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measures which proceed from the authority of her Majesty in Council. The acts of these committees are designated as those of the Lords of the Council. These Lords of Council (who are usually selected by the Lord President of the Council, of whom more hereafter) constitute a high court of record for the investigation of all offences against the Government, and of such other extraordinary matters as may be brought before them. It is competent for the Queen in Council to receive petitions and appeals from India and the colonies, and to refer these or any other matter whatever to the consideration of a committee of the Privy Council, upon whose report the decision of the Sovereign in Council is pronounced. If the matter be one properly cognisable by a legal tribunal, it is referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. This committee, which is composed of the Lord President, the Lord Chancellor, and such members of the Privy Council as from time to time

hold certain high judicial offices, has jurisdiction in

KLY appeals from all colonial courts: it is also the

supreme court of maritime jurisdiction, and the tribunal wherein the Crown exercises its judicial supremacy in ecclesiastical cases. The Privy Council has also to direct local authorities through

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MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL.

57

sone judicial has to
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out the kingdom in matters affecting the preser-
vation of the public health. A committee of the
Privy Council is also appointed to provide "for the
general management and superintendence of Edu-
cation," and subject to this committee is the Science
and Art Department for the United Kingdom.
There is also another important committee of the
Privy Council which performs administrative func-
tions as a distinct department of government, and
that is the committee of her Majesty's Privy
Council appointed for the consideration of matters
relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations.

Such, briefly, are the chief functions of the Privy
Council in these days. Formerly meetings of the
Council were frequently held, but they now seldom
occur oftener than once in three or four weeks, and
are always convened to assemble at the royal re-
sidence for the time being. The attendance of
seven Privy Councillors used to be regarded as the
quorum necessary to constitute a Council for ordi-
nary purposes of state, but this number has been
diminished frequently to only three. No Privy
Councillor presumes to attend upon any meeting
of the Privy Council unless specially summoned.
The last time the whole Council was convoked was
in 1839.

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Privy Councillors are appointed absolutely, without patent or grant, at the discretion of the Sovereign. Their number is unlimited, and they may be dismissed, or the whole Council dissolved, at the royal pleasure. No qualification is necessary in a Privy Councillor except that he be a natural-born subject of Great Britain, and even this disability may be removed by special Act of Parliament, as in the cases of the late Prince-Consort and the late King of the Belgians. On the accession of a new Sovereign, the Privy Councillors of the preceding reign are resworn.

The ancient oath of office which Privy Councillors had to take was as follows:-" 1. To advise the Sovereign according to the best of their cunning and discretion. 2. To advise for the Sovereign's honour and good of the public; without partiality through affection, love, meed, doubt, or dread. 3. To keep the Sovereign's counsel secret. 4. To avoid corruption. 5. To help and strengthen the execution of what shall be resolved. 6. To withstand all persons who would attempt the contrary. 7. To observe, keep, and do all that a true and good councillor ought to do to his Sovereign." The following declaration embodies the substance of the oath now in force :-" You shall solemnly and sin

PRIVY COUNCILLORS TO OBSERVE SECRESY. 59

cerely declare that you will be a true and faithful
servant unto her Majesty Queen Victoria as one
of her Majesty's Privy Council; you shall keep
secret all matters committed and revealed unto you,
or that shall be secretly treated of in Council, and
generally in all things you shall do as a faithful
and true servant ought to do to her Majesty."

This obligation of secrecy is a great constitutional
principle, for it is of the greatest importance that
there should be entire freedom in the confidential
intercourse between the Crown and its advisers.
Without the express permission of her Majesty,
nothing that has passed between the Queen and
her Ministers in their confidential relations with
each other can be disclosed to Parliament or to any
other body. And this permission would only be
granted for state purposes, so as to enable a minister
to explain and justify to Parliament his political
conduct.

Since the separate existence of the Cabinet
Council, meetings of the Privy Council for purposes
of deliberation have ceased to be held.

The Privy Council consists ordinarily of the
members of the Royal Family, the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York, the Bishop of London, all the
Cabinet Ministers, the Lord Chancellor, the chief
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officers of the Royal Household, the Judges of the Courts of Equity, the Chief Justices of the Courts of Common Law, and some of the Puisne Judges, the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Judges and the Judge-Advocate, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Ambassadors and the Chief Ministers Plenipotentiary, the Governors of the chief colonies, the Commander-inChief, the Vice-President of the Committee of Council for Education, certain other officials I need not particularise, and occasionally a Junior Lord of the Admiralty, though it is not usual for Under Secretaries of State or Junior Lords of the Treasury or Admiralty to have this rank conferred upon them. A seat in the Privy Council is sometimes given to persons retiring from the public service, who have filled responsible situations under the Crown, as an honorary distinction. A Privy Councillor is styled Right Honourable, and he takes precedence of all baronets, knights, and younger sons of viscounts and barons.

Now having thus briefly sketched the history and duties of the Privy Council, I shall proceed to tell you what members of the Privy Council, not

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being Cabinet Ministers, constitute the Ministry; and here we find the following: