the queen is to be made without his advice and recommendation; and he is required to inform her majesty of every man's merits, that she may bestow marks of favour on such as do well. Her majesty will not admit of any particular complaint of injustice or oppression in Ireland, unless it has been first made to her Lord-Lieutenant; nor will she require him to execute her orders in any business of which he may disapprove, until he can communicate with her majesty and receive further instructions.d Such is the authority of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. As the queen's Viceroy, he is vested with more extensive regal powers than any other subject of her majesty, except, perhaps, the Viceroy of India. Nevertheless, he acts under instructions from the crown, conveyed to him by the ministry for the time being, whose business it is to direct him as to his proceedings, and to animadvert upon his conduct if they see him act improperly, or in a manner detrimental or inconvenient to the public service, or displeasing to the crown. The Cabinet minister who is ordinarily responsible for advising and directing the conduct of the Lord-Lieutenant is the Secretary of State for the Home Department, but in matters of great moment the Prime Minister interposes his authority, or the Cabinet itself is summoned to deliberate and advise upon the instructions to be given him. On matters of revenue, the Lord-Lieutenant is required to correspond with the Treasury, and on all other subjects with the Home Secretary, who keeps him informed of the views and opinions of the Cabinet upon all the more important questions connected with his government. g In 1828 the Marquis of Anglesey, then Lord-Lieutenant, pursued a line of conduct towards the leaders of the Irish Roman Catholic party, calculated to embarrass the home government, and to augment the difficulties they experienced in administering affairs in Ireland. 4 Murray's Handbook, pp. 273, 274. Mirror of Parl. 1829, p. 802. The Duke of Wellington, in Mirror of Parl. 1829, p. 1402. f Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxv. p. 1120. * Dodd's Manual, p. 307. Murray's Handbook, p. 275. tenant. Lord-Lieu- These proceedings led to a remonstrance from the Prime Minister (the Duke of Wellington) and to the ultimate recall of the marquis. He, however, feeling himself to be the aggrieved party, obtained the king's permission to read, in his place in Parliament, the entire correspondence between himself and his colleagues in the administration, in vindication of his policy and conduct whilst at the head of the Irish government. He did so, upon a formal motion for papers, in order to obtain an expression of their lordships' opinion of his conduct.' The motion was resisted by the Duke of Wellington, who, while he went into details to justify the conduct pursued towards the noble marquis, asserted that Parliament had no business to interfere with regard to the dismissal of any of his majesty's servants from the government of the country, except in cases in which some material public injury has been thereby occasioned, or some considerable inconvenience has been felt, or except in cases where Parliament has found it necessary to interfere to obtain a change of government.' This explanation was accepted by the House; the formal motion for papers was negatived, and no further proceedings had in the matter. h The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland is always chosen from amongst the peerage; nevertheless, his presence in the House of Lords, when any motion is about to be submitted respecting his conduct in office, is not necessary, as the ministers of the crown are responsible for his acts, and are there to answer for him. Sometimes, however, the Lord-Lieutenant appears in his place in the House of Lords to justify and explain his conduct, but this is of his own free will. The Lord-Lieutenant maintains an establishment of a regal character, holds courts, levées, and drawing-rooms, and is attended by a household for the support of which he receives an extra allowance of between 3,000l. and 4,000l., besides his annual salary of 20,000l. He is also allowed two residences, one in Dublin Castle, the other in Phoenix Park. In thus upholding and representing the h Mirror of Parl. 1829, p. 1401. J Hans. Deb. vol. clviii. p. 1643. The salary is fixed by the Act 2 & 3 Will. IV. c. 116, and is paid out of the Consolidated Fund. The sum of 3,630. 9s. 11d. is voted annually in Committee of Supply to pay the salaries of the officers of the vice-regal household; Civil Service Estimates, 1868-9, Class II. No. 7. dignity of the crown, he is assisted by his wife, who performs such regal duties as would appertain to the position of a queen consort, and on all occasions takes precedence of every other lady in Ireland during the viceroyalty.' The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, being by direct delegation a viceroy of the British crown, must necessarily be a Protestant. Since the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland has been thrown open to Roman Catholics, this is the sole remaining office in Ireland that must be filled by a person who is of the same religious persuasion, and bound to maintain the same religious principles, as the occupant of the throne itself.' m The question of abolishing the viceregal government of Ireland, and transferring its duties to an additional Secretary of State to be appointed for that country, has been agitated from time to time. In June, 1850, a project to this effect was formally submitted by the government to the consideration of Parliament, as being calculated to simplify and improve the administration of Irish affairs; but it did not meet with the approval of experienced statesmen, or receive the sanction of the legislature. Similar propositions have been made since then, but they have not been favourably entertained by the House of Commons." The Lord-Lieutenant is assisted in carrying on the executive government of Ireland mainly by four persons: the Chief Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, the AttorneyGeneral-each of whom is a member of the Irish Privy Council and the permanent Under-Secretary. The Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant, or, as he Chief is otherwise styled, Chief Secretary for Ireland, is an 1 Dodd's Manual, p. 308. Earl of Derby, Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxviii. p. 1373. Act 30 & 31 Vict. c. 75. See Commons' Debates, July 7, 1857, March 25, 1858. But see a singular statement by Mr. Bernal Osborne in the House on August 2, 1866, showing the growth of opinion • Hans. Deb. vol. cxc. pp. 1358, Secretary. Secretary officer of more importance in the administration of the for Ireland. Irish government than might at first be supposed from his official designation. When there was a local parlia- P See Mahon's Hist. of England, vol. iv. p. 190. Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxv. p. 1113. Ibid. vol. cxi. P. 1409. Ibid.; and see Hans. Deb. vol. clxiii. pp. 1460, 1473. The duties of the Chief Secretary are to see that the commands of the Lord-Lieutenant, in keeping the peace, the laws, and the customs of Ireland, are fulfilled. On revenue matters he corresponds with the Treasury, but on other subjects with the Secretary of State for the Home Department. He also acts as keeper of the privy seal of Ireland. The Chief Secretary is unavoidably absent for a great portion of the year, attending his parliamentary duties in London, and engaged at other times with parliamentary and political business. His salary was formerly 7,000l. a year, but was fixed in 1831, and again in 1851, at 5,500l. per annum, in lieu of all fees and emoluments. It has since been reduced to 4,000l., but he has an extra allowance of 425l. for fuel.'t This salary, though double in amount to that assigned to an Under-Secretary of State, is given because the Irish Secretary is exposed to much additional expense by being obliged to reside partly in London and partly in Dublin, and to entertain largely when at the viceregal capital. He has an official residence in the Phoenix Park. Secretary. There is a permanent Under-Secretary, whose duties Underare exceedingly various and important, and who is practically the working head of the Irish establishment, at Dublin Castle." officers. There is also a Lord Chancellor," an Attorney-General, Law and a Solicitor-General for Ireland, whose duties resemble those of the similar appointments in England. The two latter are eligible to sit in the House of Commons, though Lords of it rarely happens that both of them can obtain seats the Trea sury. |