Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-03-31
EDWARD AND CROWN PRERoGA,
TIVE.
The King Resuming the Right oil
Pardon.

The King Resumng the Right OF
Pardon.
Marqulse de Fontenoy in the New
York Tribune.-It is difficult to re.
fraln from admiring the tact with
which Edward VII is quietly and un,
obtrusively recovering the preroga-
tlves OF the crown, which his pre-.
decessors on the throne had for one
reason or another permitted to lapse
| am led TO make this remark by the
kings responsibility for the restora-
ton TO liberty of Col. Lynch of the
boer army last week.
Mercy and clemency have always
been the prerogative of the executive,
whether the latter be monarch, "a
president of a republic, or the gov
ernGr of an autonomous state Until
the accession of Queen Victoria, the
sovereign in England signed all death
warrants. In those days capital pun
ishment was inflicted, not merely for
murder. but likewise for a number of
other felonies, some of which do not
bear description in print. When
Victoria became queen as an 18-y ear
old girl, it was felt that it would be
impossible to expect her to deal with
offenses of this kind, since it would
have the effect of bringing to her
knowledge matters that every man
with any sense of delicacy would make
a point of keeping from the knowledge
of his daughters. Consequently, Lord
Melbourne, who was not merely her
premier, but likewise her mentor, and
whose sentiments toward her were
not only those of a minister toward
his sovereign, but also of a father
toward his daughter, arranged that
death warrants should no longer be
submitted for signature to the
monarch. but TO the secretary of state
for the home department, to whom
was, in natural consequence thereof,
.confided the duty of exercising
clemency in the name of the crown
whenever he considered it to be neces-
saTy.
OF course. by and by, when the Eng.
1ish code of Justice was revived. and
the death penalty restricted to the
punishment of murder and of high
treason, the reasons for the transfer
of this prerogative of pardon from
the sovereign TO the secretary of state
for the home department disappeared.
But Queen Victoria never made any
attempt TO resume her prerogative,
which, consequently, was left in
obevance until King Edward made the
first step toward resuming it last yeal
when in ireland. 1t may be re-
membered that he, at the request OF
the queen. pardoned the son of an old
peasant widow whose cottage their
majesties had visited. and who had ap-
pea1ed to them for clemency for her
boy. There was some talk in the
press about the kings rights in the
matter. which were questioned. But
popular sentiment was so clearly iE
favor of the sovereign that all
criticism was dropped
In the case of Col. Lynch the king
Mas gone about the matter in more
Ar and diplomatic manner II
that he summoned the secretary
State for the home department to
resence, and intimated TO him his
and that Col. Lynch should be
at liberty That is to say, the
ii order of release was signed and
by the cabinet minister, who
= however. in the affair under the
III the king. which he had NO
i've but to obey, since clemency
Nationally prerogative. not
kent. but of the crown. OF
king could have issued
direct, pardoning or re-
"a But by doing it
cretary of state for the
nent he practically
estions which may be
legislature by carping
constitutionality of
AINsT SOCIALISM.
bune-Fersons who
than their noses eA
4bar fFa Northern