THINGS THE KING CAN DO.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14211, 30 May 1910, Page 3

THINGS THE KING CAN DO.

It is eommcnly believed that the King is so hedged round with constitutional restrictions as to be practically deprived ox all real personal power. -But as a matter oi iact his poue.rs—generally known as the Royal Prerogauve—"re i'ar wider than most people suppose. It lie eiloso to exert- ail the r.gnts which are his in the letter of the law, he could create such a revolution in his realms as would tax Parliament s utmost powers to cope with. '.Hie law of England lays down that the Clown may not keen up an armv of more than a certain'size: but it does not make it obligatory to maintain anv so J c.iers at- all. Consequently, our King might disband the entire army, dismisJ'.J'r from the Conimander-in-(-iiii-'f down to tiie smallest Cii'ininntr- ■ boy. Ho could do the same tiling with ! >u;vy, discharging admirals and A.13. s alike : and then mitdit render the country quite helpless by selling off al. tiie ships of war, all cannon, dockyard properties, and the millions of pounds worth of coal, food and stores i winch they and the military arsenals contain. When a criminal coniinod in gaol is released before the end of his te'in it is by Koyal pardon. ]f ]i e King pleased, he could immediately pardon all criminals, and so at once empty every gaol in the kingdom. As lor tlie Cabinet, which British subjects look upon as the actual governing power of the realm, it is not once iiienLioiied in the British Constitution. It I is perfectly within Hoyal prerogative to turn the Cabinet out of office; and for the King to appoint his own Ministers choosing such as he pleases out of the J "ivy Council. George 111. actually did th's. Lord Bute was his own choice as t Prime Minister. Most of the Civil ser- , vams ran.V in law as menial servants - to the Crown, and could also be sum 1 ■ manly dismissed. Oxford. Cambridge. ' ' and other great universities owe their ■ jnvinnntion, ami tlu» many special privi- I

lexers tney enjoy—such as returning members to Parliament, ami freedom from certain taxes—to ihe Crown. The Jvme it he so desired, mil'ln: to-mor-row, by Iloyal warrant, elevate each parish iti the whole of Hie iirilish U| e . s into a university, with the full privileges such inst it.'it ions en jo v. Or | io mifjiit make a. wider change still, J In has the bower imtnediafelv to eievite every sm-le mini, woman", and child anions })!s .s:i)nect.s in iK'er.'ivf, and mako ov*-ry crossinusweoner an earl and every Tramp a duke. ' ISv the old statute known as " nn cxeafc ree-no " the TCintr may, of his own a..thorit'v, forbid any or eerlain of his subjects from leaving tin- countrv without permission. and, at the same.time. he inav command any subjects who is residing abi oad to at once return home. Jiv v'a.y of enforcing tho h'ller command, he ?-3 entitled to seize the nrooertv of the person who refuses |o oh-y" ;i n <] to enjoy the revenues arivn.; from such property nirH) the reca|.-ilrant one ret'lrns. All the r-alui of I'.iitain, and th? seas snrjsi.un- J iiM' ii. am .simnosed to he vestcil in the Crowri. Consefiuently. if aov -iilil.-i f. die without heirs, and without, leaio,.* a will all his pronei'lv th- Crown.' In the same wa- all liwnr,, trove belongs t" tl:e Civ.u .<?„ too. wrecks ho.. n *"e f novo nrnin-i lv: and eerta : n} ores r-nir !»• claimed by the! C '•iiv'i. ' lie leaoeittal o' these n''e Tvl'.nleq, Tloval qfur"eon. an' l swnns. A £ cne time no ono hut the King midlife

own a swan, oxeept by Royal grant, Ihe King is I'airuu IV.raniounL of all benefices in it" the patron of any living for any reason neglects to fill a vacant parish, the is at liberty to apnomc his oavii nomineoj who will immediately take over the vacant living and enjoy its revenues.