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so long as they remain in office. As it is essential that he should be a Minister of the Crown, it is of necessity generally given to a civilian, for few naval officers properly qualified for the office would be found in Parliament. The duties of the First Lord are very responsible and laborious. He has the general supervision of every department in the service, the determination of all political questions, and the settlement of all questions connected with naval expenditure and the preparation of the naval estimates. The patronage of the Admiralty lies principally in his hands; in fact, about 9000 naval and 2000 civil officers are dependent upon him for promotion. In the exercise of this patronage, however, the First Lord can act only in conjunction with the Board. The commissions of all naval officers are from the Lords of the Admiralty, but commissions of officers of the marines are signed by a Secretary of State. As the Admiralty is but an executive Board, it is subject on certain matters to the control of the Government. The number of men required for the naval service is considered by the Cabinet, and the result of their deliberations communicated to the Admiralty, upon whom it devolves to carry out the decision of the Government. Again, the manner in which her Majesty's ships are to be distributed upon

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home or foreign service is a Cabinet question; and with respect to the strength of foreign squadrons, the Admiralty is guided by the Colonial and Foreign Offices. Any Secretary of State conveying to the Admiralty the Queen's pleasure must be implicitly obeyed by that department, for the Admiralty is subordinate to the Secretaries of State when they convey the royal commands. The duties of the Junior Lords I shall describe in the concluding portion of this lecture.

The President of the Board of Trade is always an important member of an Administration, as you will soon see when you hear what are the duties he has to perform. In 1660 Charles II. established two councils, one for trade and another for plantations, which were afterwards united as a board, and called the Board of Trade. In 1782 the Board was abolished, and affairs of trade were placed under the direction of a committee of the Privy Council. the commencement of every reign this committee is appointed by Order in Council, and consists of a President, with certain ex-officio members-viz., the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Chancellor, First Lord of the Treasury, Principal Secretaries of State, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and certain Cabinet Ministers, with other Privy Councillors who do not

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form part of the Administration, but are added to the board or committee on account of their official position or special knowledge. But owing to it being inconvenient for these high officers of state to attend the committee meetings, the office has by degrees become departmental, so that at the present time the Board of Trade means the President, who, with the aid of his secretaries and official staff, transacts all the business assigned to this department. Until 1864 it was not necessary for the President to have a seat in the Cabinet; but since that time he has always been a Cabinet Minister, in order to insure for his advice on commercial matters a due consideration. It is his duty to take cognisance of all matters relating to trade and commerce, and to protect the mercantile interests of the United Kingdom; to advise the Foreign Office in commercial matters arising out of treaties or negotiations with foreign powers; the Home Office with respect to the grant and provisions of charters or letters-patent from the Crown; the Colonial Office upon questions affecting commercial relations with the colonies; and the Treasury as to contemplated alterations in the customs and excise laws. He has also to superintend the progress of bills and questions before Parliament relating to commerce; to exercise a

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supervision over railway, patent, telegraph, harbour, and shipping bills; to collect and publish statistical information; and to exercise a surveillance over all railway companies. United to his department are the Government School of Design, the offices for the Registration of Designs and Joint-Stock Companies, the General Register Office for Merchant Seamen, the Inspectorships of Lime and Alkali Works, of Oyster Fisheries and of Corn Returns, and the Standard Weights and Measures department. The Board of Trade also represents the general lighthouse service in Parliament, superintends duties in connection with harbours and navigation under local Acts, and discharges duties under the Metropolitan Waterworks Act and the Fisheries Convention Act, together with various other duties, too numerous to mention to you here. To carry on effectively the work assigned to it, the Board of Trade is divided into six departments-the Commercial and Miscellaneous; the Railways and Telegraphs; the Mercantile, Marine, and Wreck; the Statistical, the Financial, and the department relating to Harbours, including Fisheries and Foreshores. Until 1867 there was a Vice-President of the Board of Trade, who was a Privy Councillor and a member of the Administration, though not a Cabinet Minis

ter. He usually held his office in connection with that of the Paymaster-General, but now no such office as this exists, and the Board of Trade consists of only the President, two secretaries,-one of whom sits in Parliament,-four assistant-secretaries, and a large staff of clerks.

In addition to the First Lord of the Treasury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the five Principal Secretaries of State, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the President of the Board of Trade, all of whom are, ex-officio, Cabinet Ministers, there are some other members of the Administration who usually, but not invariably, have seats in the Cabinet; and these are, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the First Commissioner of Works, the President of the Poor-Law Board, and the Postmaster-General. the present Gladstone Ministry the Chief Secretary for Ireland is also a Cabinet Minister. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was an office in ancient times of considerable importance, but it is now practically a sinecure, and is usually filled by a leading statesman, whose time is at the service of the Government for the consideration of such important questions as do not come immediately

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