Home Study Circle Library Volume 4 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...CHANGE OF MINISTERS The working of the cabinet system may be best understood by noting carefully the methods of change from one cabinet to another. We may assume that the conservatives are in power and that they have incurred a defeat in a cabinet bill, or that they have incurred a vote of censure for executive misconduct. It is possible in such a case for the cabinet to resign and another cabinet to be organized in the same parliament. Usually, however, at such a time the cabinet does not resign, but appeals to the country--that is, it dissolves parliament and the election of a new house of commons occurs immediately. At such an election the voters have in mind a choice between two leaders of the opposing parties as prime minister. Voting for a conservative candidate means to the voter the choosing of a conservative cabinet; it is now virtually a vote for Lord Salisbury for prime minister. A vote for a liberal candidate is a vote for Sir William Campbell-Bannerman as prime minister. At such an election we may assume that the liberals have a majority in the new house. Then Lord Salisbury will go to the queen, hand in his resignation and advise the queen to send for Sir William Campbell-Bannerman. The queen will appoint Sir William CampbellBannerman to any office he may choose. She cannot appoint him to the office of prime minister, because in English law there is no such office. She may make him secretary for foreign affairs, and then she will ask him to advise her as to the proper person to appoint to each of the other fifty offices made vacant by resignation. Sir William Campbell-Bannerman will consult with the liberal leader of the house of lords and possibly a few other liberal leaders, and they will make up a list of statesmen to act with themselves in...