Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-09-27
KING EDWARDS POWER.
English Constitutions Theory oi
Rights of Crown.

HlEntR OI CFO"us
The average American, If asked to
give an idea Of the powers Of King Ed
ward, would probably reply something
after this fashion: 1T is not set down In
black and white what he may do and
what he may not do, but under the
British constitution the king Is a good
deal of a f1gurehead, and in general
does pretty much as parliament tells
him."
The American would thus have an
swered according to the spirit Of Brit
ish law, says the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Theoretically, however, his answer
would be as far wrong as could we'll be
imagined.
Under the British constitution the
powers of ministers and members OF
parliament are defined and confined.
Butt what the king may do and may
not do is not written. 1t Is an aston
ishing fact that the crown Is itself the
interpreter of it's own prerogatives.
Naturally, therefore, just at this time,
the rights and limitations Of the crown
are interesting. King and Emperor,
Life History of Edward VII" just pub
lished in London, gives considerable
light on the subject.
The limitations to the kings powers
are most curious. He may not spend
cent of public money without the con-
sent of parliament. He may not Gre
ate any new office with fees. He may
not prevent sentence being passed up
on a prisoner, though he may pardon
nearly all offenders, notable exception
being the man convicted Of a certain
form of Sabbath breaking. He may
not issue a proclamation that Is con-
trary to law or injurious to the commu-
nity-the exception, for instance, of
whole town from jury service.
He may call every man to arms to
resist invasion, but he may not compel
any civilian to leave the country or ex-
clude any man from the house of COM
mons, or exempt any one from the op-
Grafton Of ordinary law. He may set
aside the judgment Of judges-except
for contempt of court-but he may not
interfere with them on the bench or
dismiss them.
He is the only man in the kingdom
who may not arrest a criminal-the
reason being that the king is above all
law, and the prisoner, if unjustly ar
rested, would have no recourse. In
time of peace he may not hand over one
inch of British territory to foreign
sway. He may not interfere in an act
of private as opposed to public wrong.
Yet, incredible as it may seem, Ed
ward VII might shatter the empire
without breaking any law. He has su-
preme command Of the naval forces,
and might sell every ship, disband the
crews and give away the stores. At
the same time he might dismiss every
officer, on-commissioned officer and
private in the army, from Lord Rob-
erts down. He has the power to can
eel the orders and acts Of generals and
commanders, to make war with any
country and to obtain peace at any
price. All these acts are strictly with
in the legal Interpretation Of the pre-
rogative Of the crown.
King Edward is the supreme power
known to the law. He can do no wrong.
He is head Of the state, head of the leg
islature head of the church, head OF
Of ho
appoint any person to any office Of au-
thority, and the person so appointed
may not decline the appointment. He
may refuse to sign any bill passed by
either house Of parliament. He ap-
points all bishops and during the va
cancy of any see he has the temporal
powers of the bishop Of that see. He
might mark his coronation by making
every man and woman a baronet or
marchioness, and none might decline
the title.
He may discharge practically all the
civil servants Of the kingdom. He may
break every treaty, dismiss every am
bassador and recall every British rep
resentative from the capitals of Eu-
rope. He only may make money, and
he may make sovereigns Of lead or
brass and give them the stamp of the
royal mint.
The authors conclusion is this: 1.-THE
extraordinary powers Of the crown,
however, need not alarm US; neither
need the king trouble about his limita-
tions It is the idea and not the statute
book which governs us, and the idea is
exactly what we ourselves make it. 1t
is the idea, in the long run, which holds
together 400, 900 of the human race"
BOUGHT FOR DoLLAR.-1t Is re-
r,nrtad that Mr. / PiernOnt Morgan