1t can impose it's wishes upon
the King as absolutely as it can i'm
post them upon any of it's officials
But cabinet being a heterogeneous
Dody, varying in size from thirteen to
seventeen or eighteen members, are
often split up into groups, and when
a group is divided it is very difficult
for the majority to compel the King
to assent to their decisions. Although
against unanimous cabinet, the King,
if he is man of strong character and
determined will, can usually get his
way.
1t is contrary to constitutional ETH
quette for the King to interfere in any
way in the debates either of the Com
mons or the Lords; but he can inter
fere to any extent in the private con-
situations of the cabinet, which he is
never permitted to attend, but each of
whose members he can see PERSONAL
ly, and in whose deliberations he can
take a very active, although an alb
sent part 1t is very remarkable that
the deliberations of the Cabinet. al
though it is by far the most powerful
of all bodies in the kingdom. are never
reported, nor does any stenogra phic
record exist as to the remarks of min
listers when assemble in this conclave
The only person who has the right to
an account of the deliberations of the
cabinet is the King. 1t is obvious that
this power gives him great opportuni-
ties for wirepulling, if he chooses to ex-
ert them. But it is always a matter of
personal influence. and it's extent is
governed by the personal character of
the Sovereign.
In the administration of the empire
the King can exercise a very potent
influence for he must be consulted up
on all the more important appoint
ments, every high official must go to
Windsor before starting for his post,
and 1t srthe habit in the late reign
for all the more important ambassa-
doris, colonial governors, viceroys, etc,
to keep the Sovereign personally ac-
quainted with, what they were doing
by. private correspondence, which had
the effect Of making the Sovereign the
best informed person in foreign and
colonial affairs in the whole of her
empire. l cannot better enable the
American reader to understand the
true position of the Sovereign in the
British monarchy than by slightly
paraphrasing a description which
wrote five years ago on the subject in
a work which had the good fortune to
be the last book of the kind which was
read to Queen Victoria, who was very
much pleased with it. I republished it
at the special request of the present
King, Edward VII, who communicat al
to me his opinion that no writer had
| ever more accurately described the
| actual working of the modern monarch
in the modern state.
The true theory of the position of
| the King can best be understood by
| ina gining the realm, and all It's de-
tendencies as a great newspaper own
ed by myriad stockholders, who in
clude all the subjects of His Majesty
| at home or over sea. OF these stock
/ holders. a small minority, exclusively
male and resident solely in Great Brit
| ain and Ireland. have a voice in sthe
| direction of the policy of the whole
| waste concrn. Stockholders meetings
which must be held once in seven
| years, and which, as a matter of fact.
have been held nearly twenty times
| in the course of the last sixty years.
| have power to elect an Editorial
| Council of 600 odd members. which
| sits about seven or eight months in
the year
The Realm, however. comes out
every day, and the staff by which it
| is produced have duties which cannot
be intermitted. The permanent edi-
| torship of the great organ of national
| opinion is vested in the hands of the
King. who is. however, forbidden to
| write any leading articles or to die
tate the policy of the paper. The ac-
| tual work of writing the leaders and
| providing for the news editing or sub
editing of the Imperial news-sheet is
entrusted to q temporary editor, who,
as A rule, is changed after each
stockholders meeting.
The Permanent Editor has the sole
right of nominating his temporary
! adjunct. limited by the condition that
he must be a person who commands
the confidence of the editorial coun-
ell elected by the stockholders When
he has nominated him. he must sub
NIT 10 the Sovereign the names of all
those to whom he proposes to give
! staff appointments To each of these
| the Permanent Editor can, If he
nIeases. take exception. and 10 his OBJ
| tections the temporary editor must
listen respectfully. He is not bound 10
respect the Permanent Editors OBJ
lection but for the sake Of peace ana
! good working he finds IL, as a rule
/ better not 10 persist IN nominating
/ any one 10 whom the King mas
/ strong antipathy.
After he has completed his stan. he
"a allowed 10 edit the Realm on MS
| ovn lines. provided that he can Keep
bis sta0 In harmony with his own
| ,ieo,e But each ~ the more impofr
| ta.,t heads 81 departments has oppof-
/ tunlfy OF personal access ~ The ffr-
vansnf Editor. aud b. has unlimited
/ oDDorfunity ~ communicating either
,'tfh fhe stan az q whole ~ Win ~
| dividusl Members Whatever De- hqPf
| musf b. Listened ~ rffpee ifYlt
I Every memorandum hs M ,s