$2£^ THE GOVERNMENT OF ENGLAND. 



is the possession of a freehold of the value of forty shillings 

 per annum or upwards. The right of election in boroughs 

 is various, depending upon the charters or immemorial usage 

 of each place, or upon decisions made by committees ap- 

 pointed by the house of commons. "There is nothing in 

 the British constitution so remarkable," says Paley, " as the 

 irregularity of the popular representation. If my estate be 

 situated in one county of the kingdom, I possess the ten 

 thousandth part of a single representative ; if in another, 

 the thousandth ; if in a particular district, I may be one in 

 twenty who choose two representatives ; if in a still more 

 favoured spot, I may enjoy the right of appointing two my- 

 self To describe the staie of national representation as it 

 exists, in reality, it may be affirmed, I believe with truth, 

 that about one half of the house of commons obtain their 

 seats by the election of the people, the other half by pur- 

 chase, or by the nomination of single proprietors of great 

 estates." He acknowledges this to be a flagrant incongrui- 

 ty in the constitution ; but he doubts whether any new 

 scheme of representation would collect together more wis- 

 dom, or produce firmer integrity. The house of commons 

 enjoys the privilege of a negative upon all the laws which 

 may be proposed for its consideration, and exercises the 

 right of originating all bills, which levy money upon the 

 subject by way of taxes or assessments. The English regard 

 this as the principal safeguard of their liberties, and the 

 main barrier against the inordinate increase of the power of 

 the crown, for the commons can at any time check measures 

 of folly or guilt, by withholding the supplies, and without 

 money the strength of the executive is paralyzed. The king, 

 however, is invested with a power to dissolve the parliament, 

 and thus, by submitting their conduct to the revision of their 

 constituents, to appeal against them to the nation at lar^O. 



Questions. — 1. How is the government of England formed? 2. 

 What is the import of the oath which the king lakes at his coronation? 

 3. What are some of the prerogatives of the king? 4. Describe the 

 house of peers. 5. House of commons ? 6. What are the remarks 

 of Paley respecting the house of commons ? 7. What do tho English 

 legard as the principal safeguard of their liberties ? 



