Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 134, 20 February 1891 — The Queen and Cabinets. [ARTICLE]

The Queen and Cabinets.

[{'oninr.«nit'Ate*i.]

Rkply to L. A. Thui?ston. that«ln kig «pening r9iiiark ia yesterday'§ AdT»rtiser, OfcCr. ThursUn ha« fairlv state<l thf <|ttestion at issu« b©tween th© Qaeen a»d Cabin®t, allow us to brie]Hy point ®ut a,-few ef tlie falla«iēs of omiaaian «nd comraisBi»n whieh lie <» the surface ef Mr. Thurston'a etateMe«t and se-ealled arprument. The ene idea on whieh ev«rr werd of Mr, Thurste»'s iā fecussed, mll be found in the words that "theprivate personal epinion ©f the »overeign are mo more bindiQg on the cabinet than are th#fi« of any •ther iatelligent citizen. v This in plain language means, that the Head of the State is te be a mere autematen v a non-entity; to use Mr. Thurston's words again, ,l aa emblem or representative |©f sovereignty . . - . representing only the omamenta;l and sentiaiental features ef g«vernment." We are willing to eoneeae to Mr. ThurstoQ tbat the greatest diffi-i-ulty in governing states 18 to be feond in distributi»g the pewer. The claims of royalty, aristocracy and <ieaiecracy, in England and other countri«e, are in perpetual conflict; whieh #nly proves that the theery of governsient, like almo»t everythii)g else under tbc sun, is gubject to evolution, that we have not yet, eve» in Ilawaii, stirived at that stage of perfection when we canjfold our arms and prene«nce the work of ©ur hahds, asj?mbodied in our lateit constitutiea to be all that ceuld be desired. lf, as Mr. Thurste» conte»ts, the sovereign is to be but a "sentiMeiatal featare of government," what is ihe meaning of Art, 31 whieh says, that ,k te the king and cabinet be : leng the executive power ?" Is the head exeeut?ve meant by this to be only the fifth wheel of the cabinet eoaeh ? Not bo. There are many legal fictions surrounding the throne t but none go to the length of demanding that the B©vereign BhaU be a dum»v, er only permitted to speak f#r the purpose of being t« the eabinet. The question so extensivelv gene into by Mr. Tnurston, as to the responsibility of the cabinet in its relatioas with the Legislature, have but a very remote bearing on this particular i>oint. Mr. Thursten has appealed te Ēngland, then te Engla»d let ue ge. He says. undtr the Engheh Bystem, the severeig* in theery directs Buch (cabintt) pelicy; im practice she does not and the cabinet does. It is a fact weil knowa to every EngliBhman that the Bevereign of Great Britai» aed Irelasd, has a ehare, and a full third at that, ia the councils ef the Natiett: that whetb«r4fc*i»M SAlmeral, er at ahe la dailv not a aeasure of national eoneem is subaiitted to the Legislature without her approval. Bhe ia no iiummy Queen, ap every one of Her Priuae Mini6ters haB reason to kaew. One of the firat acts #f her beneficient reign was to forbid a war against the U»ited Btates, whieh her cabinet had determined a»on fōr the iwovery of a portioa of what is now Maine, claimetlto have l*eloriged t« Canada. The Cabii>et under I.onl

Palrstoß n vr ar h; (!efer 'e ©f -fhe' terri.feeriaL- rights of I)en\nark v aiid had the Briti*h fleet aiifl army ready for a< tion: and ar,aiii a ( l abinet was beck®B»<M>ack by a Queen, and perha*s fer the laek of a Britigih Thurston in th«Re da vs there was *o revelution. (Cessti*ue<l). . • ♦- Me hoonanea puhi ohe ko ke ahiahi Feb. 19 ma ka Hoteie Hawaii. E heo»»-ka ana i ka hora 7:oO pm., ua puhi ia mai he'mele paikau e Liliuokalani, oka lua ona mele paikau no Adimarala Baraunu. . . ' ' .