PAULI \MENT. 
The method of making laws is nearly 
the same in botli houses. In the House of 
Commons, in order to bring in the bill, if 
the relief sought be of a private nature, it 
is first necessary to prefer a petition, which 
must be presented by a member, and usu- 
ally set forth a grievance required to be 
remedied. This petition, when founded on 
facts of a disputable nature, is referred to 
a committee of members, who examine 
the matter alleged, and accordingly report 
it to the house; and then (or otherwise 
upon the mere petition), leave is given to 
bring in the bill. In public matters, the 
bill is brought in upon motion made to the 
house, without any petition. If tlie bill 
begin in the House of Lords, if of a pri- 
vate nature, it is referred to two judges, to 
make report. After the second reading, 
the bill is said to be committed, that is, 
referred to a committee, which is selected 
by the house, in matters of small import- 
ance ; or, upon a bill of consequence, the 
house resolves itself into a committee of the 
whole house : a committee of the whole 
house is composed of every member, and 
to form it the Speaker quits the chair and 
may consequently sit and debate upon 
tile merits of it as a private member, 
another n>ember being appointed chairman 
for the time. In these committees the 
bill is usually debated clause by clause, 
amendments made, and sometimes it is 
entirely new modelled. Upon the third 
reading, further amendments are some- 
times made, and if a new clause be added, 
it is done by tacking a separate piece of 
parchment on the bill, which is called a 
rider. The royal assent may be given two 
ways. 1. In person, when the King comes 
to the House of Peers, in his crown and 
royal robes, and sending for the Commons 
to the bar, the titles of all the bills that 
have passed both houses are read, and 
the King’s answer is declared by the clerk 
of the Parliament. If the King consent 
to a public bill, the clerk usually de- 
clares, le Roy le veut, the King wills it so 
to be ; if to a private bill, soil fait comme 
il est desire, be it as it is desired. If the 
King refuse his assent, it is in the gentle 
language of le Roy s'avisera, the King will 
advise upon it. When a bill of supply is 
passed, it is carried up and presented to 
the King by the Speaker of the House of 
Commons, and the royal assent is thus ex- 
pressed, le Roy remercie ses loyal svjets, ac- 
cepte Icur benevolence, et aiissi le veut, the 
King thanks his loyal subjects, accepts their 
benevolence, and also wills it so toie. By 
the statute 33 Henry VIII. c. 21, the King 
may give Ins assent by letters patent under 
his great seal, signed with his hand, and 
notified in his absence to both houses as- 
sembled together in the upper house. And 
when the bill has received the royal assent 
in either of these ways, it is then, and not 
before, a statute or act of parliament. 
An act of parliament thus made, is the 
exercise of the highest authority that this 
kingdom acknowledges upon the earth. It 
has power to bind every subject in the 
land, and the dominions thereunto belong- 
ing ; nay even the King himself if particu- 
larly named therein. And it cannot be al- 
tered, amended, dispensed with, suspended, 
or repealed, but in the same forms, and by 
the same authority of Parliament. 
Adjournment is no more than a continu- 
ance of the session from one day to another, 
as the word itself signifies ; and this is 
done by the authority of each house sepa- 
rately every day, or for a longer period ; but 
the adjournment of one house, is no ad- 
journment of the other. 
Prorogation, is the continuance of the 
Parliament from one sessions to another, as 
an adjournment is a continuation of the ses- 
sion from day to day. And this is done by 
the royal authority, expressed either by the 
Lord Chancellor, in his Majesty’s presence, 
or by commission from the crown, or fre- 
quently by proclamation ; and by this, both 
houses are prorogued at the same time ; it 
not being a prorogation of the House of 
Lords or Commons, but of the Parliament. 
The session is never understood to be at an 
end, until a prorogation ; though, unless 
some act be passed, or some judgment 
given in Parliament, it is, in truth, no ses- 
sion at all. 
A dissolution is the civil death of the Par- 
liament ; and this may be effected three 
ways ; 1. by the King’s will, expressed ei- 
ther in person or representation ; 2. by the 
demise of the crown ; 3. by length of 
time. By the King’s will ; for as the King 
hath the sole right of convening the Parlia- 
ment, so also it is a branch of the royal pre- 
rogative, that he may, whenever he pleases, 
prorogue, the Parliament for a time, or put 
a final period to its existence. 
By the demise of the crown ; a dissolution 
formerly happened immediately upon the 
death of the reigning sovereign ; but the 
calling a new Parliament immediately on 
the inauguration of the successor being 
found incoiivenient, and dangers being ap- 
prehended from having no Parliament in 
being, in case of a disputed succession ; it 
