‘and Philosophical Societies. a5 
scarcely be practicable to speak of those pertaining 
to one class without, at the same time, touching on 
observations, referring immediately to those of the 
other. Perspicuity however seems to require that 
the benefits of the latter class should be stated in the 
first place. And if that circumstance were insuffi- 
cient to turn the balance, I know not whether the 
weight of the claim arising from superiority in point 
of importance might not also be thrown into the 
same scale. ; 
Writers, who have discussed the merits of the 
several parts of the British constitution, have not 
scrupled, when describing the advantages which the 
existence and the powers of the two houses of 
parliament diffuse over the community, to rank the 
following very high among the number: namely, 
that by the admission of men respectively eminent 
in different lines and professions into each of these 
branches of the legislature, and by the importance, 
the animation, and the publicity of the parliamen- 
tary debates, a useful and manly direction is given 
to the public mind; the attention of the higher and 
middle ranks of society is continually invited to ra- 
tional and interesting objects; and topics connected 
with political science and the general welfare are 
rendered familiar and attractive to multitudes, who | 
have no prospect or expectation of ever being raised 
to the dignity of peerage, or enrolled among the po- 
pular representatives, Reasoning similar to this in 
