MINISTRY. A hotly consisting usually of the heads of the chief executive or administra tive departments of a government, and consti tuting an advisory council of the sovereign. In several European countries there is a chief minister who has a certain precedence in rank and authority over his colleagues, and who is known as the premier or prime minister. In sev4.ral others, the chief minister bears the title of minister-president, and enjoys a cer tain precedence in dignity over his colleagues, lint exercises no authority over them. Every where, the right of selecting the members of the ministry belongs to the chief exeentive. In those countries, like England, where the Crown is only the nominal executive, the head of the State selects only the prime minister, and in the selection of the others to him. In the German Empire. the Kingdom of Prussia, the Empire of Japan. and the American republics, where the ministers are not responsible to the legislature for their political policy, they are :ill appointed directly by the chief executive without hieing restricted to acknowledged party leaders. It is a general rule in European coun tries that members of Parliament may, with the approval of their constituents, serve as min isters. But whether members of Parliament or not, ministers are entitled to sit in either and to participate freely in the discussion of measures in which they are interested.
In general. the term 'ministry' is synonymous with the term 'cabinet' (q.v.). but there are exceptions. Thus, in (treat Britain, the 'minis try' includes in addition to members of the cabinet, all those political under-secretaries who have seats in Parliament (at present about forty in number), and who are expected to re sign when their policy is defeated in the ]louse of ('ommons. while the 'cabinet' consists of a certain number of ministers (at present nine teen) who control the policy of the government and preside over the chief administrative de partments. Thus, it will be seen that not all the ministers are members of the cabinet. On the other hand, it may happen that some mem bers of the cabinet will have no administrative duties. Suet) members are known as ministers without portfolios. Departments of adminstra t ion over which ministers are generally placed are: foreign offairs, war, flitaliCe, justice, piddle education, public worship, navy. commerce. post and telegraphs, 1111111 colonies. 111 those Where ministers are responsible to the chief exec utive, they ;let independently of one :mother in the conduct id their odministrative departments, and their responsibility is individual rather than collect ive.