LEGISLATIVE PEERS. 123 



which have preserved their ancient division by orders, and the 

 legislative body of which, denominated, in general, States, is com- 

 posed of three and sometimes of four Chambers, as in Sweden. 

 2ndly. Those in which the ancient assembly of States has been trans- 

 formed into one single representative body, as in Spain under the 

 Cortes, and likewise in Portugal. And 3dly. Those which are com- 

 posed of two chambers. It is the latter that will fix our attention, 

 and we shall, in the first place, establish a division that will throw 

 much light upon the question. 1st. We shall consider in their turn 

 the governments of those countries where aristocracy still exists; 

 and 2ndly. Those where it has entirely disappeared. In the first it 

 will be found, that the hereditary principle is consecrated by the 

 constitution in favour of the members of the upper chamber, while 

 in the latter, they are appointed either for life or for a definite period, 

 varying according to their several constitutions. France, under the 

 restoration, was an exception to this rule, since with a nobility 

 simply titular, the Chamber of Peers was hereditary. Poland again, 

 where a real aristocracy is represented by a senate, the members of 

 which are appointed for life, is another exception in the inverse 

 sense. 



In the first class of states, by the political law of which the aristo- 

 cratic principle is consecrated, may be ranked England, Hungary, 

 Bavaria, Wurtemberg, the Grand Duchy of Baden, and that of 

 Hesse Darmstadt : in the second class, France, Norway, Sweden, 

 Poland, Holland, Belgium, and all the states of the new continent, 

 from the surface of which every aristocratic institution has been 

 radically abolished. 



In the ancient constitution of Hungary, the Diet is divided into 

 two chambers ; the first of which bears the title of Chamber of 

 Magnates, and is composed of princes, counts, barons, and arch- 

 bishops of the Greek and Catholic Churches. The second is also 

 nothing more than an aristocratic corps, being composed of the de- 

 puties of the nobility of the second order, the inferior clergy, and 

 the royal towns. The dignity of magnate is hereditary the king 

 may confer it upon every Hungarian noble. The feudal system is 

 still so rigorously maintained, that the nobles are exempt from all 

 taxation, and pay but voluntary subsidies, and enjoy the right of 

 seigneurial jurisdiction over their vassals. We need add nothing 

 further, than that in the Hungarian acceptation of the word, 

 " populus" means the nobility. 



Four Germanic states, the respective constitutions of which pre- 

 sent, by their civil organization, a great affinity to each other, will 

 next occupy our attention. 



In Bavaria, by the constitution of 1818, the assembly of states of 

 the kingdom consists of two chambers the Chamber of Sena- 

 tors and that of Deputies. The former is composed of the princes of 

 the royal family of the officers of the crown of the high dignitaries 

 of the clergy the heads of the ancient families of princes and counts 

 of the German Empire, (this dignity being for the last-mentioned 

 class hereditary as long as they shall remain in possession of their 



