royal assent, the Crown exercises the most important of its legislative functions; for although summonings, prorogations, and dissolutions, emanate from the monarch; although the choice of responsible advisers is a royal prerogative; and although messages from the Throne frequently precede the introduction of legislative enactments, yet the final ratification implied in the royal assent, is a ceremony which must be always performed, whether the measure have originated with the Crown, with the House of Lords, or with the Commons *. It is, however, no mere form, no official technicality, constructed for facilitating or methodizing the performance of public business, but a bond fide exercise of legislative functions; for it should not be forgotten, that Queen Elizabeth, at the close of a session, actually rejected forty-eight bills, which had been agreed to by both houses. But in modern times, the ministers of the day either sufficiently possess the confidence of the Crown to insure the royal assent for those measures which they introduce on their official responsibility; or else they have influence enough in the houses of Parliament to arrest the progress of all those bills from which they would advise the Crown to withhold the royal assent. So that, by a moderate degree of confidence reposed in the Administration, on the one hand by the Crown, and on the other by the houses of Parlia

• With the Crown all bills of amnesty originate; with the house of Lords all bills relating to a restitution in blood and a restitution of honours; with the house of Commons all bills relating to public income and expenditure. Bills affecting the royal prerogative are not usually introduced into either house without the previous consent of the Crown.

ment, the Sovereign is spared the ungracious task of being at variance with his ministry, and by his refusal of the Royal Assent, disclosing either their weakness with the Parliament, or their differences with himself. The power of rejection was exercised for the last time by William III., who at first refused, but in two years afterwards yielded the royal assent to the bill for triennial Parliaments.

While legislative enactments are being considered in the houses of Parliament, they bear the title of "Bills," but the moment the royal assent has been given, they become " Acts of Parliament," and all their provisions instantly have the force and effect of law, unless some period for the commencement of their operation should have been specifically stated in one of the clauses of the measure.

The royal assent may be given by the Sovereign in person, robed, crowned, and seated on the throne in the house of peers, with the Commons standing at the bar; or else the ceremony may be performed by Commissioners appointed for that special purpose, and for the single occasion. Of late years, with the exception of bills augmenting the royal income, the practice has been to give the royal assent by Commission to all bills which have passed the two houses, but in the former case, the Sovereign usually prefers a personal manifestation of thanks. The forms observed in both cases do not vary, and are as follows.

The Lords being assembled in their own house, the Sovereign, or the Commissioners, seated, and the Commons at the bar, the titles of the several bills which have passed both houses are read, and the King or Queen's answer is declared by the clerk of

the Parliaments in Norman French. To a bill of supply the assent is given in the following words :"Le roy (or, la reine) remercie ses loyal subjects, accepte leur benevolence et ainsi le veut." To a private bill it is thus declared :-" Soit fait comme il est desiré." And to public general bills it is given in these terms :-" Le roy (or, la reine) le veut." Should the Sovereign refuse his assent, it is in the gentle language of "Le roy (or, la reine) s'avisera." As acts of grace and amnesty originate with the Crown, the clerk expressing the gratitude of the subject, addresses the throne as follows:-" Les prélats, seigneurs, et commons, en ce present Parliament assemblés au nom de tout vous autres subjects remercient très humblement votre majesté, et prient à Dieu vous donner en sante bonne vie et longue.”

MESSAGES. Messages, in a parliamentary sense, are of three kinds : 1st, from the Crown to either house of Parliament; 2nd, from the Commons to the Lords; 3rd, from the Lords to the Commons. In the delivery of a message from the Crown to the house of Commons, a minister, being a member of the Lower house, appears at the bar of that house, and being called upon by the Speaker, brings up the royal message in writing, which is then read from the chair, and immediately taken into consideration, or a time is appointed for that purpose. Messages from the Crown to the house of Lords are delivered in at the table by the minister who leads in that house, or by the Lord Chamberlain; they are then handed to the Lord Chancellor, read from the woolsack, and proceeded with as in the Commons.

Messages from the Lords to the other house are conveyed by two masters in Chancery, and on certain occasions by two of the Judges. These messengers appear at the bar of the house of Commons accompanied by the serjeant at arms bearing the mace; and making three obeisances, they advance to the table of the house, and deliver the communication with which they may have been charged. Messages from the Lower to the Upper house are conveyed by members of the house of Commons, who are conducted to the bar of the Lords by the gentleman, or, in his absence, by the yeoman usher, and there deliver their message to the Lord Chancellor, who comes down from the woclsack to receive them. When a bill has passed the Commons, it is necessary that it should be forwarded to the Lords for their consideration, and this is the most frequent occasion upon which a message is dispatched from the Lower to the Upper house. The bill having been read a third time and passed in the Commons, is indorsed with the words "soit baillé aux Seigneurs *," and sent by messengers to the Lords. The latter assembly will receive no message from the Lower house unless their messenger is attended by eight members, and therefore, when he leaves the Commons to execute his trust, the Speaker says aloud, “Gentlemen, attend your messenger," in order that a sufficient number may accompany him to the Lords; and on some occasions his followers are very numerous,

* When bills originate in the Lords and are thence sent for the consideration of the Lower house, they are endorsed with the words, "Soit baillé aux communes.”

when the members are desirous of marking a unanimous feeling in favour of any important communication. The promoter of the measure, or the chairman of committees, is usually selected as the messenger. Το messages requiring an answer, each house usually replies by messengers of its own, but there are cases in which no delay occurs in the preparation of the reply, and then the original messengers receive and convey the answer. When the Lower house determines not to accede to the request which a message from the Lords may convey, they are not in the habit of expressly and peremptorily refusing; but they reply that the house will send an answer by messengers of its own, a promise which they on that occasion fail to fulfil. This was illustrated when (on the 2nd of May, 1842) it was moved in the Lords that a message be sent to the Lower house for certain papers connected with election committees; and on this occasion Viscount Canterbury, who had for so many years been Speaker of the Commons is reported to have said, "that he was thoroughly convinced, judging from an experience of no short duration, when he had the honour of filling the chair of the house of Commons, that if such a message were sent to the house of Commons it would receive a most civil reply, stating, 'that the house would send an answer by messengers of its own,' but that, whatever might be the duration of the session, the house of Commons would not find time to reply to such a request."

CONFERENCES.-To reconcile differences which may have arisen between the two houses of Parliament