Political economy Author:Chambers W. and R. ltd Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: It has a sovereign invested with a veto in law-making which it might be dangerous to exercise : it has a House of Lords assuinedly superior to the House of Commo... more »ns, and which never resists for any long time the wishes of a decided majority in that lower assembly : its House of Commons is professedly democratical, and yet is composed mainly of the aristocracy. It becomes evident that such a system only works well by reason of a general feeling of mutual forbearance, and a veneration which only time can create in favour of any institutions. Of course, in applying the plan in a new country, these important elements would be wanting, and a good result would be utterly problematical. When these things are considered, it will be readily understood how men and nations differ so much in their opinions as to which is the best kind or form of government. 83. It fully appears from history, that there is a progress in political affairs, though liable to interruptions from various causes. As morality and intelligence advance in a state, there is evidently a tendency to limit monarchical and extend representative authority. Government becomes less selfish, and the general interest is at least professedly consulted. It must of course depend on many accidents whether this progress is to go on smoothly or not; but one thing is very evident, that we have no instance on record of such a progress being rapid. It is also very certain, that there will be no public virtue under a representative system, without a basis of private virtue in the citizens : the latter must perform their duty as electors in a pure spirit of regard for the general good, before they can expect their representatives to act in the same spirit. 84. It cannot be sufficiently impressed on all men, that they have a duty in thi...« less