, 1865-06-30

ceSSlty OF the Emperor to carry through.
On the other hand a fettered or fictitious
representative body would simply dlmin-
ish the responsibility which is the best
guarantee for the fair exercise OF a ne
ceSsary dictatorship, and the Emperor in
rejecting that device has brought himself
face to face with his people. The dele
CATION of such powers is, however, a diff
ferent matter, aud the statute, while or
dalning that projects shall be governed
by the laws, expressly e~ntrusts the En-
peror with The power of raging out spe-
cial commissioner invested with all the
powers which he may choose to cOnfide
to their hands. These Instruments will
require to be narrowly watched, for they,
unlike the Emperor, are not responsible
either to a nation or to the public opin-
ion of an Order, while they cannot have
that freedom from class or local interests
which an Emperor from the very nature
of his position can hardly lose. They
will be safraps without that prrmanence
in Office which is the best check upon
capriciOuS OF violent exercise Of great Of
fetal power.
Nevertheless the people are not left
without franchises, the idea of the EN-
peror being obviously that so far as he
can he Will terminate every oppression
except his own. The projects of dis
%trlcts, for instance, are to be aided by
councils, consisting of the Chief Judge,
the highest revenue officer, a landed pro-
prietor, a merchant, and either a miner
or a manufacturer, with power of advice
and OF remonStrance, though without direct
authority. Under them are the mayors,
assisted by municipalities directly elect
ed by the people, renewed every two
years, and invested with the sole right
except when otherwise directed by an
Imperial law-of imposing municipal
taxes and sanctioning municipal eXpendl-
ture. Military officers are specially for
hidden to exercise any authority over the
civil authorities, or to give any orders
whatever except during the continuance
in any locality Of the state OF siege, and
one-thlrd Of the Constitution is taken up
with what are called individual guaran-
tees. The Emperor promises to his sub
jects-who, by the way, include all for
eigners who may purchase land-"qaaIi-
ty before the law, personal security, Sc
curity of property, religious freedom, aud
"the liberty of publishing their opinions"
Nobody is to be arrested except under a
warrant signed and sealed by competent
authority, and when 50 arrested must be
examined before a Judge within three
days, must be informed Of the charge
against him, Of the name of his accuser,
and Of all evidence necessary for his de-
fence. Property cannot be taken, even
for State purposes, without previous
compensation forced labour is abolished
except in the cases provided for by law,
such as sentences for crime slavery is
prohibited, every inhabitant of Mexico
being free by that title alone j; and the
confscation of goods is forbidden as a
punishment "for ever"
Judged by the European standard this
is of course a most imperfect Constitu-
ton, there being absolutely no guarantee
for the maintenance of any Of these PRIV
iIpges, the Emperor being untettered
either by an Assembly with the right of
refusing the taxes, or a bureaucracy ir-
removable except for crime. S%upposing
q project in a distant province to violate the
law, there are no means of furnishing him