| OCR Text |
Show mi. nm in or tiii. iicliv. The question Is often asked, whether or not Queen Victoria htt the veto power, like our I'oildenL This la a matter worth knowing, and the fact that hsr majesty bat uxcrclsed no such power hat tendency of Itself to cause our people and a good many of her ownautjoota to uudrrttind that under un-der tbs llrltlah constitution she has no such prerogative. Hut this Is an error. Hue can forbid a meaiuru It It ao pleases her, and doubtless Viould do so; butsbolstou wli toduau act the In avltabla result of which wotild be temporary political chaos and tho lm-mcdlalo lm-mcdlalo disruption ot tha government, and such a result would unqueitlon ably attend Ihs formal veto of any act ot parliament. It should bo understood tblt, while ueen Victoria Is a ruler In the Conventions! sense, she does not rule so much as does our President, who can exercise mora lower unchallenged lu rueptct to tho subject named and the appointment and removal of officers of Ilia government In ono term than the Jlrlllsh monaroh has 'luting the whole of her lelgu. Tho last word, In fsct, describes her nrcendancy fully; he rslgnt but does not rule. Thn ovemmont Is In tbs hands ot the ministry and they are responsible to parliament, remaining In power only so long as a majority of that body Is In harmony with Ibem. Now If tha Queen wero to veto a nisuurolhat had patted both houses of this lawmaking law-making power and rocolvrd the approval ap-proval of tha mlnIstry,tho latter woulJ instautly retlgu, because that Is the Kngllsh method; aud It alio thereupon called to her aid a new ministry favorable favora-ble to her vltws In tbo premises which hu woull do of course It la obvious that such body would have a majority In tho houso ot commons against them aud would be as powerless as so many automatons. Thcru would thus boa standstill; the machinery of gov-srument gov-srument would bo deadlocked, and the Queen would have to recall tha old ministers or have a considerable row on her hands, aucti at no sovereign would Invito or prolong If It came without Inviting. These ministers woull not respond uulo-s her majesty Old In tho meantlmo signed the bill, which she would naturally do before ending for them, aud alter the storm Ibers would heac-dm. The reader can readily understand from this that Victoria or auy other head tbs llrltlsh government miy tiuvu Is extremely unlikely to veto a bill. Hho holds a position In relation to her people similar to that of tbs child to his governess, who told him In pleasant tones "My littles dear, you can have anything you want; but you must not want anything you cau't have." |
