THE LIBRARY. l2l 



assemble the Cortes in any place which seems to him 

 convenient. For the promulgation of a law there is 

 requisite the perfect agreement of the co-legislative bodies 

 and the sanction of the King. A law once promulgated, 

 its arrangements cannot be altered excepting by another 

 law enacted by the Cortes; but the Government may 

 explain, and secure the operation of it, by means of 

 Regulations. 



' In general terms it may be said that there pertain to 

 law all the arrangements which effect directly the govern- 

 ment of the State ; those which create or annul established 

 rights ; those which interpret or substantially alter other 

 existing laws : the general arrangements in regard to 

 taxes, and the public service, or the maintenance of the 

 army and navy, which ought to be voted annually. 



' The laws ought to embody in a concrete form, and to 

 establish rules. The Regulations ought to explain the 

 application to be made of the same ; and special Instruc- 

 tions of Service, special details required in the execution of 

 the Regulations in any case, and to determinate cases of 

 which they treat. 



1 There is nothing more difficult or more important in 

 practice than to determine how far the Precepts of a law 

 ought to extend ; at what point the arrangements in the 

 Regulations ought to begin to operate ; and what are the 

 details which ought to be entrusted to the Instructions of 

 Service. Hitherto, so great has been the want of agreement 

 on these points, that the greater part of the laws 

 may be frustrated, or made of no avail in practice, by 

 comprising in the law what ought to have been left to the 

 discretionary flexibility of regulations, and by including 

 in regulations what can only be pointed out in an instruc- 

 tion of service. 



' The Executive power, as its designation denotes, is 

 that which is charged with the execution of the laws, and 

 with the direction of the government of the State. 



' The King exercises this power, which is called Govern- 



