The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-04-25
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE FED
ERAL GOVERNMENT.
80. III.

after the King. The colony exist
ed with varying success until the
year 16l2, when there was such
general complaint made that James
the charter, doing away
with the council residing in Eng
land. In 1917 Yeardley was ap-
pointed Governor. lie found the
settlers divided into seven "planta-
tions," or settlements; these he in
creased to eleven, and in 1910 he
called together all assembly, COM
posed mainly of two representa-
tives from each plantation. This
assembly was called the House of
Bnrgesses, and was the first colonial
assembly that met in Virginia; aud
this was the first step to,cGrd a
republic, the credit of which is fire.
quently ascribed to the so called
"Pilgrim Fathers"
In 1920 the Plymouth colony,
known as the Pilgrim Fathers, while
yet on board the MayfioWer drew
up compact, under which q Gov
ernor and an assistant were elected
annually, while the supreme legis-
lative power resided in and was ex-
ercised by the whole body of the
male inhabitants, every freeman,
who was a member of the church,
being admitted to vote in all public
affairs. They continued to enact
all their laws in q public assembly
of the people till 1859, when, having
become too numerous for such pur.
pose, they chose representatives
who made their laws for them.
They continued to govern them
selves in this manner till 1851, when,
in common with all other New
England colonoies an arbitrary gov
eminent was established over them.
We have need, for a purpose
which will soon be evident, to men.
ton one more colony, viz: the
Massachusetts,. This was first form.
ed under q charter similar to the
others, but was soon after modified
SO that the government was admin
istered by governor and deputy
governor and eighteen assistants
elected out of the freemen of the
company. Full legislative author.
ity was given by the charter, but
the laws passed were not to be con
trary to the laws of England.
At this time we see that the gov
ernments of all the colonies were
similar, in that each had governor
a council which constituted the up,
per house of the legislature, and 4
lower house, the members of which
were elected by the people; anG
while it is evident that by far the
greater portion of the Legislative
| power was vested in q governor
and council, over whom the people
had no direct control, yet that they
were represented at all was ulti.
mately of great value. There were
| however, great differences in this
organizations of the colonies, sc
great that Biacl stone has divided
them into three asses, 4. e., The
Provincial, the Proprietary and thu
Charter governments. In the Pro-
vincial governments the King ap.
| pointed the governor, and gave him
his instructions and power. The
King also appointed the council
The governor had q veto OH all tho
acts of the legislature, and could
dissolve il st pleasure. All law
were subject TO ratification or dis
approval by the crown. "AlI rea
power was thus in the hands of the
King, or of those holding Office al
his pleasure" The Proprietary
government differed from the Pro
vincial in this, that persons who
held an individual charter from the
Crown sustained toward the gov
eminent of any colony they might
found, q relation similar to that
which the king held to the Provin
cial government. The Governor
was appointed by the proprietors
The Charter governments were
those whose form and powers were
defined by the charters granted by
the King. This charter held the
same place in the colonial govern
ment which q constitution does in q
State government. These charters
originally provided for no legisla'
tive body, but the people claiming
all the rights of Englishmen insist.
ed upon being represented. If
now, the reader will bear these dis.
tinctions in forms of government
in mind he will readily see thai
each provided the form of liberty
without the reality, and herein was
England's great mistake. She
thought the shadow of freedom
would be accepted as the substance
forgetting that by rendering the
people familiar with elections and
legislative proceedings, she was
every day fitting them more and
more for self government.
|