CABINET AND CABINET GOVERN MENT. The word cabinet was originally ap plied to the small chambers, closets or private apartments in which sovereigns, ministers and other high officials consulted their trusted ad visers. In modern times, where used in connec tion with governmental affairs, the word is a collective name applied to the leading officers of state in a number of constitutional govern ments who act as a body of advisers to the head of the state and in some countries as the chief executive council and controller of legis lation as well. While usually confined to the ministers or department heads of a constitu tional government, there is no reason why the term should not be applied also to the chosen advisers of an absolute monarch.
Status and Functions of Foreign Cab inets.— Cabinets are widely divergent in their powers and functions. That of England, which is the earliest cabinet, is the direct antithesis of the President's Cabinet in the United States, 'which is the next oldest, though the two cabi nets are similar in this respect, that they are composed entirely (save on rare occasions) of members of the dominant political party, se lected by the" actual head of the state. The constitutional governments of Euro the self governing British colonies and Japan pan have completely or imperfectly accepted and ap plied the British type, while Switzerland and the Latin-American republics have patterned theirs after that of the United States. France, which has accepted the theory of Cabinet government, is the most important re public which has an actual Cabinet government in its modern highly developed form. Cabinets based on the British type be loosely de scribed as executive committees of the legisla tive bodies, in which their members have seats, before which they expound and defend the leg islative measures they prepare, and to which they are directly responsible — in fact, they are 'the government?' The Cabinet must not be confused with the ministry. All members of the Cabinet are of the ministry— of the mem bers of the Commons and Lords who hold of fice under the government and who retire from office when the out of power, but all members of the ministry are not of the Cabinet. Members of the ministry must sup port the policies adopted by the Cabinet — vote with the government as regularly as Cabinet ministers — but they have no voice in determin ing these policies. See GREAT BRITAIN CROWN AND CABINET; ITALY - POLITICAL AD MINISTRATION and CROWN AND PARLIAMENT.
The British Cabinet, a shortened name for 'cabinet council') — that is, a council held in the King's cabinet, or private room — gained its name under Charles I, between 1630-40, when it was ostensibly a committee of the privy council to expedite business, but in reality a few of the King's favorites. The sovereign presided at its deliberations, and it was not until George I ascended the throne (1714)— this King being unable to speak the English lan guage—that it became the practice for the mon arch no longer to preside over its meetings. But the kings did not give up their control over the power of appointing the great officers of state without a long and bitter struggle; and it was not till George III's insanity loosened his hand that effective control by ministers can be said to have won the final victory. Even then,
and during the early 19th century, its unity had by no means become so rigid as now; during the latter period many instances occurred of Cabinet members opposing the measures of the majority, and even of the Premier, and still retaining their portfolios. But by the 'thirties it had pretty much settled into its pres ent constitution and rules. An important change was made in 1782, just after the Amer ican Revolution, when its honorary members were dropped, and the membership confined to 'efficient') members,— officers of state so im portant that they cannot be excluded from it, or personalities so powerful that moribund of fices are kept constructively alive to place for them. There is no absolute limit to the number of members, but custom dictates not less than 11, and the necessity of coming to some agreement and transacting business pro hibits its being much in excess of 15. The As quith Coalition of 1915 contained 22 members. As the Premier's duties are of a general character, it is unusual under modern conditions that he assume control over a de partment, and he generally takes the office of First Lord of the Treasury, which is practically a sinecure. There are also the four other chief secretaries of state — for war, for home af fairs, for the colonies and for India; the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Presi dent of the Privy Council, the Lord Chancellor, and the Chief Secretary for Ireland. The last named may or may not be included, and the heads of other departments may find places if desired. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet ; he selects his ministers, enforces har mony and concert of action among them, and by retiring, whether voluntarily or not, renders imperative their resignation. He presides at all Cabinet meetings (the deliberations of which are secret) but has no legal control over that body or its individual members. Besides being Premier, he may hold one or more govern mental offices. The ministers are usually men of affairs, successful politicians and able de baters. If they cannot defend the government's policy on the floor of the legislative body, the ministry may be turned out, and practical in capacity may render all defense of no avail. The defection of a Cabinet minister not only involves his retirement from the Cabinet but also from the office held by him. All ministers have the right to appear in the legislative cham ber and to discuss measures under considera tion; they introduce most of the important leg islative proposals and also quite effectually con trol the proposals of private members by making them questions of confidence in the government or ministry. While ministers are present on the floors of the legislative chambers the en tire policy and administration of the Cabinet may be subjected, to the most searching review by means of parliamentary questions and inter pellations put to the ministers in open session. GREAT BRITAIN - PARLIAMENT ; FRANCE ,To