The business of the treasury is to determine on all matters relative to the civil list, or the other revenues of the nation ; to give directions for the conduct of all boards, and persons entrusted with the receipt, manage ment, anti expenditure of those revenues; to sign all warrants for payments out or them, and generally to superintend every branch of the revenue, belonging to his Majesty, or the public. Formerly, there was a lord high trL.ztsurer ; but for upwards of one hundred years, the management of the treasury has been put in com mission ; the commissioners being, the first lord of the treasury, the chancellor of the exchequer, (to whom is entrusted, in an especial manner, the revenue and ex penditure of the nation, and who generally takes the lead on the ministerial side of the House of Commons,) and three other commissioners. Since the union with Ireland, the chancellor of the exchequer of that of the united kingdom is, ex officio, nominated one of the lords commissioners of the treasury.
Thet e are three principal secretaries of state : the secretary of state for the home department, who has management of, and controul over, the internal affairs of the kingdom, and front whom all directions and com mands to the lord lieutenants, sheriffs, and other magis trates, issue; the secretary of state for foreign affairs, who, as the name implies, has the management of all correspondence and transactions with foreign nations; and the secretary of state for war and colonies, who has the management of the affairs of the colonies, and to whom also is entrusted the supreme direction of all war like expeditions.
The commander in chief is at the head of the armv.• The secretary at war, when Oleic is no commander in chief, (that is, when the king retains actually, as well as virtually, the first military command in the country,) superintends and controuls the discipline, as well as the finance of the army ; but when there is a comman der in chief, (as there generally is,) he superintends the finance, as distinguished from the discipline of the army ; he communicates with the troops in all matters that relate to the police, or law of the country. Some matters of pure discipline, however, are still transacted under his immediate authority ; for instance, all that relates to the apprehension and escort of deserters, and in many more cases; though the measure originates with the commander in chief, much of the execution rests with the War office. On the other hand, some considerable branches of finance, (such as the local al lowances to troops on foreign stations, and the barrack expenditure in general,) do not come under the war office.
The special superintendance of the navy is seldom now entrusted to a lord high admiral; but a board of admiralty is appointed, consisting of a first lord, (who, generally, is not a naval officer,) and six subordinate members, among whom are admirals of known skill and experience. The duty of the admiralty is to con sider and determine on all matters relative to the navy ; to give directions for all services that arc to be perform ed therein, both in its civil and naval branches; and ge nerally, to superintend the naval and marine establish ment. The duties of the commissioners of the navy are under the lords of the admiralty, to attend to all af fairs regarding the civil establishment of the navy; to make contracts for civil stores, and distribute them ; to prepare estimates ; to direct all monies for naval services into the hands of the treasurer of the navy ; and to ex amine and certify his accounts. The transport office, which was instituted in 1794, has the charge of the transport service, of sick and wounded seamen, and of prisoners of war.
The duty of the Sovereign is expressed in his corona tion oath, by which he swears to govern according to the statutes of Parliament, and the laws and customs of the kingdom ; to cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all his judgments; and to maintain the Pro testant reformed religion.
The constitution of this country ascribes to the Sove reign the political attribute of absolute perfection. It is an ancient and fundamental maxim, that the king can do no wrong ;" by which is meant, that he cannot be made personally amenable for any wrong which he may actually commit, his minister being responsible, in all cases, for the acts of the Sovereign. By the con stitution, also, the king never dies, since, immediately on the natural death of the Sovereign, the regal dignity is vested in his successor. Besides these attributes, the king is considered in law as the sole magistrate of the nation, all other magistrates deriving their power and authority from him; he has also the exclusive power of sending and receiving ambassadors, of making treaties, &c. and of declaring peace or war. By the statute of the 13 Car. II. chap. 6. he has the sole command of all fleets and armies, and of all places of strength in the kingdom.