88

THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF ENGLAND.

THE higher Officers of the Government, holding their offices at pleasure, and removable on political change, are collectively called "the Administration," and are almost invariably members of one or other house of parliament. A select number of these, filling the most important offices, who assemble to concert on, and conduct the measures of the Administration, are called the CABINET, a name not known to the Constitution', but which is, in fact, a Committee of the Privy Council-constituting the responsible advisers of the Crown.

In old times the chief minister was the Chancellor, whose office originally included, besides its legal functions, the duties subsequently performed by Secretaries of State. In modern times, the extension and importance of the financial department, and, above all, the influence created by financial and fiscal patronage, have generally induced the chief minister to take the Treasury department, either as Lord High Treasurer or as First Lord Commissioner of the Board of Treasury. In the latter case, when he is a member of the house of commons, he has generally also been Chancellor of the Exchequer. We believe the only exceptions to this practice have been in the recent cases of Sir Robert Peel and Lord John Russell. Nor is it of necessity that the First Minister should be First Lord of the Treasury. Lord Chatham, in his first ministry (1756), chose rather to be Secretary of State, and in that of 1766, Privy Seal.

The Cabinet Ministers usually are, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Lord High Chancellor, the Lord President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the three Principal Secretaries of State, and, latterly, the President of the Board of Controul, and President of the Board of Trade. To these are occasionally added one or more of the following, viz.: the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests, the Secretary-at-War, the Master-General of the Ordnance, the PostmasterGeneral, the Master of the Mint, and, recently, the Chief Secretary for Ireland.

Sometimes, personages of distinguished rank and political weight are invited to a seat in the Cabinet, without office, as instanced in the late appointment of the Duke of Wellington; his grace was, however, at the time, Commander-in-Chief. Lords Sidmouth and Harrowby remained in the Cabinet for a short time after their resignation of office; and Lord Mulgrave continued a cabinet minister without office in 1820. Lord Ellenborough, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, had a seat in the Cabinet in the Administration known by the derisive appellation of "All the Talents." This last appointment was generally condemned as unconstitutional, but it was sanctioned by a majority in parliament. Lord Ellenborough, however, afterwards declared himself opposed to such appointments.

ADMINISTRATIONS OF ENGLAND.
(From the Accession of King Henry VIII.)
KING HENRY VIII.

1509. William Warham, archbishop of Canter-
bury, lord chancellor; Dr. Thomas
Howard, earl of Surrey (afterwards
duke of Norfolk), lord treasurer; Dr.
Richard Fox, bishop of Winchester | 1514.

(former secretary to Henry VII.), privy seal; George, earl of Shrewsbury, lord steward; Charles, lord Herbert, lord chamberlain; Dr. John Fisher, bishop of Rochester and cardinal, &c. Thomas Wolsey, archbishop of York and

1 The term cabinet council is of comparatively modern date, and originated thus: The affairs of state in the reign of Charles I. were principally managed by the archbishop of Canterbury, the earl of Strafford, and the lord Cottington; to these were added the earl of Northumberland, for ornament; the bishop of London for his place, being lord treasurer; the two secretaries, Vane and Windebank, for service and intelligence; only the marquess of Hamilton, by his skill and interest, meddled just so far, and no further, than he had a mind. These persons made up the committee of state, reproachfully called the junto, and afterwards, enviousiy, the cabinet council.— Lord Clarendon.

There is no list of the cabinet: they are necessarily privy councillors, and have an extra official summons or notice to attend; and each member holds a master-key of the despatch boxes of all the various departments. by means of which each cabinet minister circulates, as it is called, intelligence received, or despatches proposed, &c., for the information and advice of his colleagues.

Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor; William, marquess of Winchester (late lord Wiltshire), lord treasurer; earl of Arundel, lord president; John, earl of Bedford (succeeded by Edward, earl of Derby), privy seal; William, lord Howard, lord high admiral; sir Edward Hastings, sir John Baker, Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, &c. Sir William Petre, sir John Cheke, and sir John Bourne, (three) secretaries of state.

It appears by the Council Register, folio 725, that three secretaries of state were appointed 7 Edward VI. June 2, 1553.

1 This nobleman was marked by Henry for death, and his escape from it was signally providential. Upon the most frivolous charges, he had been condemned, without trial or evidence, by the obsequious peers, and a bill of attainder had passed their house against him. Norfolk wrote a pathetic letter to the king, protesting his entire innocence and pleading his past services; his son had already suffered on the scaffold. But the vengeance of Henry, though his own end was fast approaching, was not to be appeased. Fearing his victim might escape him, he sent a message to the commons to hasten the bill, to which he affixed the royal assent by commission, and issued orders for Norfolk's execution on the morning of the 29th of January. News, however, having reached the Tower that the king himself had expired that night, the lieutenant deferred obeying the warrant, and it was not thought advisable by the council to begin a new reign by the unmerited death of the greatest nobleman in the kingdom. - Hume.

