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From the year 1784 to 1858, the territories belonging to the British Crown in the East Indies were governed by a department of State called the Board of Control, in conjunction with the Court of Directors of the East India Company. In 1858, however, this double government was abolished, and the entire administration of the British Empire in India was assumed by her Majesty, and all the powers formerly exercised by the East India Company and the Board of Control were transferred to

military affairs as may be required of him by the Secretary of State for War.

This Order in Council, however, asserts no new doctrine, but only affirms the old-established principle in thus making the actions of the Commander-in-Chief subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for War. To those acquainted with the question, there has never existed any doubt upon this point. The error has arisen from forgetfulness of the fact that the War Minister is the Minister of the Crown and not of Parliament; and that although he is responsible to Parliament for the advice which he may give to her Majesty, yet it is in the execution of the Royal authority and prerogative that he is superior to the officer Commanding in Chief. "The principle of our constitutional army is, that command, preferment, and honour come to it from the Crown; but the general principle is equally undisputed, that for all pecuniary remuneration it is made to depend on Parliament." But by the Constitution the Crown exercises its authority only through responsible Ministers, and thus it follows that the Secretary of State for War is supreme over any other authority in the army, including the officer Commanding in Chief.

a fifth Principal Secretary of State. To assist this Principal Secretary in the transaction of Indian business, a Council of State for India, consisting of fifteen members, has been established, which meets at least once a-week, and is presided over by the Secretary of State, or by his vice-president. Questions are determined in Council by a majority of voices, but the Indian Secretary is at liberty to overrule the decisions of his Council on all questions but those relating to the appointment to the Supreme Council of India, or to the Council of the several Presidencies, and to the appropriation of any part of the Indian revenues: these questions must be decided by a majority of the Council. The Council is divided into six committees of five members each, every member being on two committees-viz., the Revenue, Judicial, Public Works, Political, Military, and Miscellaneous committees. Each committee is charged with its own particular branch of administration, and has to discuss all matters referred to it by the whole Council, or by the Secretary of State. In fact, the Council of State for India is the deputy of the House of Commons, exercising an efficient vigilance over the acts of the Secretary of State, and is to some extent a check upon the exercise of his otherwise arbitrary administrative powers, for there

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is no representative system in India to control his acts. The Secretary for India is, however, responsible for everything connected with Indian government at home and abroad, and must be prepared to defend in Parliament his conduct and policy. The whole of the Indian revenues are at the disposal of the Secretary and his Council, and they can draw upon these revenues for all expenditure required for the service of India, whether at home or abroad. An annual statement upon the revenue and expenditure, and upon the moral and material progress and condition of the country, known as the Indian budget, is presented to the House of Commons by the Secretary of State, and gives rise to a debate upon the policy of the Government in relation to India. The Governor-General of India, to whom the internal government of India is intrusted, and who is possessed of immense executive powers, is entirely subject to the constitutional control of the Sovereign, through this Secretary of State. Any law or regulation of the Governor-General or his Council may be disallowed by the Crown, upon the advice of the Secretary of State for India. The permanent establishment of the Secretary of State for India in Council consists of two under-secretaries, an assistant-secretary, and the Council already

mentioned. The Secretary for India and one undersecretary are allowed to sit in the House of Commons, but the members of the Council for India cannot possess that privilege.

The origin of the Admiralty may be dated from 1512, when Henry VIII. created an office for the transaction of naval affairs, and commissioners were appointed to report upon the state of the ships to the Lord High Admiral, to whom the government of the Navy was then intrusted, and whose office, was one of such dignity that it was frequently conferred upon a member of the royal family, and occasionally retained by the King himself. The first Lord High Admiral was appointed in 1385, but it is only from 1405 that an uninterrupted series of these high functionaries can be traced. In 1636, this office was for the first time put into commission, the great officers of state being the commissioners. During the Commonwealth, naval affairs were managed by a Committee of Parliament. From the date of the Restoration to 1673, James Duke of York was appointed Lord High Admiral; from 1673 to 1685 the office was a second time put into commission, but on the accession of James II. he again declared himself to be Lord High Admiral. In 1690, on account of the abuses of power by the

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Lords High Admiral in the reign of the Stuarts, an Act was passed constituting a commission of Admiralty composed of men experienced in maritime affairs, through whose hands all orders for the management of the fleet were to pass. Such is the origin of the present Board of Admiralty. In 1702 the Earl of Pembroke was appointed Lord High Admiral for four months, and to him succeeded for six years in that office Prince George of Denmark. In 1827 the Duke of Clarence was appointed Lord High Admiral for a very short period; and, with these exceptions only, the Board of Admiralty has endured as first constituted until the present time.

The commissioners consist of the First Lord and four Junior Lords, who are called the Lords of the Admiralty. They conduct the administration of the entire naval force of the empire both at home and abroad, command the royal marines, control the royal dockyards, and have an exclusive jurisdiction in respect to harbours and inlets throughout the United Kingdom. The First Lord is the only officer of the Board who is a Cabinet Minister, and from his position he exercises supreme power, and is responsible for the whole naval administration, his authority being only limited by the necessity of carrying the naval lords with him in his measures,