The British Constitution - National Assembly

1 Di?R1T!FvH111uiOr'.'',..' 'THEBRITISHCONSTITUTIONBYTHELATEAMOSDEAN , , "HistoryofCivilization,""CommercialLaw," , ' ,1883, ,Printerant> ,ithastraveledthroughitscentu- riesofexperience,onlytocontinuallyadd_,s trengthtoitsfoundations,beautytoitspro-t pportions,harmonyintheactionofitsdiffere nt"*forces, ? , ,standingoutinallitscolossalproportions, andrealizethatatleastthirtygenerationsof menhavebeenthearchitectsthathaverearedit upward, ,withoutbeingdeeplyimpressedwiththegreat truth,thaialltime-lastingstructurescanex istandl>eperpetuatedonlythroughthosepowe rsandenemieswhicharecommontotherace, ,oronegeneration,aremadegoodbytheexcesso fpowerdevelopedthroughanotherorothers,so that, , , ,.. , ,-- ,theAnglo-Saxoninstitutions, ,includingthesuccessivestepsorstagesbywh ichthetwohousesattainedtheirpoliticalpow er, ' ,theywereessentiallymodified,andnewoneso riginatedinconsequenceofthepeculiarposi- tionunderwhichtheirdominionwasestablishe d, ,theBritons,andthatfactnodoubtcreatednew , , , ,whoAverefreemen, ,whoformedthenobilityorgentry,"theformer hav-ingreferencetobirth, , , , ,*whichhaditsreeveorelectivechiefofficer ,andalsofourgoodandlawfulmen, , ,whichwassubordinatetothehundredcourt,an dalsototheshire,moot, , , ,heldmonthly,andsubordinatetotheshireorc ountycourts,whichwereheldonceayear,andwe represidedoverbyabishoporearl.

2 * , ,bywhicheverymanwasboundtobeenrolledinso metything, ,mutuallyresponsibleforeachothers'goodco nduct." , ,however, , ,also, ,thosenecessaryforthepurposesofmunicipal govern-ment,attheheadofwhomwastheirborou ghreeve,whopresidedovertheirlocalcourts, , , ,theconstitutionsintheseveralstatescompo singtheheptarchy,andsubsequentlyintheuni tedkingdom, , ,andacoronationandacceptancebythepeoplen ecessary.*Whencrownedandreceived,hewasth enationalexecutive, ;wasthecenterandsourceofalljuris-prudenc e;thechiefofthenation'sarmies;!theheadof itslandedproperty; ,ifnotanterior,andhiselector,wasthewiten agemote,thegreat*Broughamm, 'sAnglo-Saxons,in, ,whocon-venedtogetheronthesummonsoftheki ng, ,orwisemen,consistedofnobles,holdingland ,thesuperiorthanes,arch-bishops,bishops, abbotsandpriors,andmilites, , ,derivingitsstrengthfromtheindividualpow erofitsmembers, , ,composedthecounciloftheking, ;sometimesdeposedhimformisconduct;formed thesupremecourtofjusticeincivilandcrimin alcases;andad-visedthekingonquestionsofw arorpeace.

3 ,andabodyofnobles,someofwhomweredis-ting uishedbytheirbirth, ,akindoffeudalaristoc-racy,inwhichthewho lepoliticalpowerwassharedbetweenthesover eignandthenobles,clericalandlay.*Thethir destate,thecom-mons, ,foreigninitsnature, ;thesecond,theAnglo-Saxon;thethird,theDa ne;andthefourth, , ,the Brougham,m, ,whiletheSaxonwasthemostimportantandthem ostlasting;andtheNorman,thenextinorder, , , ,theirfirstduke,hadcon-quered,andobtaine dbytreaty,thisprovince, ,thenewinfluencesunderwhichtheywerebroug ht, ," ,systemandlaw, ,adiscernmentofthenecessityofsocialunion andmutualself-sacrifice,* ,pride,statecraft,mercilesscruelty,andac oarsecon-temptfortheindustry,rights,andf eelingsofallwhomtheyconsideredthelowercl assesofmankind."Theinstitutionsofcontine ntalEurope,tooktheirshape,intheoutset,fr omtheconquestoftheRomanprovincesbythehor desofwander-ingbarbarians;thesettlementi nthoseprov-inces;thenewcircumstancesunde rwhichtheywereplaced;thenewrelationsaris ingbetweentheconquerorsandtheconquered; , ,55.

