172 THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. 



tirely from the object for which you were appointed, and 

 take us somewhere else. 



"Every body that is intrusted with power," continued 

 Lawrence, " is bound always to keep in mind the object, 

 and the limits of it. For example, if the Secretary of the 

 Navy, who has command of all the government ships, were 

 to fit out a squadron to convey a party of his private 

 friends on an excursion of pleasure up the Mediterranean, 

 he would entirely transgress the limits of his authority. 

 His power over the navy is given to him for a certain ex- 

 press purpose, namely, to serve the interests of the nation 

 in carrying into effect the policy and the measures deter- 

 mined upon by Congress, and his authority is bounded 

 strictly by these limits. If he were to attempt to use the 

 navy for any other purpose or in any other way, he would 

 be impeached and turned out of office. There is special 

 provision made for such cases by the government." 



" How ?" asked John. 



"If any public officer transgresses the limits of his pow- 

 er," said Lawrence, " the House of Representatives bring 

 the accusation against him, and the Senate try him. If he 

 is proved guilty, he is summarily ejected from office." 



" But there isn't any government in our case," said John. 



"Yes," rejoined Lawrence, "I'm the government that 

 is, I am the supreme authority in all this tour ; and if you 

 had decided to turn off from the route to Paris to go down 

 the Channel in order to visit the light-houses, I should have 

 impeached you and turned you out of office forthwith." 



John laughed aloud at this idea, and said that he almost 

 wished that he had done it for the sake of the fun of being 

 impeached and turned, out of office. 



"Besides," continued Lawrence, smiling a little, in sym- 

 pathy with John's amusement, " you want to know a good 

 deal more about lights and light-houses yet before you can 



