6
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM
some ancient franchises, such as that of the liverymen of the City of London companies, and there are 6 university constituencies in which graduates on the electoral roll are electors. Disqualified for registration are aliens and persons who Avithin a year have received parochial poor relief.
About one-sixth of the population are electors. By an annual act voting is by ballot.
The numbers of members and of registered electors for England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland respectively, in 1913, are given as follows : —
Gout
s'TIES.
Boroughs,
Univeusities.
Total.
1913
Members
253 39 85
Electors
1
Members
Electors
2,668,163 318,720 124,170
Members
Electors
Members
Electors
England . Scotland. Ireland ]
1
3,845,622 477,816 572,402
237 31 16
5 2 2
22,277
23,798
5,048
495
72
103
6,536,062 820,343 701,620
Total .
377
4,895,840
284
3,1 J 1,062
9
51,123
670
8,058,025
The following is a table of the duration of Parliaments called during the reigns of Queen Victoria, Edward VII., and George V. : —
Reign
Parliament
When met
When dissolved
Existed
Victoria
1st
11 Sept. 1837
23 June 1841
Y. M. D.
3 9 12
2nd
19 Aug. 1841
23 July 1847
5 11 4
3rd
21 Sept. 1847
1 July 1852
4 9 10
4th
20 Aug. 1852
21 Mar. 1857
4 7 1
5th
30 April 1857
23 April 1859
1 11 23
6th
31 May 1859
6 July 1865
6 1 6
7th
15 Aug. 1865
11 Nov. 1868
3 2 27
8th
10 Dec. 1868
26 Jan. 1874
5 1 16
9th
5 Mar. 1874
24 Mar. 1880
6 19
10th
29 April 1880
18 Nov. 1885
5 6 20
11th
12 Jan. 1886
26 June 1886
5 14
12th
5 Aug. 1886
28 June 1892
5 10 23
13th
4 Aug. 1892
24 July 1895
2 11 20
14th
12 Aug. 1895
25 Sept. 1900
5 1 13
15th
3 Dec. 1900
8 Jan. 1906
5 1 5
Edward VII.
1st
13 Feb. 1906
10 Jan. 1910
3 11 24
2nd
15 Feb. 1910
28 Nov. 1910
9 14
George V. .
1st
31 Jan. 1911
1
The executive government of Great Britain and Ireland is vested nominally in the Crown ; but practically in a committee of Ministers, commonly called the Cabinet, whose existence is dependent on the possession of a majority in the House of Commons.
The First liord of the Treasury is, as a rule, the chief of the Ministry, and on his recommendation his colleagues are appointed ; he dispenses the greater portion of the patronage of the Crown.
Tlie present Cabinet consists of the following members :
1, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. — Right Hon. H. H. Asqnith, born 1852 ; educated at the City of London School and Balliol College, Oxford; called to the Bar, 1876 ; M.P. for East Fifeshire since 1886 ; Secretary of State for the Home Department, 1892-95 ; Chan-
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