The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-07-13
KING EDWARDS MESSAGE
Prepared by the Prime Minister Re
vised by His Majesty.

NSeo by tbs MaJCSJ'
A Presidents message and the reg
ular speech from the throne in Eng
land have naturally a good deal IN
common, since they deal with current
problems and announce the policy OF
their respective governments. 1t IS
not generally known however, how
very dissimilar are the methods by
which these messages or speeches are
prepared. There can be no question
that President Roosevelt writes or
dictates every word of his annual mes
sages. while with King Edward the
custom is very different, In the first
place the speech is prepared by the
Prime Minister assisted generally by
enc or two of his principal lieutenants
in the Cabinet. When the first rough
draft is ready it is discussed at one
or more meetings of the whole Cabl-
net. and usually on these occasions
the speech in its original form re-
ceiyes considerable revision. Possibly
every Minister present has some par
ticular measure or other that he de-
sires 10 see placed on the forefront
of the party program, and it needs
considerable tact and patience on the
Part of the Premier to reconcile con-
ficting interests and to get his fell
low Ministers to recognize that a Par
liamentary session is limited for time,
and that with the best will in the
world it is impossible to include every
measure that he would like to see
passed.
As it is, scarcely a session passes but
what it is found that the original
program was much too long.
After the Cabinet is agreed on the
outline of the Kings speech the Pre-
mier goes to the King, either at Buck
ingham Palace or Windsor, and the
draft is laid before him.
1t is a mistake, it is said, to sup
pose that this is a mere formality,
and that the King assents to the
! speech as a matter of course. On
the other hand, the King makes it
lis custom to go most carefully
through the draft line by line with MS
! chief Minister often pauslng to dis
cuss the principal points of many OF
/ the measures referred to. The para
graphs which deal with relations with
! other Powers and foreign policy re-
( ceiye special attention at the hanus
! OF the King. since it is a subject in
which the King takes the greatest IN
! terest.
On more than one occasion since he
! came to the throne the King has en-
tirely remodelel references to for
eisn Powers and has written sugges-
lions on the draft with his own hand
When His Majesty thus suggests
alterations in the text of his speech
it is once more considered by the
Cabinet, and, If it seems better to
their collective judgment, the altera-
tions are allowed TO stand.
1t by no means follows that the Cab
met viii adopt a suggestion because
i has been made by the sovereign. and
on more than one occasion the Minis
tiers have found it necessary to stanC
. by their original text. When this is
! the case OF course the King bows
to the desires Of his Ministers an(
withdraws his amendments.
A serious deadlock once took place
in this connection. Once Queen Vic
toTia resolutely declined to pass a par
agraph inserted in a royal speech by
the Prime Minister of the period-Mr
Gladstone. Neither the Queen mol
the Premier would bulge an inch from
the positions they had taken, and Il
seemed as though the dissolution o.
! parliament were the only manner il
which the difficulty could be over,
| come
Ultimately, however. a group of Cab
met Ministers managed to effect {
compromise and the crisis came to ar
end. When the final draft of the
speech has been prepared the Premier
once more conveys it to the King. who
then signs it. Neither the Great Sea
nor any other seal is attached to this;
simply Edward Rex" in the Kings
bold handwriting, and the document |.
ready for presentation to Parliament
On occasions when the sovereign
does not purpose to open Parliament
in person at the same time that The
speech is signed the warrant authorlz
ing a certain number of peers to act
as commissioners to open Parliament
is likewise signed.