4 * , ! , ,analogousmannersandlanguage, ,therefore,beasonthecontinent,ageneralan dpermanentabasementor* ,thepoliticalinstitutionsofthetwo,althou ghnotidentical,wereextremelyanalo-gous.* , ,andone,too,theRomanCatholic,thateverywh erehadthesamehierarchy,thesameordersofcl ergy, Guizot, ; ,theyAveremoreonthesideofkings;inthelatt ertheyassumedaplaceamongthelandedaristoc racy, ,inthelatter, ,thateachpeoplehavinginstitutionsanalogo ustoeachother,andpressingthemforwardwith analmostequalenergy,theircoexistenceandc onflictwouldservetomodifyeachother, , , ;theestablishmentthereoftheconqueringNor mansoverthesubjectracewhichtheysubdued;t hepeculiarelementsoftheNormancharacter;a llcombinedtoperfectthat151* , ,havinghadhisbirth,educa-tion,andexperie nceasaruler,allwithintheoperationsofthis system, , , >ub-jectracesonthecontinentwereincapable ofmuchresistance,andtheiruprising,undero ppression, ,andthepreservationoftheirauthority, ,andrigorousenforcement,amongtheSaxonsof England, ,aftertheconquestandsettle-mentofthebarb arians, ,withallitsrigorsinEngland,weretwo- ,serf,orslave,originallymeantnearlythesa mething,although, ,termedvilleinsregard-ant,wereannexedtoc ertainlands,passingintothedominionofheir sorpurchasers, ,butatthecommencementofthethirteenthcent ury, *Thevilleinwassubjectedtothefollowing.

5 , ,imprisonment, , , , ,wheretheSaxonceorlsandtheSaxonthralls,o rslaves,werereducedtoaboutthesamelevel,w ebeholdagradualemancipationeffectedthrou ghthewise,strong,humane, ,borninvilleinage,beingnulliusfilius, , , , </. , , * ,andheforfeitedaswellthehindsofthesub-vassalasthoseofthevassalhimself, ,asidefromsomepeculiarlaws,customsandinstitutionsofbothSaxonsandNormans, ,butalongwithit, , ,boundtogetherbyasenseofcommon'Brougham, >danger,andconstitutingaltogetherapowerfu laristocracy, [towercenter-inginthecrown; ,atthisperiod, ,inapoliticalsense, , ,however,wasverymuchimpairedbythenewprov ision,justnoticed,madebytheCon-queror, ,viz.:thecharterofrightssuccessivelywres tedfromthekingbyhisprincipalbaronsIthasb eenwellremarkedbyGuizotthat"libertiesare nothinguntiltheyhavebecomerights,positiv erights,formallyrecognizedandconsecrated .]

6 "Rights,evenwhenrecognized, ,guarantiesarenothingsolongastheyarenotm aintainedbyforcesindependentofthem, ,surroundrightsbyguaranties,intrusttheke epingoftheseguarantiestoforcescapableofm aintainingthem,sucharethesuccessivesteps inthepro-gresstowardsafreegovernment.''T hisprogresswasexactlyrealizedinEn-Guizot ,HistoryRepresentativeGovernment, ;whenrightswerenearlyrecognized,guaranti esweresoughtforthem;andlastly, "Noinconsiderableaportionoftheright-,and guaranties,andevenforcesthatmaintainthem ,embracedintheBritishconstitution,havebe enwrungreluctantlyfromthemonarch;havebee nwrested,sometimes,notwithoutviolence, ,yettheformer,constitutingthegreatbodyof theEnglishpopulation,andstrug-glingtopre servetheirSaxonlaws, , , *'<THEBRITISHCONSTITl' , , , ,thesuccessorofHenryI,grantedtwocharters tohissubjects; ;andtheotherprom-isingtoreformtheabusesa ndexactionsofhissheriffs.