KING JAMES I.

1603. Thomas, earl of Dorset, lord treasurer;
Thomas, lord Ellesmere, lord chancellor ;
Charles, earl of Nottingham, lord ad- 1640.
miral; Thomas, earl of Suffolk, Ed-
ward, earl of Worcester, sir Richard
Vernon, George, lord Hume of Berwick,
James Hay, lord Hay, &c. Robert
Cecil, afterwards earl of Salisbury, se-
cretary of state.

1609. Robert Cecil, earl of Salisbury, lord high
treasurer; Thomas, lord Ellesmere, lord
chancellor; Henry, earl of Northamp-
ton, privy seal; Charles, earl of Not-
tingham, Thomas, earl of Suffolk, &c.

Dorset, sir John Coke, sir Francis Windebank, &c. The great seal in commission.

William Juxon, bishop of London, lord treasurer; sir John Finch, afterwards lord Finch, lord keeper; Francis, lord Cottington, Wentworth, earl of Strafford, Algernon, earl of Northumberland, James, marquess of Hamilton, Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, and sir Francis Windebank and sir Henry Vane, secretaries of state.

[When the civil war commenced all went into confusion. The unfortunate king was beheaded, Jan. 30, 1649.

COMMONWEALTH.

1612. Henry, earl of Northampton, first com-
missioner of the treasury; Thomas,
lord Ellesmere, lord chancellor; Edward, 1653. Oliver Cromwell, made protector.

earl of Worcester, sir Ralph Winwood,
Charles, earl of Nottingham, &c. Robert
Carr (a favourite), viscount Rochester, 1658.
afterwards earl of Somerset, lord cham-
berlain.

1615. Thomas, earl of Suffolk, lord treasurer;
Thomas, lord Ellesmere, lord chancellor ;
Edward, earl of Worcester, privy seal;
Charles, earl of Nottingham, sir George
Villiers (a favourite), afterwards vis-
count Villiers, and successively earl,
marquess and duke of Buckingham
(lord high admiral in 1619), sir Ralph
Winwood, sir Thomas Lake, &c.

1620. Sir Henry Montagu, afterwards viscount

Mandeville and earl of Manchester, lord
treasurer.

He

named a council whose number at no time was to exceed twenty-one members, nor be less than thirteen.

Richard Cromwell, son of Oliver, succeeded

on the death of the latter. A council of officers ruled at Wallingford House.

KING CHARLES II.

(From the Restoration of the King.)
[Until this time there was not, in point of
fact, anything that could be exclusively
called a CABINET. The sovereign had
latterly governed by a collection of
privy councillors, sometimes of larger,
sometimes of smaller number, and not
always holding the same offices, and
still less the same men.]

1621. Lionel, lord Cranfield, afterwards earl of 1660. Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards earl of Cla

Middlesex, Edward, earl of Worcester,
John, earl of Bristol, John Williams,
dean of Westminster, George Villiers,
now marquess of Buckingham, sir
Edward Conway, afterwards lord Con-
way, &c.

KING CHARLES I.

1628. Richard, lord Weston, afterwards earl of Portland, lord treasurer; sir Thomas Coventry, afterwards lord Coventry, lord keeper; Henry, earl of Manchester (succeeded by James, earl of Marlborough, who, in turn, gave place to Edward, lord, afterwards viscount, Conway), privy seal; William Laud, bishop of London, sir Albertus Morton, &c. 1635. William Laud, now archbishop of Canterbury, first commissioner of the treasury; Francis, lord Cottington, James, marquess of Hamilton, Edward, earl of

1667.

1670.

rendon, lord chancellor; George Monk,
general of the king's forces in the three
kingdoms, and master of the horse,
created duke of Albemarle; Thomas,
earl of Southampton, soon made lord
treasurer; Edward Montagu, created
earl of Sandwich, general and admiral;
James, duke of York, brother to the
king, lord high admiral; lord Sey and
Sele, privy seal; sir Robert Long, chan-
cellor of the exchequer; earl of Man-
chester, lord Seymour, &c. Sir Edward
Nicholas and sir William Morrice, se-
cretaries of state.

