Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-02
dispute what . King may do in the plsnitude

Of his power
These arbitrary principles Charles the First
inherited from his father, although he did not
express them in the same extravagant Ian
guage He was as tyrannical as his father,
and a. strongly impressed with the saoredness
Of his prerogative but his dominant vice was
insincerity; there was secret reservation In
his promises; and, as none could trust his word,
the only safe course was an appeal 70 arms.
The landed aristooracy led this movement,
which Cromwell took out Of their hands, and
the political revolution was sealed with the
blood of royalty. On the death of the Protect
or, the aristocratio movement was renewed,
and, as we have seen, the terms and conditions
Of the Restoration were the abolition Of the
feudal dues. This was decided triumph Of
landlordism. The new tax the excise snbsti-
tuted as an equivalent was submitted TO by
the people with little if any remonstrance, for
the opposition it received came from the true
patriots Of the House Of Commons. The PEG.
pie, in fact, knew nothing Of the real elements
Of liberty They had felt the iron hand Of the
austere Cromwell, and were charmed at the
return Of q gay court, and . youthful and dis
solute prince, whom, in their folly, they styled
the Merry Monarch pensioner on Louis
the Fourteenth, who supplied him with mis-
tresses. But national pride was at length
reused by the sale Of Dunkirk to France, which
had been seized and retained by the Protector,
and from that hour Charles the Second en-
countered hostile people The aristocracy
again put themselves on the oifensive, consol-
idated the habeas, corpus act, which, though ex-
isting had been doubtf1lly interpreted, and thus
guaranteed personal liberty. They further de-
olared the standing army and the Kings guards
illegal. They passed the Test Act, to exclude the
Duke of York from the throne, suspecting him,
and justly so, Of being Roman Catholic.
These were rigorous measures, the more to be
admired, considering the age in which they
were carried; and the spirit that animated
their promoters never slumbered till it had ex.
PEELED the house of Stuart In all these events
the aristocracy were foremost; the middle
classes followed, but did not lead; the people
had no influence on politics
We have seen that the Convention Parlia-
ment of 1860 destroyed the feudal monarchy
the Convention Parliament Of 1883 proclaimed
that monarchy was not hereditary, but elect
i've; and from that hour down to the Reform
Bill of Earl Grey, in 1882, the Government of
England tended towards an oligarchy in prGc-
tice, while in theory it professed to be Gov
eminent Of King, Lords and Commons
When James the Second fed from England,
the House Of Peers was the only legislative
body in action or existence, for the House Of
Commons had been dissolved. William Of
Nassau, Prince of Orange, was advised to sum-
mon Parliament by circular letters, but he
declined to act on 50 imperfect an authority
He adopted the following plan: Out Of men,
bers who had had seats in the House of Com
mons during the reign Of Charles the Second,
with the addition of the mayor, aldermen, and
fifty of the common council of London, he CON-
vened an assembly, and, with their sanction,
wrote to-the counties and corporations Of Eng.
land to call together new Parliament. Il
met, and decided that James had abdicated
the throne, and that it was vacant; but il did
more than this-it declared itself competent to
gil up the vacancy, and thus changed an he
reditary into an elective monarchy. Il may
here be noted a. curious fact that William
was appointed King by bare majority Of two
votes-the exact majority which abolished the
court of wards, and established the excise the
minority wished to confer on the Prince mere
The Bill of Rights was one of the first enact
ments Of this reign. Il contained the following
provisions: The King cannot suspend the laws
Or their execution, without the consent of Par
lament He is not allowed to create an eccle-
siastical court, or any new tribunal. Every
impost not granted by Parliament is illegal as
Is every army raised without its sanction.
Subjects have . right to present petitions to
the King. Protestants may keep arms for their
own defence. Elections ought to be free, and
speeches delivered in Parliament can only be
Judged by its members. In high treason the
Jury must be members Of corporation. Par
liaments are to be held frequently. As this
last clause was vague, the Triennial Act was
passed, by virtue Of which men,
bers Of Parliament were declared incapable Of
sitting for more than three years, in order that
they might be more dependent on their con.
stituents.
So far the revolution Of 1858 was carried
out in wise and national spirit for which
the Aristocracy deserve high credit but here
the praise must cease. Other circumstances
arose, in which they acted selfish, exclusive,
and illiberal part, clearly showing that, after
having imposed limitations on the arbitrary
exercise of the prerogative they sought TO ar
rogate to themselves the class privileges Of an
oligarchy.
William was q Calvinist and wishing 10
render justice 10 those Of his own cause, rec.
in q speech to Parliament, the ne
cessity Of admitting oil Protestants indscrimi-
nately into the public service. This liberal
policy was rejected with vehemence, the parti-
sans Of the Church Of England objecting that
Dissenters were a. much TO DO dreaded as Pc.
pists. An attempt 10 repeal the Test Act,
passed in the reign Of Charles II, was equally
and clause was inserted 10 the
oath, that the King should main.
tain the Protestant religion, as " established by
law Thus it happened that the uniformity Of
was rendered as indisputably or
thodox as the infallibility Of Rome. The cause
Of Church Of Englandism was energetically
in the House of Peers, we fear not
from pure but from interested motives. The
case stood thus: When the property of the |
Church was confscated at the reformation, the |
plumber was transferred to laymen, who got !
possession Of abbey and priory lands, and the
controversy under the Stuarts was most mater.
ally affected by that fact; for, had Popery been
re-estsblshed, those estates would have been /
restored TO the Church. The confs-
cation had also given 10 laymen appropriated
titles and the right of presentation "a church /