The Governance of England |
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able administration affairs appointed assembly authority Balfour Bill body Britain Cabinet Government century Chamber character chief Colonies Committee Conservative Crown debate defeat Democracy discussion doubt duties election electorate Empire England English Constitution Englishmen executive executive government exercised fact foreign functions Gladstone Government Home Rule House of Commons House of Lords Imperial important influence interest King King's landowner leaders legislation Legislature less Liberal life-peers Lord John Russell Lord Palmerston Lord Rosebery Lord Salisbury majority matters member of Parliament ment Ministry modern Monarchy nation nominated opinion Parlia Parliamentary party Peel peerage Peers perhaps persons political popular practice Premier prerogative President Prime Minister private member Privy Council Queen Queen Victoria question recognised Reform reign representative responsible result Rosebery Royal Secretary Session social society Sovereign statesmen things throne tion vote wealthy Whigs whole
Popular passages
Page 286 - Such an act she must consider as failing in sincerity towards the Crown, and justly to be visited by the exercise of her constitutional right of dismissing that Minister. She expects to be kept informed of what passes between him and the foreign Ministers before important decisions are taken, based upon that intercourse ; to receive the foreign despatches in good time ; and to have the drafts for her approval sent to her in sufficient time to make herself acquainted with their contents before they...
Page 258 - Commanding-in-Chief downwards ; she could dismiss all the sailors too ; she could sell off all our ships of war and all our naval stores ; she could make a peace by the sacrifice of Cornwall, and begin a war for the conquest of Brittany. She could make every citizen in the United Kingdom, male or female, a peer ; she could make every parish in the United Kingdom a " university ;" she could dismiss most of the civil servants ; she could pardon all offenders. In a word, the Queen could by prerogative...
Page 63 - Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment ; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Page 257 - I said in this book that it would very much surprise people if they were only told how many things the Queen could do without consulting Parliament, and it certainly has so proved, for when the Queen abolished Purchase in the Army by an act of prerogative (after the Lords had rejected the bill for doing so), there was a great and general astonishment. But this is nothing to what the Queen can by law do without consulting Parliament.
Page 256 - The king of England is therefore not only the chief, but properly the sole, magistrate of the nation, all others acting by commission from, and in due subordination to him...
Page 133 - The laws reach but a very little way. Constitute government how you please, infinitely the greater part of it must depend upon the exercise of the powers which are left at large to the prudence and uprightness of ministers of state.
Page 157 - stated not less pointedly and decidedly his sentiments with regard to the absolute necessity there is in the conduct of the affairs of this country, that there should be an avowed and real minister, possessing the chief weight in the council, and the principal place in the confidence of the king.
Page 258 - Not to mention other things, she could disband the army (by law she cannot engage more than a certain number of men, but she is not obliged to engage any men); she could dismiss all the officers, from the General...
Page 244 - Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians.
Page 278 - The truth is — and it speaks volumes about the man — that there never was an individual less regretted by his fellowcreatures than this deceased King. What eye has wept for him ? What heart has heaved one throb of unmercenary sorrow...