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business to criticize all the measures introduced by
Government, and the details of its administration.
It happens very often that the party in power loses
the confidence of the nation, or cannot command a
majority in the House, in which case the ministry
resigns, and the leading member of the opposition
 is usually called upon to form a new
government,

It is to be noted that the party-struggle above
described, and the defeats of the Government, go
on in the House of Lords as well as in the House
of Commons. There are always members of the
Government in both Houses. As, however, there
is far less business in the House of Lords than in
the House of Commons, and as popular passion is
less heated, most of the great party contests take
place in the House of Commons; and, since the
majority of the members of the House of Lords
is always ¢ Conservative,” a Liberal Government
does not necessarily resign on account of defeats
or votes of censure in that House.

The task of selecting a member who shall be
asked, on a resignation, to form a government is
the most important part of the Queen’s personal
work at the present day, though it has long been
the constitutional practice to resort, first, to the
most prominent member of the party which is in
opposition to the retiring Government. The members
 of the retiring Government continue to hold
office till their successors are actually appointed.