Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/349

 CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT

9

The following is a table of the duration of Parliaments of the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria : —

Reign Parliament When met When dissolved Existed Victoria 1st 11 Sept. 1837 23 June 1841 Y. M. D. 3 9 12 2ml 19 Aiig. 1841 23 July 1847 5 11 4 31(1 21 Sept. 1847 1 July 1852 4 9 10 4th 20 Aug. 1852 21 Mar. 1857 4 7 1 5th 30 April 1857 23 April 1859 1 11 23 6th 31 May 1859 6 July 1865 6 1 6 7th 15 Aug. 1865 11 Nov. 1868 3 2 27 8th 10 Dec. 1868 26 Jan. 1874 5 1 16 9th 5 Mar. 1874 24 Mar. 1880 6 19 10th 29 April 1880 18 Nov. 1885 5 6 20 11th 12 Jan. 1886 26 June 1886 5 14 12th 5 Aug. 1886 28 June 1892 5 10 23 13th 4 Aug. 1892 24 July 1895 2 11 20 14th 12 Aug. 1895

The executive government of Great Britain and Ireland is v^ested nominally in the Crown ; but practically in a committee of Ministers, commonly called the Cabinet, whose existence is de- pendent on the possession of a majority in the House of Commons. The member of the Cabinet who fills the position of First Lord of the Treasury is, as a rule, the chief of the Ministry. It is on the Premier's recommendation that his colleagues are appointed ; and he dispenses the greater portion of the patronage of the Crown. The present Cabinet consists of the following members : 1. Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. — Right Hon. the Marquis of Salisbury, K.G., born 1830, younger son of the second Marquis ; educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford ; M.P. for Stamford, 1853-68; succeeded to the title, 1868; Secretary of State for India, July, 1866, to March, 1867, and again, 1874-1878 ; Secretary of State for Foreign Att'airs, 1878-1880 ; Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, June, 1885, to Febniary,il886 ; Prime Minister and First Lord of the Trea- sury, August 3, 1886, to January 14, 1887; Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs till August, 1892. Present appointment, June 25, 1895. 2. Lord President of the Council. — Right Hon. the Duke of Devonshire, born 1833 ; succeeded to the title, 1891 ; educated at Trinity College, Cam- bridge ; M.P. for North Lancashire, 1857 ; a Lord of the Admiralty, 1863 ; Postmaster-General, 1868 ; M.P. for Radnor, 1869 ; Chief Secretarv for Ire- land, 1871; M.P. for North-East Lancashire, 1880; Secretary of Stite for India, 1880 ; Secretary of State for War, 1882 ; M.P. for the Rossendale division of Lancashire, 1885. Present appointment, June 25, 1895. 3. Lord High Chancellor. — Right Hon. the Earl of Halshury (formerly Sir Hardinge S. Giffard), born 1825 ; educated at Merton College, Oxford ; called to the Bar (Inner Temple), 1850 ; Solicitor-General, 1875 ; M.P. for Laun- ceston, 1877 ; Lord Chancellor, November, 1885, to February, 1886, an<l again, August, 1886, to Augi;st, 1892. Present appointment, June 25, 1895.