George Monk, duke of Albemarle, made
first commissioner of the treasury, &c.
"The CABAL" Ministry. Sir Thomas
Clifford, afterwards lord Clifford (C);
Anthony Ashley, afterwards earl of
Shaftesbury (A); George Villiers,
duke of Buckingham (B); Henry, lord

1 Robert Carr, a young Scotchman, became a great favourite with the king. His majesty created him viscount Rochester, and as long as he followed the advice of Sir Thomas Overbury, his favouritism was not very dis. pleasing to the English. But young Carr, falling in love with the too celebrated Frances Howard, lady Essex, and she with him, it was contrived to divorce her from her husband; they were married, and he was promoted to the earldom of Somerset. Overbury disapproving of the whole affair, Somerset, upon some other pretence, got him imprisoned in the Tower, where, in a short time after, he was poisoned with an envenomed clyster. The perpetrators were executed, all but Somerset and his countess, who, though condemned, were pardoned by the king. He afterwards gave them a small pension upon which they retired, and languished out old age in infamy and obscurity. Charles Home's England.

2 The king, on a visit to Cambridge, saw a young man of good family, George Villiers, who had, in fact, thrown himself in the king's way by appearing in a play acted before his majesty by the Cambridge scholars. In a very short time Villiers disputed James's favour with Somerset, upon whose fall he at once rose to the height of power, riches, and honours. "Of all wise men living, James was most delighted with handsome persons, and Villiers was of fine person and exceedingly handsome."- Lord Clarendon. "Villiers became duke of Buckingham, lord high admiral of England, warden of the Cinque Ports, and master of the horse; and disposed of all the offices and all the honours in the three kingdoms. The votes and remonstrances that were passed against him by the parliament as an enemy of the people were all in vain. This favourite was, however, afterwards assassinated. Charles Home. Lord Clarendon.

Arlington, afterwards earl of Arlington (A); and John, duke of Lauderdale (L). This private council obtained the name of Cabal from the initial letters of their five names, which composed the word.1-Charles Home's England. 1672. Thomas, lord Clifford, Anthony, earl of 1689. Shaftesbury, late lord Ashley, Henry, earl of Arlington, Arthur, earl of Anglesey, Sir Thomas Osborne, created viscount Latimer, Rt. hon. Henry Coventry, sir John Duncombe, sir George Carteret, Edward Seymour, &c.

1673. Thomas, viscount Latimer, afterwards cre-
ated earl of Danby, made lord high
treasurer. June 26.

1679. Arthur, earl of Essex, made first com-
missioner of the treasury, March 26;
succeeded by Laurence Hyde, after-
wards earl of Rochester, Nov. 21, both
in this year. Robert, earl of Sunder- 1690.
land, secretary of state, vice sir Joseph
Williamson, &c.

[The king nominated a new council this

year (on April 21), consisting of thirty
members only, of whom the principal
were the great officers of state and great
officers of the household.]

1684. Sidney, lord Godolphin, Lawrence, earl of

In the end, the king left Whitehall in the night of Dec. 17, and, quitting the kingdom, landed at Ambleteuse, in France, Dec. 23, 1688.2]

KING WILLIAM III.

Charles, viscount Mordaunt, first commissioner of the treasury; Thomas Osborne, earl of Danby, created marquess of Carmarthen, afterwards duke of Leeds, lord president; George, marquess of Halifax, privy seal; Arthur Herbert, afterwards lord Torrington, first commissioner of the admiralty; earls of Shrewsbury, Nottingham, and Sunderland, earl of Dorset and Middlesex, William, earl (afterwards duke) of Devonshire, lord Godolphin, lord Montagu, lord De la Mere, &c. The great seal in commission.

Sidney, lord Godolphin, first commissioner of the treasury; Thomas, earl of Danby, lord president; Rt. hon. Richard Hampden, chancellor of the exchequer; Thomas, earl of Pembroke, admiralty; Henry, viscount Sydney and Daniel, earl of Nottingham, secretaries of state, &c. The great seal and privy seal in commission.

Rochester, Daniel, earl of Nottingham, 1698. Charles Montagu, afterwards lord Halifax,

Robert, earl of Sunderland, sir Thomas
Chicheley, George, lord Dartmouth,
Henry, earl of Clarendon, earls of Bath
and Radnor, &c.

JAMES II.

1685. Lawrence, earl of Rochester, George, mar-
quess of Halifax, sir George Jeffreys,
afterwards lord Jeffreys and lord chan-
cellor, Henry, earl of Clarendon, sir
John Ernley, knt., duke of Queensberry,
viscount Preston, &c.

