St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-07-05
7 IWW IN' 7 0n-I'-ATIOHhII~T-
The British Constitution.
El CHARLES tAIEHA\k>.

Frequent allu>iOn l. made i'll polltI-
cal writings and discussions to the
.Briti>h Constitution and it would he
very natural for citizens of the | nlird
States to infer that reference l. thereby
made To Il formal document answering
in character to the Constitution of their
own country. There i. however. no
such document. no condensed formula
uI >v>tcnl of rules known a> the British
Constitution. The term i used in Il
broad >cn>r. and has quite a> indefinite
Il meaning aS uur term 1.-THE common
law" According to one author: The
constitution of Il country i~ the c>tah-
li>hcd system under which its govern
mrnt is conducted" 1t i> defined 10y
Palcy tn he $50 much of irS law aS re-
latcS To the designation and power of
the legislature the rights and functions
of the several parts of the Legislative
body the construction. office. and ,lu
rI>diction of courts of justice.
1t i possible. nevertheless, I" bring
together from various sources some of
the maNiml> and rules which are accept
ed 10y British statesmen a> guiding
principles: and 10y glancing at the ori
gin and growth of these principles. it
may not hc difficult to see and To ac-
count for the shape which the govern
mrut "t the present day has assumed.
This will hr done ~ >ummarilN a. pos
~ihlr
The origin of the British Constitution
dates i;ir back into the realms nt trtdi
ti"m and the, early history of England
i surrounded 10y Il general oh>cluitN
which COnCtIl> from u> much that We
.Ln,,IL h,. .,I.,J tn I,,,u Th, inL,Iit-
ant. ,,,.,,. ,,,J,. and h,,I.,.u,s and ,>-
rn-.J -. tI,, v,,. tn tr.uurut iu,,-
Sims md tIun,,r ,tt,, iutu confusion,
h, 2. ,II;,un,. of iuI,lS. tL,N ua\,. little
h,,d tn ntti,i.I 81. historical r,rurd>
and h,,. consequently left = very in
distinct i,I,.. nf th, manner in ~ vLirL
tI,,i, ,,,',,,,,.,, u,u ,..mri.J am I,
!. .r,ii,..,,,I, ,,.n lr,,n Lon,.,.,,
,I,,, L,,,;,,', H., ,i.,..,,,. - ,I., I,,,,
t.,,.In th,..,,.,. ,f tI,.i,. ,.hi.tt.,iu. ~
.,iI,.J .,,,J i, -,,,,,,. i..,,r... ,,,,,tr,II,.I
Il, .,..,mIJ.,,,.. ,,t, tLr n,n,I, uLi..I
ma, I,. ,.,,,-;I.,,L tI,,. ,tr,ti,,,, ,,,,i,,t ,t
tI,. u,rIi.,r,,nts uf th,. ur,.s,.,1 d,,
These :s>,uhI,r,.> whose puvrrs
v,r, ,,,, limited and i'll defined N.r,
Lu,yu urd,,. ,..,,.in,,> ,,.,,,,,.s. IN S.>ni,
ash. y;,L,,I E,o,,t,. 81. I,,,,,t -lL,E,,, .
,L. u;,L.,,J -,,.,J 80, ,.,.,t T,,,,.,.J
and ria. U.,tt.n,, ,,,o,ut. -, U,,Lu,,,t
ill., u.,, ,t,.., H.. .,.,,.,Ii.I,t;',,, -
th,. .,.,rn L;mmL,n. ;ntn mLi,.L tI,
,,,,,..,t,., ,,.,,, If En,I.u,d v.,. ,r,., i,u-I,
I;,iJ..J ,L.. i,uit.,J rn,m,,.iI =, ,.,II,.,I
i, I.,,i,, II,,,,,,,u,. I,,,,,;I;,,,u p,,,,; tI,,
E,n,u,,,u ,,,uncJ nf tLr E;n,nJnn, mi,
,.u,u,n which Was r,uunS,J ,f th.
rriuriunI men of th. kinydnm nrcL-
hi>hop., hishnpS. carls. the greater bar
ous. and the lesser b.Ious made. and
altered tb, laws of th, land and en-
tmr.d th.u ,rtinr ~ =, ,n,,,t ,t iIstic,
II ais, ;,,n,,.d III, t.,>,s ami -n,r.-
fines .nnnint,L tL. kin~'s minister,
II u,.t tIr,,. tim,s :, Year ,il. ,t
Christmas. Easter. and Whi;,uutidr.
Shurtl, oft,r th. Norman Cnuuu,st
tL,. E.u,{,tJ x,,<t,o, .t tI,,t finn. il, fnr,.,
1hrnurhout = GREAT rn,tinn nf Furuu,
m',. ;I7tr,,Ju,..J ;,,t., E,,,rI.,,,L l., Nh
E.nm tL, Cnnnu,rn, VIM J;,;j.d tL.
rmnnt,> intn IN onn ,i.f. -, r.t,t.s and
.,nn,,ti,n,d th,u, .unnuy his unI,I,.s and
,iim,.;,.I .,Lh.,nnt. nI r,mJi,inn nf
tLri, r,.md,.,in,r milit,r, s.r>ir. to tb,.