Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/128

 6

THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM

some ancient franchises, such as that of the liverymen of the City of London companies, and there are 6 university constituencies in which graduates on the electoral roll are electors. Disqualified for registration are aliens and persons who Avithin a year have received parochial poor relief.

About one-sixth of the population are electors. By an annual act voting is by ballot.

The numbers of members and of registered electors for England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland respectively, in 1913, are given as follows : —

Gout

s'TIES.

Boroughs,

Univeusities.

Total.

1913

Members

253 39 85

Electors

1

Members

Electors

2,668,163 318,720 124,170

Members

Electors

Members

Electors

England. Scotland. Ireland ]

1

3,845,622 477,816 572,402

237 31 16

5 2 2

22,277

23,798

5,048

495

72

103

6,536,062 820,343 701,620

Total.

377

4,895,840

284

3,1 J 1,062

9

51,123

670

8,058,025

The following is a table of the duration of Parliaments called during the reigns of Queen Victoria, Edward VII., and George V. : —

Reign

Parliament

When met

When dissolved

Existed

Victoria

1st

11 Sept. 1837

23 June 1841

Y. M. D.

3 9 12

2nd

19 Aug. 1841

23 July 1847

5 11 4

3rd

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

25 Sept. 1900

5 1 13

15th

3 Dec. 1900

8 Jan. 1906

5 1 5

Edward VII.

1st

13 Feb. 1906

10 Jan. 1910

3 11 24

2nd

15 Feb. 1910

28 Nov. 1910

9 14

George V..

1st

31 Jan. 1911

1

The executive government of Great Britain and Ireland is vested nominally in the Crown ; but practically in a committee of Ministers, commonly called the Cabinet, whose existence is dependent on the possession of a majority in the House of Commons.

The First liord of the Treasury is, as a rule, the chief of the Ministry, and on his recommendation his colleagues are appointed ; he dispenses the greater portion of the patronage of the Crown.

Tlie present Cabinet consists of the following members :

1, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. — Right Hon. H. H. Asqnith, born 1852 ; educated at the City of London School and Balliol College, Oxford; called to the Bar, 1876 ; M.P. for East Fifeshire since 1886 ; Secretary of State for the Home Department, 1892-95 ; Chan-

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