登陆注册
4705400000038

第38章

On the House of Commons above all, possessed as it is of the public purse, and consequently of the public sword, the nation throws all the blame of an ill-conducted war, of a blundering negotiation, of a disgraceful treaty, of an embarrassing commercial crisis. The delays of the Court of Chancery, the misconduct of a judge at Van Diemen's Land, any thing, in short, which in any part of the administration any person feels as a grievance, is attributed to the tyranny, or at least to the negligence, of that all-powerful body. Private individuals pester it with their wrongs and claims. A merchant appeals to it from the Courts of Rio Janeiro or St. Petersburg. A historical painter complains to it that his department of art finds no encouragement. Anciently the Parliament resembled a member of opposition, from whom no places are expected, who is not expected to confer favours and propose measures, but merely to watch and censure, and who may, therefore, unless he is grossly injudicious, be popular with the great body of the community. The Parliament now resembles the same person put into office, surrounded by petitioners whom twenty times his patronage would not satisfy, stunned with complaints, buried in memorials, compelled by the duties of his station to bring forward measures similar to those which he was formerly accustomed to observe and to check, and perpetually encountered by objections similar to those which it was formerly his business to raise.

Perhaps it may be laid down as a general rule that a legislative assembly, not constituted on democratical principles, cannot be popular long after it ceases to be weak. Its zeal for what the people, rightly or wrongly, conceive to be their interests, its sympathy with their mutable and violent passions, are merely the effects of the particular circumstances in which it is placed. As long as it depends for existence on the public favour, it will employ all the means in its power to conciliate that favour.

While this is the case, defects in its constitution are of little consequence. But, as the close union of such a body with the nation is the effect of an identity of interests not essential but accidental, it is in some measure dissolved from the time at which the danger which produced it ceases to exist.

Hence, before the Revolution, the question of Parliamentary reform was of very little importance. The friends of liberty had no very ardent wish for reform. The strongest Tories saw no objections to it. It is remarkable that Clarendon loudly applauds the changes which Cromwell introduced, changes far stronger than the Whigs of the present day would in general approve. There is no reason to think, however, that the reform effected by Cromwell made any great difference in the conduct of the Parliament. Indeed, if the House of Commons had, during the reign of Charles the Second, been elected by universal suffrage, or if all the seats had been put up to sale, as in the French Parliaments, it would, we suspect, have acted very much as it did. We know how strongly the Parliament of Paris exerted itself in favour of the people on many important occasions; and the reason is evident. Though it did not emanate from the people, its whole consequence depended on the support of the people.

From the time of the Revolution the House of Commons has been gradually becoming what it now is, a great council of state, containing many members chosen freely by the people, and many others anxious to acquire the favour of the people; but, on the whole, aristocratical in its temper and interest. It is very far from being an illiberal and stupid oligarchy; but it is equally far from being an express image of the general feeling. It is influenced by the opinion of the people, and influenced powerfully, but slowly and circuitously. Instead of outrunning the public mind, as before the Revolution it frequently did, it now follows with slow steps and at a wide distance. It is therefore necessarily unpopular; and the more so because the good which it produces is much less evident to common perception than the evil which it inflicts. It bears the blame of all the mischief which is done, or supposed to be done, by its authority or by its connivance. It doe not get the credit, on the other hand, of having prevented those innumerable abuses which do not exist solely because the House of Commons exists.

同类推荐
  • 送覃二判官

    送覃二判官

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一髻文殊师利童子陀罗尼念诵仪轨

    一髻文殊师利童子陀罗尼念诵仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 遂昌杂录

    遂昌杂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严经决疑论

    华严经决疑论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说满愿子经

    佛说满愿子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 炮灰逆袭日常

    炮灰逆袭日常

    【新书】快穿之女主不吃苦已发求支持 hold住渣男,斗得过小三。打得过流氓,干得出事业。你的人生,我来拯救。拯救炮灰于水火的唐柠正式上线。 *无限穿越,完成炮灰心愿* 【食用指南】 1、不知道什么属性精分女主 2、本文属性:非无cp. 白!苏!雷!本文充斥各种狗血修罗场,非常狗血! 3、大部分反派性格异常 4、建议跳过金钱抽奖系统,写崩了
  • 阴杀之女

