POWER OF THE KING

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1931, Page 6

POWER OF THE KING

A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE. LONDON, November 24. During the past few months a funda* mental change in the Constitution has been quietly carried through without any alteration in the forma] law. This ■matter is referred to by Professor H. A. Smith (Professor of International Law in the University of London) in a letter to “The Times”:

“Last’ March (he says) it was announced that in future the Irish Free State Ministers would advise the King directly without even the formal intervention of a Secretary of State, thus giving renewed and permanent expression to a principle already implied in the appointment of the present Gover-nor-General of Australia. This was done without any consultation of Parliament and without attempting to obtain the general assent of the Dominions. It clearly goes beyond any of the agreed decisions reached at the Imperial Conferences of 1920 and 1930. What does it mean ?

“Clearly the King cannot be placed in the impossible position of being obliged automatically to give his sanction to decisions and' policies which may frequently be in ’conflict' with one. another. IT, then, the duty of reconciling differences is withdrawn from the Cabinet in London, it must devolve upon the King himself. Ju other words, the Sovereign becomes the personal arbiter of inter-imperial differences, and upon him falls the responsibility for maintaining the unity of the Empire. I need hardly point out that this involves a fundamental change in the historic practice of our Constitution. “I am not suggesting that the change is wrong, for I am among those who believe that an extension of the perso

al authority of the Crown would be wholly for the good. What lam suggesting is that this decision, which has passed almost unnoticed by the general public, is; more worthy of study than the precise drafting of the Statute of Westminster.”