CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



very complicated, have since 1848 been greatly 

 modified in the democratic direction, and made 

 considerably more to resemble that of Great 

 Britain, in its later form. 



British Constitution. In the constitution of 

 this country we possess the most perfect example 

 of a developed constitution of the Teutonic or 

 Germanic type. The legislature, as is well known, 

 consists of an hereditary sovereign (king or queen, 

 as the case may be), an hereditary House of Lords, 

 and an elected House of Commons. Previous to 

 the Revolution of 1688, the sovereigns had as- 

 sumed the prerogative of ruling by a divine, or in- 

 herent and indestructible, right. This unfortunate 

 innovation on the old Teutonic or Germanic order 

 of ideas was carried to so great an extent by the 

 Stuart kings as to produce a violent reaction. 

 This tendency resulted in the temporary establish- 

 ment of the Commonwealth, or Republic, which, 

 like most other republics in great countries, 

 speedily degenerated into a despotism, in the 

 person of the so-called Protector, Oliver Crom- 

 well. Another reaction, ending in the restoration 

 of the exiled royal family, was the consequence ; 

 and as they were no wiser after their return than 

 before their banishment, we seemed at this period 

 of our history in great danger of falling into the 

 unsettled state of political life from which France 

 and Spain have suffered and still suffer so much. 

 The ultimate revolution, however, accomplished by 

 William III. a Dutchman by birth, but the nephew 

 and son-in-law of the exiled monarch, James II. 

 was completely successful ; partly, in consequence 

 of the wisdom and moderation of that prince ; but 

 mainly because, on the whole, the Settlement, as 

 it was called, was a return to the ancient con- 

 stitution of England. According to the Revolu- 

 tion Settlement, the sovereign rules by a kind of 

 bargain with the people. At his accession and 

 coronation, he takes an oath to rule in terms of 

 certain constitutional obligations ; and by employ- 

 ing a ministry on whom the sole responsibility 

 rests, he is presumed to take no part in public 

 affairs, and is not held answerable for conse- 

 quences. This is not merely a device for limit- 

 ing the royal prerogative, but a remnant of the 

 old mythical belief in royal infallibility, embodied 

 in the phrase, ' The king can do no wrong.' As 

 the ministry are amenable to the votes of the 

 Houses of Parliament, they require to act in 

 harmony with the wishes of the nation. 



A Parliament is the term used to express the 

 collective body of King, Lords, and Commons. 

 The king, however, appears only by his ministers, 

 and usually appends his signature to bills separ- 

 ately from the parliamentary business. By being 

 composed of hereditary legislators, who are re- 

 moved beyond the influence of popular clamour, 

 the House of Lords is understood to impart a 

 certain stability to the constitution. Between 1688 

 and the present time, two constitutional changes 

 of considerable importance have been made, the 

 one in 1832, the other in 1867-8. By the first, 

 the Reform Bill of 1832, the English county con- 

 stituencies were increased from 52 to 82; but in 

 Scotland and Ireland the county representation 

 remained as before. In England, 56 boroughs, 

 containing a population, in 1831, of less than 2000 

 each, and returning together 1 1 1 members, were 

 totally disfranchised ; while 30 other boroughs, 

 containing a population of less than 4000 each, 



42 



were reduced to sending one member to parlia- 

 ment, instead of two. These boroughs, for the 

 most part, had fallen off either in relative or in 

 absolute population. On the other hand, 22 new 

 boroughs, containing 25,000 inhabitants, received 

 the privilege of returning two members ; and 20 

 other new boroughs, containing each 12,000 inhab- 

 itants and upwards, that of returning one member. 

 In Scotland, the town members were increased 

 from 15 to 23, so that the number of represent- 

 atives became 8 more than the number assigned 

 to Scotland at the Union. As regards electoral 

 qualifications, which were greatly reduced, the 

 following were the provisions : In counties, an 

 elector must be possessed of property in per- 

 petuity or liferent to the value of 10 yearly, or 

 lands held at a yearly rent of ^50. In cities or 

 boroughs, he must be proprietor of a house or 

 shop valued, along with the land attached to it r 

 at 10 yearly and upwards ; or must occupy 

 premises for which he pays a rent of at least 10 

 per annum. 



In 1867-8 the changes were scarcely less 

 momentous, though the measure was not called 

 for by the same amount of popular excitement, or 

 hailed with the same enthusiasm as the act of 

 1832. The most important provisions of this act, as- 

 regards England, are the clauses which establish 

 household suffrage in boroughs, and the occu- 

 pation franchise in counties. Clause 3 enacts 

 that 'every man shall be entitled to be regis- 

 tered as a voter ; and, when registered, to vote 

 for a member or members to serve in parliament 

 for a borough, who is qualified as follows : I. Is 

 of full age, and not subject to any legal incapacity. 



2. Is on the last day of July in any year, and has 

 during the whole of the preceding twelve calendar 

 months, been an inhabitant occupier, as owner or 

 tenant, of any dwelling-house within the borough. 



3. Has during the time of such occupation been 

 rated as an ordinary occupier in respect of the 

 premises so occupied by him within the borough 

 of all rates made for the relief of the poor in re- 

 spect of such premises. 4. Has before the 2oth day 

 of July in the same year bond fide paid an equal 

 amount in the pound to that payable by other 

 ordinary occupiers in respect of all poor-rates that 

 have become payable by him in respect of the said 

 premises up to the preceding 5th day of January, 

 and which have been demanded of him in manner 

 hereinafter mentioned ; or as a lodger has occu- 

 pied in the same borough separately, and as sole 

 tenant for the twelve months preceding the last 

 day of July in any year, the same lodgings, such 

 lodgings being part of one and the same dwelling- 

 house, and of a clear yearly value, if let unfur- 

 nished, of ;io or upwards ; and has resided in 

 such lodgings during the twelve months imme- 

 diately preceding the last day of July, and claimed 

 to be registered as a voter at the next ensuing 

 registration of voters : provided that no man shall, 

 under this section, be entitled to be registered as 

 a voter by reason of his being a joint-occupier ot 

 any dwelling-house.' The county clause (4) is this : 

 'Every man shall be entitled to be registered as a 

 voter, and when registered, to vote for a member 

 or members to serve in parliament for a county, 

 who is qualified as follows : i. Is of full age, and 



! not subject to any legal incapacity ; and who shall 

 ! be seised at law or in equity of any lands or tene- 

 I ments or copyhold or any other tenure whatever, 



