T H E T E ! T - B O O K T H E C O N S T I T U I T O N . M GN C R ’ ON OF R G A A HA TA , THE PETITI I HT S , A ND THE BILL OF RIGHT S . S R L N S ND S N R S N WITH HI TO ICA COMME T , A REMARK O THE P E E T POLITICAL EMERGENCIES . E B Y E. S. C R A Y S M A . , . , B A B E I S I‘ ‘ E R -A P' L A W PR FE S S R O F HI ST R Y I N U N I V E R S I TY C LLE G E L N D N ; O O O O , O O ; ’ L A I' ‘ I F ELL W P N LLE E E O K I G S C G C A M B R ID G . O O , fifin M a na C harta th e Pe i ionof Ri h ts and th e Bil l o f Ri h s f orm th e cod e hi h I g , t t g , g t , w c call ” th e Bib l e of th e Enl i sh Co s i ution —L BD H THA g n t t . O C A M . —o L O N D O N R C R N Y R NG ON R I HA D BE TLE , BU LI T ST EET , auhtfs m' in(Brittan ' i b y to 3921 majesty . 18 4 8 . [Price Half - w OrownJ LON D ON B I A D B B Y A N D V A N PR I N T R S WHI TI PB IA B I . U E S . E , THE - TE! T BOOK OF THE C ONSTITUTION. H T R b e o of the e o of or a e W A E V E may th ught xecuti n this w k, I h v o of c re so f ar re ar little fear of the chief p orti n it being ensu d, as g ds the a e to arr e or and to ce e ore d esign . An tt mpt ange in a simpl f m, pla b f th u c ina f ew ea cce e a e the rea r c e of our e p bli , sily a ssibl p g s, g t p in ipl s o o - to ro e r t to r e e r e e o C nstituti n, p ve th i antiqui y, illust at th i d v l pment, to o out e r r a e —W r m e e the and p int th i endu ing v lu , ill su ely, in ti s lik r e not b e co r e ea e the r e r of p es nt, dis u ag d as blam bl ; and, in st ange d a th re e re on - or o c r b e ally us ful t atises this all imp tant t pi , it will ha dly slighted as superfluous . I am aware that I assume a more questionable and difficult function rocee to co er ol ca e re o now b e e in p ding nsid what p iti l m asu s sh uld tak n, or er a our o onm a e e e ore a in d th t C nstituti y xt nd its b nefits m mply, and 3 more s ecurely f or the future - But this branch of the subj ect is m a e co ec the o er f or the m ear e o inti t ly nn ted with th ; , sa e n st and l ng continue d studies which teach the historical inquirer to b elieve in and e era e the re r c e of the o o o a v n t g at p in ipl s English C nstituti n, als displ y to the or of or l law of ro re a c o er of him w kings its n ma p g ss, its pl sti p w e - am e ora o and e a o ro c a o e we m a hO e to s lf li ti n xp nsi n, th ugh whi h l n y p see e e c e of the re e of the co m e e not the xig n i s p s nt and ming ti suppli d, o t o a er b ut o a ec r to the m e nly wi h ut d ng , with additi n l s u ity funda ntal o of a e instituti ns g s past . It is in the fi rst place necessary to have a clear idea of what we mean h ” t e or o o al . For ere are f ew er our by w d C nstituti n , th t ms in language more laxly employed than this word and its converse in party o ca c p liti l dis ussion . And so very vague are the ideas which many e er of the o o e the O o of nt tain English C nstituti n , that wh n pp nent a p arti cul ar measure or a particul ar system of policy cries out that it is co o a e eral t un nstituti n l, it g n ly means little more than that he matter so e o ce om e c d n un d is s thing whi h the speaker dislikes . the er ce e of l and cc ra e e o o Still, t m is sus ptibl fu l a u t xplanati n, th ugh it may not b e easy to set it lucidl y forth without first investigating the arc aeo o of our or ra er ore ee m a a h l gy hist y, th m d ply than y suit h sty er er c a er re of talk s and sup fi i l think s, but with no greater expenditu time and labour than every mem ber of a great and free state ought a to e o or er a he m a r c re e and a re gl dly b st w, in d th t y ightly omp h nd pp c a e the o and the a in c and b c he e and i t p lity l ws whi h, y whi h liv s, o e and has his c m v s, ivic being . 2 WHAT IS THE CONSTITUTION ! o e r o aco the c o e of the a ce r S m fu i us J bins, at l s l st ntu y, u sed to c am o r a ere was no c as the n o l u th t th su h thing E glish C nstitution, because it could not b e produced in full written form like that of the e a e or e o e c e e a Unit d St t s, lik th s with whi h Si y s cr mmed the pigeon o e of rea to the ar a e of the r h l s his bu u, suit v ying ph s s fi st years of the - Fre c R o o . as the r e of o m n h ev luti n And, t ad C nstitution ongering is ai r on the o e er a om e who see a ag n th iving C ntin nt, p h ps s th t other nations are providing themselves with ful l written formulas of s ocial and o ca r roce e all the ara er a of ar c p liti l ights and p ss s, in p ph nali ti le, ec o e and ro o e n a co s ti n, supplem nt p vis , whil E gl nd is ntent with her old a e - oo and old ra o a o er m e a - m a n st tut b k, t diti n l g v n nt and l ws y thi k ” that the term English C onstitution means n othing b eyond the no m eaning of designating the actual state of things in the country at the ar c ar o e e the ra e e ic of co r p ti ul m m nt wh n ph s is us d, and wh h, u se, is “ a e to ar the ar o r li bl v y with v ying h u . or er to ee e e c ere no occa o to re or t In d m t th s avils, th is si n s t o the ra e o m a of r e a our a ce or the Re o o of 16 st ng d g Bu k , th t n st s, at v luti n 88, o n and had a r to o e e e and e r o e b u d, ight bind, b th th ms lv s th i p st rity to p erp etual adherence to the exact order of things thencstab lished ; nor need we rely solely onthe eulogie s which foreign as well as native r er a r ear a o e to e o our em of o r w it s, hund ed y s g , us d h ap up n syst g ve n a e r c w e e not er t e .