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prived of that beneficial influence in the legislation, and was 

 made liable to carry into effect laws rapidly passed against its 

 interest by an excited multitude, at the instigation of a turbu- 

 lent, selfish, or blinded leader. I cannot point out now the 

 gross errors and criminal selfishness, by which the Eoman 

 aristocracy provoked resistance and made themselves unworthy 

 of an abused power. I can only say, tliat the Senate was by 

 several successive enactments (the last of which was the Hor- 

 tensian law, in the year 287 B.C.,) deprived of all influence in 

 the legislation so far, that a bill proposed by a tribune to the 

 people in the forum, and passed, acquired force of law even 

 without the assent of the Senate. Thus, a number of men, 

 individually of the greatest influence in the state, from their 

 noble birth, great hereditary wealth and liigh stations, and 

 forming the most powerful body in the state, men united by 

 mutual sympathy and interest, were debarred from exercising 

 their influence legally and peacefully. That they resorted to 

 fraud or violence was a matter of course ; the Eoman republic 

 was rent asunder into two conflicting parties, and in their 

 contest perished. The wise provision in the English constitu- 

 tion, which allows the executive a fair share in the legislation, 

 renders such a catastrophe impossible. There is as yet neither 

 overgrown preponderance on any side, and no struggle for 

 pre-eminence which can endanger the state. 



To sum up, in conclusion, the result of our hasty compari- 

 son, we should say that the Eoman Senate in its constitution 

 and outward appearance offers a great many points of resem- 

 blance to the British Parliament ; being a select body of men, 

 chosen from the wealthiest and noblest families of the state, 

 essentially aristocratic, promoted into the Senate, though in- 

 directly, by popular choice. It exercised an influence equal at 

 least to that of the English Parliament, but in a different di- 

 rection, being all powerful in the executive, and only of second 

 rate or non-constitutional influence in the enactment of laws. 



