THE MONARCHY 43

if an address to that effect is presented to him by both Houses
of Parliament. The Lord Chancellor, being a Cabinet Minister,
must have his appointment confirmed by the King; and Justices
of the Peace are appointed by the Lord Chancellor. All crimes
are considered offences against the King; thus the trial of
Armstrong the poisoner is described as Rex v. Armstrong. Now
if someone writes a libellous statement about me, I can bring an
action or not, as I please. Similarly the King can decide whether
or not to proceed against a suspected criminal, or, if the trial has
begun, can bring it to an end at anytime by saying that he does
n6t wish to go on with it. Such a decision will in fact usually be
made by the Director of Public Prosecutions; or, if the case*has
a political importance, the Cabinet will decide. A political
sensation was created in 1924 by the decision of the Labour
Government not to proceed with the prosecution of a Communist.
When a criminal has been convicted and sentenced, the King
has the right to pardon him freely or on conditions, or to reduce
the sentence. Petitions to the King to do this are sent to the
Home Secretary, on whose advice the King acts. This "Pre-
rogative of Mercy" is useful, because judges, juries and magistrates
can make mistakes, and because the working of the law may
prove too harsh in special cases.

ROYAL PREROGATIVE.

This account of the King's political work shows the import-
ance of his position. He influences each of the three ppwers
of Government; actions of Government are carried out in his
name. Thus the phrases "Our Sovereign Lord", "Head of the
State", "Fountain of Justice-and Honour" become understand-
able. But at every point he is surrounded by Ministers through
whom he must act. To make his will effective, there must be
some document—& Patent to create a Peer; a Writ to order an
election; a Commission to an Army Officer, a Proclamation to
declare a State of Emergency. Every one of these documents must
bear the signature of a Minister, or have attached to it the Great