СНАР. СХІХ.

OF THE ROYAL ASSENT TO BILLS.

THE giving the royal affent to bills is a matter of great form. When the king is to pafs bills in person, he appears on his throne in the house of peers, in his royal robes, with the crown on his head, and attended by his great officers of state, and heralds. A feat on the right hand of the throne, where the princes of Scotland, when peers of England, formerly fat, is referved for the prince of Wales. The other princes of the blood fit on the left hand of the king; and the chancellor, on a close bench, removed a little backwards. The viscounts and temporal barons, or lords, face the throne, on benches, or wool-packs, covered with red cloth or baize. The bifhops are feated on a bench, which runs along the house to the bar on the right hand of the throne. The dukes and earls fit on the left.

The chancellor and judges, on ordinary days, fit upon wool-packs between the barons and the throne. The common opinion is, that the house fitting on wool is fymbolical of wool being formerly the staple commodity of the kingdom. Many

of

of the peers, on folemn occafions, appear in their parliamentary robes. None of the commons have any robes, excepting the speaker, who wears a long black filk gown; and when he appears before the king it is trimmed with gold.

The royal affent may be given two ways. 1. In perfon; when the king fends for the house of commons to the house of peers. The speaker carries up the money-bills in his hand; and, in delivering them, he addesses his majesty in a folemn speech, in which he feldom fails to extol the generofity and loyalty of the commons, and to tell his majesty how-neceffary it is to be frugal of the public money. It is upon this occafion, that the commons of Great Britain appear in their highest lustre.

The titles of bills that have paffed both houses are read; and the king's answer is declared by the clerk of the parliament in Norman French. If the king consents to a public bill, the clerk ufually declares, le roy le veut," the king wills it fo to be;" if to a private bill, Joit fait comme il eft defiré, "be it as it is defired." If the king refuses his assent, it is in the gentle language of le roy s'avifera, "the king will advife upon it."

2. By a ftatute of Henry VIII. the king may give his affent by letters patent, under his great seal, figned with his hand, and notified, in his absence,

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to both houfes affembled together in the high houfe, by commiffioners confifting of certain peers, named in the letters. And, when the bill has received the royal affent in either of these ways, it is then, and not before, a statute or act of parliament.

An act of parliament thus made, is the exercise of the highest authority, that this kingdom acknowledges upon earth. It has power to bind every fubject in the land, and even the king himself. It cannot be altered, amended, difpenfed with, fufpended, or repealed, but in the fame forms, and by the same authority of parliament; for it is a maxim in law, that it requires the fame ftrength to diffolve, as to create an obligation.

THE

CHA P. CXX.

OF THE PRIVY-COUNCIL.

HE king of Great Britain, besides his high court of parliament, has fubordinate officers and ministers to assist him, who are responsible for their advice and conduct. They are made by the king's nomination, without either patent or grant;

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and on taking the neceffary oaths, they become immediately privy-counfellors, during the life of the king that chufes them; but fubject to removal at his direction.

The duty of a privy-counsellor appears from the oath of office, which confifts of feven articles: 1. To advise the king according to the best of his cunning and difcretion. 2. To advife for the king's honour and the good of the public, without partiality through affection, love, need, doubt, or dread. 3. To keep the king's counsel fecret. 4. To avoid corruption. 5. To help and strengthen the execution of what shall be there refolved. 6. To withstand all persons who would attempt the contrary. And lastly, to obferve, in general, all that a good and true counsellor ought to do for his fovereign lord.

Among the privy-counsellors, the two fecretaries of state are more officially fo than the others, as they are entrusted with the king's fignet, and are supposed to advife him in acts of government, which may not be proper to be communicated even to a privy-counsellor; fuch as giving orders for secret expeditions, correfpondence with fpies, or other agents, fecuring traitors, and the like.

The office of secretary of ftate is at prefent divided into a fouthern and a northern department.

The

The fourthern contains France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Swiss Cantons, Conftantinople, and, in fhort, all the states in the fouthern parts. The northern comprehends the different states of Germany, Pruffi, Poland, Ruffia, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Flanders, and the Hanfeatic towns.

The capital affairs of government, which were formerly intrufted with the fecretaries of state, are now tranfacted by a committee of the privy-council, commonly called a cabinet-council. This cabinet generally confifts of a felect number of ministers and noblemen, according to the king's opinion of their integrity and abilities, or attachment to the views of the court. But, though its operations are powerful and extenfive, a cabinet-council is not effential to the constitution of England.

This obfervation naturally leads me to mention the perfon, who is fo well known by the name of the first minifter; a term unknown to the English conftitution, though the office is, perhaps, neceffary. The constitution points out the lord high chancellor as minifter; but the affairs of his own court give him fufficient employment. When the office of the first lord of the treasury is united with that of chancellor of the exchequer, in the fame perfon, he is confidered as first minister. But though O 2

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