gh offices of state,
usually that of First Lord of the Treasury; and, although ordinarily
his own portfolio will not require much of his time or energy, he must
maintain as close a watch as may be over the affairs of every one of
the departments in which his appointees have been placed. The prime
minister, is, furthermore, the link between the cabinet and, on the
one hand, the crown, and, on the other, Parliament. On behalf of the
cabinet he advises with the sovereign, communicating information
respecting ministerial acts and synopses of the daily debates in
Parliament. In the house of which he is a member he represents (p. 074)
the cabinet as a whole, makes such statements as are necessary
relative to general aspects of the government's policy, and speaks, as
a rule, upon every general or important projected piece of
legislation. As a matter of both theory and historical fact, the
premier who belongs to the House of Commons is more advantageously
situated than one who sits in the Lords.[101]

[Footnote 99: In a statute fixing the order of
precedence of public dignitaries. The premier's
position, however, was defined by a royal warrant
of December, 1905.]

[Footnote 100: The resignation of the premier
terminates _ipso facto_ the life of the ministry.
An excellent illustration of the accustomed
subordination of individual differences of opinion
to the interests of cabinet solidarity is afforded
by some remarks made by Mr. Asquith, December 4,
1911, to a deputation of the National League for
Opposing Woman Suffrage. The deputation had called
to protest against the Government's announced
purpose to attach a suffrage amendment (if carried
in the House of Commons) to a forthcoming measure
of franchise reform. The Premier explained that he
was, and always had been, of the opinion that "the
grant of the parliamentary franchise to women in
this country would be a political mistake of a very
grievous kind." "So far," he continued, "we are in
complete harmony with one another. On the other
hand, I am, as you know,