    阴杀之女

    她本是武林盟主的掌上明珠,慧黠可人,在寻找离奇失踪的恩师的途中奇遇"未婚夫",但紧接着,骷髅人的袭击,幽冥谷的奇遇,以及灭门惨案接踵而至。颠沛流离的她挣扎三饕酒楼,被困花满楼,残喘乞丐堆,遭遇变态医魔……遭遇把她炼成女魔头。那个令她魂牵梦萦的假未婚夫再度出现,是情人还是敌人?神秘恩师重出江湖,是亲人还是仇人?得知灭门惨案的元凶竟然是自己,这一生都如提线木偶般操纵在别人的手里的她该何去何从?
  • 乱世猎人(9)

    乱世猎人(9)

    他来自山野林间,他是一个普通的猎人,但却有着一位极具传奇性的父亲!他无意名扬天下,他不爱江山只爱美人,但时势却将他造就成一段武林的神话!他无意争霸天下,但他为了拯救天下苍生于水火,而成为乱世中最可怕的战士!他就是——蔡风!北魏末年,一位自幼与兽为伍的少年,凭着武功与智慧崛起于江湖,他虽无志于天下,却被乱世的激流一次次推向生死的边缘,从而也使他深明乱世的真谛——狩猎与被猎。
  • 活死人联盟

    活死人联盟

    一次次的不死与重生,一次次的生死与离别。所有一切的磨难与挫折,不过是为了生存下来。在末世里活下去,成为最强的勇者。看似无厘头,看似不可能,一切的一切都惺惺相惜。持续关注本书,里面有你意想不到的事情。
  • 大理寺少卿的宠物生涯

    大理寺少卿的宠物生涯

    别人穿越都是吃香喝辣,为嘛她穿越却要整天吃死老鼠?别人穿越后身边都有美男相伴,为嘛她却要变成傲娇男的药引?浑身上下都被他摸遍了不说,最主要的是他需要的药引居然长在她的关键部位上……大哥,能不能打个商量,伦家好歹也是一只娇小呆萌宇宙无敌的小香狸,你怎么能对伦家做出这种禽兽不如的事情来!泥们都闪开,让喵静一静。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 佛说信解智力经

    佛说信解智力经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苍老之前,请你爱我

    苍老之前,请你爱我

    在这个世界上,工作那么容易失去,住所那么容易失去,食物那么容易失去,朋友那么容易失去……那么,你可不可以,在我被这世间繁琐弄得心神疲惫之前,就爱上我?我不要很大的房子,不要很多的包包,也不要朋友的羡慕……让我们拥抱、接吻,像相濡以沫的鱼。让我们一起携手老去,不放另一个人在这水泥森林里孤单寂寞地变老……我们拉钩,好不好?
  • 绝色医妃逆天下

    绝色医妃逆天下

    三年前,她为他负尽天下,大婚之夜,却得到他与贴身丫鬟的锥心背叛。“宫九歌,我想要的,不过是你背后的冰宫罢了。”武功被废,容颜被毁,此时她方知曾经种种不过是他精心布下的棋局罢了。“赫连沁华,我若不死,它日必将让天下人尽负于你。”抬头看着那个曾让她负尽天下的男子,宫九歌冷冷一笑,转身毫不犹豫的跳入万狼之谷。三年后,狼谷逃生的她变身鬼医残九,潋滟芳华,震惊天下。再度重逢,他求而不得,便设计陷害,让她成为人人得而诛之的乱世妖女“歌儿,既然他们对你不仁,我便陪你一起负尽天下,可好?”当天下人都辱她、嫌她、弃她,唯他愿倾尽所有,只为给她一世安稳。乱世沉浮,强强相对,谁才是她命中真正的劫?
  • 高分作文不是梦:跟着名师

    高分作文不是梦:跟着名师

    《小草老师教你写作文》系列图书是作文培训辅导名师小草老师和全国苏教版小学语文课堂教学大赛特等奖获得者王宏玉老师共同编写,专门针对小学中高年级学生的作文指导书。全套书共分四册。本册书是一本关于作文小窍门的书,也是一本关于寻找写作快乐的书。书中记载了小草老师辅导孩子写作文的一个个故事。在故事里,一个又一个孩子被小草老师从“山重水复疑无路”的困境中带到了“柳暗花明又一村”的美丽世界中。
  • 重生之变成兽爹

    重生之变成兽爹

    “我不喜欢麻烦,相对于解决麻烦,我更倾向于,去解决给我制造麻烦的人。”——万兽宗兽子-养狗大师-秦兽。