East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-11-15
ruE BR1TfsH aovERNMENT.
How Constituted.
rowrns or PARLIAMENT.

ctn s19aHGeTgI si--- ieh lo so.
rtsf. From the New York Tribune.
The supreme legislative power 0
tho British empire is by its Constitu
ton given TO Parliament. "The powe
and Jurisdiction of Parliament" +" say
Sir Edward Coke, ''is so transcenden
and absolute that it cannot be confne,
either for causes or persons, within an,
bounds. And, repeating the words
Sir VIM. Blackstone adds, that it j
"tho place where that absolute des
potic power which must in all govern
ments reside somewhere, is intruste,
by the Constitution of these kingdoms
The sovereign is not only the head
but also tho beginning and the end :
cnput, prfncipiuD,, 60 .Js''is-- Of Parlia
ment; he alone can summon Parlia
ment; and no Parliament, save on tn,
demise Of sovereign, can assembl,
of its own accord. Parliament is sum
moned by writ of the sovereign
issued out of Chancery, by advice o
the privy council, at least thirty-fv,
days previous to its assembling. If &
new PARLIAMENT is TO be elected, The
chancellor sends his warrant to the
clerk of the crown in Chancery, tho
latter issues writs to the sheriff tc
procure the election Of "knights and
'burgesses." On vacancy occurring
while Parliament is sitting, writ TO,
the election OF a new member is issued
after motion in the House. If q
vacancy occur during tho prorogation
and it be occasioned by death, the writ
is issued at the instance Of the Speaker
BY 3 Edw. III. II, it was enacted;
at is accorded that Parliament shall
be holden every year once or more,
often if need be-" Also by 36 Edw.
III. G. 10, it was directed, "that a
Parliament be holden every year il
need be-" BY l6 Chas. l. C. /. it was
enacted, that if the King neglected to
call a Parliament every three years,
the chancellor or keeper of the great
seal might issue writs for summoning
the peers, and for the election of the
commons; that if tho chancellor or
keeper should neglect to do it, any
twelve of the peers might summon
the Parliament; that if the peers
should neglect TO issue the necessary
summons the sheriff Is OF the counties
and other magistrates respectively
might proceed to the election; and
should they refuse them, that the free
holders Of each county might elect
their members, and that the members
SO chosen should be obliged, under
severe penalties, to attend. This act
was deemed such an invasion of the
prerogative, that it was repealed on
the Restoration by 16 Chas. IL. C. /.
But the latter act contaius provision
intermittod for above three years, at
the most. BY /. VIII. and Mary, sec.
.. c. 2. it was enacted, "that Parlia-
ment shall be holden frequently."-
As, however, the Mutiny Act and the
Budget are only granted for year,
the Crown, since the Revolution, is
compelled to summon a Parliament
annually.
PROPAGATION AND DISSOLUTION.
It has become customary of late for
Parliaments to meet in annual session,
extending over the first six months OF
the year. Every session must end
with propagation, and 10y it all bills
which have not been brought to a con-
clusion fall to the ground. Both
Houses of Legislature must be pro-
rogued at the same time; but before
this can be done, one bill at least must
have become an "Act of Parliament"
The prorogation takes place either by
the sovereign in person, or by COM
mission from the crown, or by procla-
nation. The Lower House appears
at the bar, and if the sovereign be not
present, the Speaker reports upon the
labors of tho session; the royal assent
is then given to bill of tho closing
session, and speech from the sover-
eign is read; thereupon tho Chancellor
prorogues the Parliament TO a certain
day. Parliament resumes business
however, as soon as it is summoned
by a royal proclamation on certain
day, which may be Mt a date earlier
than the original date Of the proroga-
ton appointed. Should the term of
prorogation elapse, and no proclama-
ton be issued, Parliament cannot as
semble Of its own accord. The royal
proclamation which summons Parlia-
ment in order TO proceed TO business
must be issued fourteen days before
the time of meeting.
A dissolution is tho civil death of
Parliament; it may occur by the will
of tho sovereign, expressed in person
or by commissioners, and even, as in
1906, during the "rccess' 10y procla-
nation or by lapse of time. Formerly,
ON tho demise of tho sovereign, Par
lament was dissolved ipso facto, but
tho calling of now Parliament inn
mediately on the Inauguration of the
successor being found inconvenient, it
was enacted by the statutes Z and 8
Will. III. c. Is, 6 Anne, C. Z, and 81
Geo. III. C. l27, that tho Parliament
in being shall continue for six months
after the demise Of any king or queen,
unless sooner prorogued or dissolved
by the successor; that if, at the time
of tho demise, the Parliament be adj
journed or prorogued, il shall imme-
diately assemble; that, in tho case of
the demise of the sovereign between
the dissolution of Parliament and the
day appointed by the writs of sum-
mons for the meeting of new one,
the hast preceding Parliament shall
Immediately convene for six months,
unless sooner prorogued or dissolved
by tho successor and that in the event
Of the sovcreigns demise, on or after
the day appointed for the assembling
of the new Parliament it shall in like
manner convene for six months, unless
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