7 * ,ex-pressesnothingmorethanarecognitionof rights,containingnonewpromise, , ,anumberofthingscombinedtogethertoproduc earesult,oneofthemostmomentousanywherere corded.". ,thesonofanelderbrother,being Guizot,HistoryRepresentativeGovernment, <> , ,loathing, , ,andinsteadofmutualhostilityaunionisgrad uallyformingbetweenthem.</.Thei" ,bothcardinalandprimate,wasanEnglishman, havingEnglishsympathies, ,thepeople, , ,astheydemandedconcessionsfromtheking, ,sothatthefeudalfettersboundwithfarlesss everity.(/.ThecharacterofJohn,hisdissimu lation,rashnessandpusillanimity,histreac heryandweakness,allconspiredtorenderhimj usttheveryking,toallappearances, ,thepartiesfinallymetontheL9thJune,121." ). ,onthesouthbankoftheThames, ,magnacharta,thegreatcharterofEnglishrig hts,devotedalmostexclusivelytothesettlem entoftherights, ,*andthehigherandlowerclergy, ,withgreataccuracy,whathadbeen*Guizot,Re presentativeGovernment, ,mod-ifyingandmollifying,toagreatextent, ;itpro-videsthat,withCertaintrMingexcept ions,noeseuage, ,thusfurnishingthegermoftheprinciplethat notaxshallbeimposedwithouttheconsentofth osewhoaretaxed, ,withrespecttotheking, ,itisprovided:'-'-Nofreemanshallbearrest edorimprisoned,ordis-possessedofhistenem ent,oroutlawed,orex-iled,orinanywiseproc eededagainst;wewillnotplaceorcausetobepl aced,handsuponhim,unlessbythelegaljudgme ntofhispeers,orbythelawoftheland.

8 "Andbyarticleforty:"Justiceshallnotbesol d,refusedordelayedtoanyone." :istoalltheothercities,boroughs,townsand harbors, ,asfollows:,vWeshallcausetohesummonedthe archbishops,bishops,abbots,earls,andtheg reaterbaronsoftherealm, ,allotherswhoholdofusinchief, , ,ofleavingit,ofremainingthere,andoftrave lingtherebylandandbywater; , ,however,hadnowseensufficienttobesatisfi edthat,withoutadequateguaranties, ,viz:theelectionbythemoftwenty-fiveoutof theirownnumber,whoshouldbechargedtoexerc iseallvigilance,thattheprovisionsofthech artermaybecarriedintoeffect, :Incasetheenactmentsofthecharterwereviol atedbythekinginthesmallestparticular,*th eyshoulddenouncetheabuse,beforetheking, ,thenthebaronswerevestedwiththeright,for tydaysaftertheissuingofthesummons,topros ecutetheking, , ,thewantofconstitutionalforcestoenforce* Guizot,RepresentativeGovernment,315, , ,anditsquiet,peacefulproductionofeffects withoutaresorttothecalamitiesofwar, , ,andthebaronsexcommunicated.

9 , , 'ssuccessor,HenryIII, ,anewcharterwasgranted,correspondingmain lywiththatgrantedbyJohn, ,incasethekingshouldviolatehispromises, ,andinordertoobviatethesetheexpedientwas adoptedofappointingtwelveknightsineachco unty,whoshouldinquirewhat,accordingtoanc ientusages, ,oncoiningofage, ,andthesetonewconfirmationsofcharters, , ,grantedonthe14thMarch, ; , ,C^ ,itisclearthatthehighertriumphofpolitica lforcespeacefullyaccomplish-ingtheirresu ltsthroughtheconstitution, ,therefore, , ,hisrepresentativeinEngland,theprincereg ent,assembledaparliamentinOctober, ,withseveraladditions,wasdemanded,whicht heprinceregentgranted, ,thebaronsdemandedthat, , ,hefinallygrantedanewconfirm-ation, ,hefinallyconvokedaparliamentmMarch,1300 ,atwhichhecon-firmed,withoutanyrestricti ons,alltheconces-sionshehadalreadymade, ,*andthatthereshouldbeelectedineachcount ycourt,fromamongtheknightsofthecourt,thr eejustices,sworntoreceiveallcomplaintsof infractionsofthecharters, , Gulzot,RepresentativeGovernment, , ,datedJanuary.

10 ">,1305,thepontiffdeclaredthatalltheprom isesandconcessionsmadebyEdwardwereabro-g ated, >hullhe,foralongtime,keptsecret, , ,andtheearofthenationdrankintheother,unt ilapublicopinionbegantobeformed,beforewh ich,intheabsenceoflargestandingarmies, ,theconfirma-tionbyEdwardin1301, , " ,andbeenbythemmaintained,buttheyhaveconi cdownfromthethrone,throughtheagency,)of( ,physicalandmoral,fromthatwhichatoneperi od,concentratedallpoliticalpower, ,ifnotall,herconstitutionalfreedomandpow ertothesternintegrity,inflexiblepurposes , ,constitutes,intheworkingoftheconstituti on,thatelementofconservatism,strengthand stability,thataffordsthepromiseofperpetu alendurance.*Gulzot,RepresentativeGovern ment, 'sconstitutionalhistory,viz:theoriginand growthoftheEnglishpar-liament,includingt hesuccessivestepsorstagesbywhichthetwoho usesattainedtheirpoliticalpower, ,andthatallrightswerenothingmorethancon- cessionsfromprerogative?