Home life in Hellas, Greece and the Greeks - eBooks4Greeks.gr

PUBLIC LIFE 277government acted as a corrective, and neither evilis so accentuated at present, though both exist.Under the Constitution of 1864, the King ofthe Hellenes appoints the Prime Minister andchooses the members of the Cabinet, and he haspower to dismiss them. He can also prorogue orsuspend Parliament. On the other hand, no actof the King is valid unless countersigned by aMinister, who thereby renders himself responsible.When the reign of King George comes to beviewed in the cold light of history, the verdict ofposterity will be that he accomplished a very difficulttask wisely and with consummate patience. Hewas seventeen when called, mainly through theinfluence of the British Cabinet to occupy a thronefor which he had then probably no particular inclination.The Greeks had set their hearts uponanother ruler. Prince Alfred, then a midshipmanin the Royal Navy, had been chosen by anenormous majority, 230,016 votes out of a totalof 241,202. This was ratified by the NationalAssembly less than a month before the election ofthe young Prince of Denmark, who had receivedsix votes in the same plebiscite. Prince Alfredwas ineligible by the terms of a treaty previouslyentered into by England, France, and Russia,which contained a provision that no member ofthe reigning houses of those Powers should sit onthe Hellenic throne. There were, of course, otherreasons which rendered it inadvisable, but this wasa conclusive one.