FINAL FUNCTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 21 January 1936, Page 6

FINAL FUNCTION

STATE COUNCIL MILESTONE IN HISTORY ROYAL FAMILY POWER AUTHORITY OF KINO SIGNATURE FROM BED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Jan. 21. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 21. His Majesty made constitutional history embracing tlic whole Empire yesterday afternoon when, supported on pillows on which he was tonderly raised by doctors and nurses, lie watched through I lie communicating doors, the briet meeting of the Privy Council and signed a document “Oeorge It,” constituting I he Council of State.

It will he recalled that during Jlis Majesty's illness of 1928 the Council included the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor, and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Sun-Herald Service is informed that there is no precedent for a regency. The council is composed exclusively ol members of the Royal Family, and it is understood that this is regarded as a, corollary to the succession of recent constitutional changes in the British Commonwealth as a result of the Balfour declaration of 1926 on the Statute ol Westminster, that the formation of the council and its personnel rests solely with His Majesty, who delegated to his family sovereign powers to perform certain duties on his behalf, constitutional orovision for which is contained in the fact that, as members of the Crown, they possess a link with the Dominions similar to himself.

STATUS OF DOMINIONS It is pointed out that the ruling Monarch is the King of each Dominion precisely as he is king of England. Equality of status having been established between Britain and the dominions,. the Council could, not. include Ministers of the Mother Country unless Ministers of each Dominion also were appointed. This obviously would he impracticable.

His Majesty, evidently acting on the advice of the highest constitutional authorities, limited the council to his own family, realising as does the whole nation, tlial his sons, through experience and sympathetic understanding ol the problems of the British peoples, would adequately discharge all responsibilities.

All communications from the King to the Dominions lately have been carried out. in accordance with the new constitutional practice under which the Crown s link is direct willi Governors-General, omitting High Commissioners, while the Dominions Office is- the only channel for communication as between Governments.

It is understood that the Prime* Ministers of the Dominions coinlerred with the British authorities, during the jubilee to clarify the procedure and meet such an eventuality as the present. It- is believed that the position then was dearly defined, though it was slated the proceedings were not documented.