The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-05-18
IN NAME. GEORGE v is AeSo.
Lutte IN REALITY HE'S
MOSTLY ORNAMENTAL.
A DIVINITY DOTH HEDGE Him
The Veto. i Relic OF Royal Power,
Hasn't Been Used Since Queen
Anne-How Great Britain is
Democracy with Royal imagination

1t &, commonly supposed that tho
influence of royalty is Incompatible
with the spread of democratic ideas.
the increasing power of the press
and the extension OF political rights
This superstition is hardly borne out
by the more recent developments
Of history The prestige which
George V inherits in 1910 is infin
itcly greater than that which George
" left behind him in 1880.
In theory. to be sure the king
Is s,iil as absolute as was MS an.
cestor. William the Conquerer. In
theory he is still the legislative head
Of the nation. Parliament Is osten-
sibly his great council which he
summons to deliberate with him on
the affairs of the nation. No bill,
even though it has passed both the
House of Commons and the House
OF Lords. can become an act OF
Parliament without his royal assent.
/ Il is true that the king rarely exer-
Ciscs the veto power which nomi-
nally resides within him No Eng
iish monarch has exercised 1t since
Queen Anne refused to sign Scotch
militia bill. IL is safe to say that the
veto power is moribund. 1t cannot
/ be described as dead. Theoretically
again, the King of England is the
/ executive head Of the nation. gov
erning through ministers.
/ In accordance with the old les,l
fiction that the king can do no
wrong. he personally cannot be he
responsible for any crime which II
might suit him To commit. The re-.
sponsibility for any injury so inflict
ed upon subject must be ehoul-
dered by the kings advisers. Upon
no pretense may he himself he az
rested or his goods be distrainei
or taken into execution As the king
is assumed TO be impeccable and
Omniscient, so likewise he is as
sumed T. be omnipresent Theoret.
ically nc Is with every court of jus
tice at every sitting. His bodily
presence may be reported at Wind
sor. or Paris. or whore not. legal
fiction insists that he was at the
law courts in the Strand and with
. Of
size throughout the country. Con
structivcly, also, the king is present
at every sitting of parliament Yet
he cannot appear there IN the body
save when he comes In state TO tn
House of Lords for the exercise ot
his prcrogative of opening and pro
rogung Parliament. or when his
presence is needed for the purpose
of giving royal assent to the bills
which custom practically forbids him
to veto.
King Edward was never present
In the House 4 Commons after he
mounted the throne King George
will initiate his father. as the latter
initiated his mother, Queen Vic
toria. In obeying a tacit prohibition.
In both houses il is breach OF
order to mention the name of tho
sovereign with view To afectins
legs 'ion So far back as December
y, 1888. the House of Commons re-.
solved that TO report any opinion
or pretended opinion of his majesty
upon any bill or other proceeding e.
pending i'm the House of Parliament
with q view o. influence the votes
OF members is high crime ant
misdcmeanor dorogatory to the hon
or of The crown, breach of the
fundamental privileges OF Parliament
and eubyersiyc of the constitutions
,f the country"
The King Of England is exempt
from taxation because. in theory as
formerly In fact, the revenue of the
realm is his. Obviously, it would be
useless and ridiculous for him to taN
himself
Under the common law any ep1
iect may leave the kingdoM al any
time and fr any reason no p,oases.
But under the statute law the king
has power TO prevent the departure
and enforce the return OF any sun.
ject ON the plea that il is the sub.
iocts due TO defend the king and