1687. The earl of Rochester was displaced, and
John, lord Belasyse, made first com-
missioner of the treasury in his room.
Jan. 4; the earl of Sunderland made
president of the council; viscount Pres- 1711.
ton, secretary of state; and various
other changes took place in this and
the following year.

first commissioner of the treasury; May 1; succeeded by Ford, earl of Tankerville, Nov. 15, 1699.

QUEEN ANNE.

1702. SIDNEY, LORD (afterwards earl) GODOLPHIN, treasury ;Thomas,earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, lord president; John Sheffield, marquess of Normanby, afterwards duke of Normanby and Buckingham, privy seal; hon. Henry Boyle, chancellor of the exchequer; sir Charles Hedges and the earl of Nottingham (the latter succeeded by the Rt. hon. Robert Harley, created earl of Oxford, in 1704), secretaries of state, &c. ROBERT, EARL OF OXFORD, treasury; sir Simon (afterwards lord) Harcourt, lord keeper; John, duke of Normanby and Buckingham, lord president; John, bishop of Bristol (afterwards of London), privy seal; Henry St. John, afterwards viscount Bolingbroke, and William, lord Dartmouth, secretaries of state; Rt. hon. Robert Benson, afterwards lord Bingley, chancellor of the exchequer, &c. Charles, duke of Shrewsbury, treasury. July 30 (two days before the queen's demise). Patent revoked Oct. 13, following.

1688. [At the close of this reign, the advisers of
the king were chosen as creatures of
his narrow and desperate policy. Several
Roman Catholics had been admitted of
the council; Protestants had been super-
seded in the army; judges removed,
and prelates imprisoned; and no man's 1714.
liberty or life was safe in England;
while in Ireland the earl of Tyrconnel
ruled despotically.

At the time that this appellation had generally obtained, about 1672, lord Clifford held the office of lord treas surer; lord Ashley had become lord chancellor; the duke of Buckingham was lord president; lord Arlington, secretary of state; and the duke of Lauderdale lord president of Scotland.

2 William, prince of Orange, had published (Oct. 1, 1688) a declaration of his reasons for his expedition to England: the principal were," to facilitate the calling of a free parliament, to inquire into the birth of the prince of Wales, and to secure the Protestant religion, which was in great danger." On Oct. 16, he formally took leave of the States General, and on the 19th set sail from Holland; but, having been driven back by a storm, he did not finally set sail until Nov. 1. His forces consisted of nearly 50 ships of war and 300 transports, having on board 14,322 men. The prince was in the centre of the fleet, accompanied by the earls of Shrewsbury and Macclesfield, and other nobles: his ship bore at the main mast-head the British flag and their Mightinesses' arms, with the words "The Protestant Religion and the Liberties of England." surrounding both; while another flag floated at the mizen with the motto of the house of Nassau "Je maintiendrai." The armament, entering the channel, passed the Gunflect on Nov. 3; and, on the 5th (according to Dr., afterwards bishop Burnet, who was with the prince; not the 4th, as some historians have it) William landed at Torbay.

KING GEORGE I.

1714. CHARLES, EARL OF HALIFAX, first lord

of the treasury (succeeded on his death 1740. by the earl of Carlisle); William, lord Cowper, afterwards earl Cowper, lord chancellor; Daniel, earl of Nottingham, lord president; Thomas, marquess of Wharton, privy seal; Edward, earl of Oxford, admiralty; James Stanhope, afterwards earl Stanhope, and Charles, viscount Townshend, secretaries of state; sir Richard Onslow, chancellor of the exchequer; dukes of Montrose and Marlborough, lord Berkeley, Rt. hon. Robert Walpole, Mr. Pulteney, &c. 1715. RT. HON. ROBERT WALPOLE, first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer, &c.

1717. RT. HON. JAMES STANHOPE, afterwards earl Stanhope, treasurer and chancellor of the exchequer; William, lord Cowper, Charles, earl of Sunderland, the duke of Kingston, lord Berkeley, Rt. hon. Joseph Addison, &c.

1718. CHARLES, EARL OF SUNDERLAND, first lord

of the treasury; Thomas, lord Parker,
afterwards earl of Macclesfield, lord
chancellor; the earl Stanhope, the duke
of Kent, lord Berkeley, Mr. Craggs,
Mr. Aislabie, &c.

1721. RT. HON. ROBERT WALPOLE, afterwards sir

near the close of sir Robert Walpole's long administration.]

SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer; Philip, lord Hardwicke, lord chancellor; Spencer, earl of Wilmington, lord president; John, lord Hervey, privy seal; John Potter, archbishop of Canterbury; duke of Newcastle and the earl of Harrington, secretaries of state; sir Charles Wager, first commissioner of the admiralty; duke of Dorset, lord steward; duke of Grafton, lord chamberlain; duke of Richmond, master of the horse; earl of Pembroke, groom of the stole, &c. These great household officers were at this period always in what was called the Cabinet, but there was an interior council, of Walpole, the chancellor, and the secretaries of state, who, in the first instance, consulted together on the more confidential points.1

1742.

[Sir Robert Walpole, having been in a minority of 16 on an inquiry into the Chippenham election, declared he would never again enter the house of commons. 2 He went to court and resigned all his employments, February 8, having been first minister twenty-one consecutive years. He was created earl of Oxford, viscount Walpole, and baron Houghton. The earl of Wilmington was made minister in his room. 3]

Robert, first lord of the treasury and 1742. EARL OF WILMINGTON, first lord of the

chancellor of the exchequer; Thomas,
lord Parker, created earl of Macclesfield,
lord chancellor; Henry, lord Carleton
(succeeded by William, duke of Devon-
shire), lord president; Evelyn, duke of
Kingston (succeeded by lord Trevor),
privy seal; James, earl of Berkeley,
first lord of the admiralty; Charles,
viscount Townshend, and John, lord
Carteret (the latter succeeded by the
duke of Newcastle), secretaries of state;
John, duke of Marlborough (succeeded
by the earl of Cadogan), ordnance; Rt.
hon. George Treby (succeeded by Rt.
hon. Henry Pelham), secretary-at-war ;
viscount Torrington, &c.

GEORGE II.

1727. SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, &c. continued.

treasury; lord Hardwicke, lord chancellor; Mr. Sandys, chancellor of the exchequer; earl of Harrington, president of the council; earl Gower, privy seal; lord Carteret and the duke of Newcastle, secretaries of state; earl of Winchilsea, first lord of the admiralty; duke of Argyll, commander of the forces and master-general of the ordnance; Mr. Henry Pelham, paymaster of the forces, &c. Feb.

[The duke of Argyll resigned, and was succeeded by the earl of Stair, as commander of the forces, and by the duke of Montagu at the ordnance.]

1743. RT. HON. HENRY PELHAM, first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer, in the room of Spencer earl of Wilmington, deceased. Aug. 25.

[The following was the state of the Cabinet 1744. The "BROAD BOTTOM Administration: "

1 Lord Hervey's Memoirs of the Reign of George II. by the Rt. Hon. John Wilson Croker.- Mr. Croker adds, "The duke of Bolton, without a right to it from his office of captain of the Band of Pensioners, in which employment he succeeded the duke of Montagu on his removal to the ordnance, was likewise admitted to the cabinet council, because he had been of the cabinet seven years previously, at the time he was turned out of all his offices." And he further says, "Sir John Norris (vice-admiral of England) was called in, as an auxiliary, when anything was under deliberation in relation to our then maritime war with Spain.”

2 Sir Robert Walpole had risen to a power no minister had ever before attained. From his conduct in administration, he was called the Father of Corruption; he used to say "that every man had his price," and boasted of knowing what that price was. He was either mistaken in the assertion, or he had not the means of buying the votes of the commons, as it now appeared.

3 The prince of Wales (father of George III.) received in January, 1742, a message from the king (George II.), then not on cordial terms with the prince, his son, offering him, provided he wrote a letter of submission to his majesty, an addition to his revenue of £50,000 per annum, and a sum of £200,000 for the discharge of his debts. The prince answered, that he had the utmost respect for his royal father, and that whenever his majesty thought proper to admit him to his presence, he should throw his person at his feet without any conditions; but that he would give no countenance to the minister in his management of public affairs. Sir Robert Walpole was, he said, a bar between his majesty and the effections of his people, between his majesty and foreign powers, and between his majesty and himself. "This," said the prince," is my answer. But I would have it understood that I take the message to come from the minister, and not from the throne."

On the change in the administration, the prince of Wales presented himself at court, where he was most gra ciously and affectionately received, and a guard of honour was immediately ordered to attend his royal highness at Carlton-House. The joy of the people at this reconciliation was unbounded; bonfires, illuminations, the ringing of all the public bells, and acclamations from the multitude, and other demonstrations of popular satisfaction and delight took place in London and in all the towns and villages adjacent, in the evening.Core. • This ministry was ludicrously called the “Broad Bottom Administration," because comprising a grand coali