CHAPTER IX THE CABINET IN PARLIAMENT REFERENCES: Todd's Parliamentary Government in England, ii. 5292, and 104-113; F. V. Fisher's article, Party Government, in Westminster Review, October, 1893. N order to witness the manœuvres of the Cabinet as a body it will be necessary to note the actions of the ministers on the parliamentary battle-ground. The members of the Cabinet are in practi- The King's cal command in both Houses, and at the Speech. opening of each session the Speech from the Throne demands their attention. The King's Speech corresponds in a general way to the message of the President of the United States. At the opening of a session and on some other occasions the President transmits to Congress such information as he thinks necessary for the guidance of the legislative body. He also recommends the enactment of such laws as he may deem advisable. In like manner the English Sovereign addresses the Parliament at the opening and also at the close of every session. Formerly the Speech was actually prepared and delivered by the Sovereign, but in recent years it has been prepared by the Cabinet, principally by the Prime Minister, and is now looked upon as the official utterance of the Government ministers. It had always been customary for the Sovereign, until a comparatively recent period, to be present in person at the opening of Parliament, and to deliver his own address. In fact, such seems to have been the custom until the reign of Queen Victoria. In 1837, when William IV. expressed his intention of absenting himself from the opening of Parliament, Lord Melbourne expressed his surprise in a letter to Lord John Russell, saying, "No king had ever stayed away before except on account of some personal infirmity of his own." It was not the custom of the late Queen during the latter years of her reign to open Parliament and to deliver her Speech in person.1 These duties were intrusted to others, as we shall presently see. Before the Revolution of 1688 it was customary for both the King and the Lord Chancellor to address the Parliament at the opening of the session on dif ferent subjects, but since that time there has been but one address. This address is delivered by the Sovereign when present or in the absence of the Sovereign by the Lord Chancellor as a member of a Commission appointed for the purpose by the Crown. It is also customary to treat this Speech, regardless of its authorship, as the official platform of the Government leaders. They are responsible for its utterances, and as a consequence must have charge of its preparation. As a matter of fact, it is written by the Prime Minister or by some one delegated by him to 1 During the earlier years of her reign Queen Victoria was accustomed to read her Speech in person, and her excellent voice and effective delivery were much admired. |