The sovereign rules for life, and appoints the Prime Minister and the
Cabinet officers, who remain in office as long as they can manage the
affairs of state properly. The Parliament or Congress is composed of two
Houses, like ours, but the Upper House, which resembles our Senate, is
composed of peers (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons) who
are not elected, but have their seat in the Upper House by right of
birth. Added to these are the Bishops and Churchmen of high degree, and,
in some countries, certain distinguished persons appointed by the
sovereign.

The members of the Lower House are elected, as our Congressmen are. In
Spain they are elected for five years, in England they lose their seats
every time the Ministry changes.

As we have said, the Prime Minister only keeps his office while he can
control affairs. When he finds that the Parliament will no longer uphold
the plans and wishes of the Ministry, he goes to his sovereign, resigns
his office, and a new Minister is appointed.

This is just what has been happening in Spain.

The people, displeased at the way the Cuban affairs were being managed,
complained of the Government, and at the same time demanded that General
Weyler should be recalled from the island.

At first the murmurs were not heeded, but they grew louder, until
finally the people demanded that the Duke of Tetuan, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, should be removed, for they supposed it was his fault
that their requests were not granted.