Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-14
THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT.
How IL Is OOnsGIIuted-A Feeble
Representative of the People.

Captain MGyne Reid, in Neto York Tribune,
A man without money, or of only
moderate means, entering Parliament, is a
tning never thought OF. Such man never
thinks OF it himself, whatever his self
knowledge OF fitness or his ambition NAV
be; and no more however fit others NAV
deem him. Even the preliminary expenses
OF election are sufficiently deterrent: and
what must accrue after, whether elected or
rejecJed, will further Impoverish II not ruin
him. For poor man, therefore, aspiring
TO farllament, the cost makes it absolutely
prohibitiye, and the few such sent thither
and admirers have stood sponsors TO- them
by footing the bill
With the House of Commons composed
as 1t is, 1t were the veriest burlesaue to
speak OF 1t as a representative assembly. In
numbers 1t has enough and to spare but in
all else deficiency; and l venture the
affirmation that II the names of the first
thousand men met promenading the streets
OF London were written upon slips of paper.
thrown into hat, and 652 of them drawn
out again by blind lottery, they would be
found quite as fit legislators as the elect of
81 Stephens. Perhaps better fit, for allow
ing them only the fair average of honesty
and capacity, 1t is not likely there would he
as many numbskulls and political empires
among them; certainly there could not be
more.
in serious truth, the Parliament Of Eag-
land, as at present constituted, represents
not the English people in any Wav worth
their being represented. And Just for this
reason it is all but powerless, as the crown
Snd Its secret advisers thoroughly well
Know. Indeed, Its action is almost as myth
cal as it's imaginary representation. In
pro9 of this MANY events of daily occur
renee might be sdduced; but none better
dem0nttrating 1t than the vagaries Of the
late Lor0 Beaconsaeld who as Prime Minister
for matter of six years ruled the realm as
though PaAiament had been swept out of
existence. With the crown at his back. and
| nothing else, he declared wars and levied
armies to wage hem, ordered troops to be
transported from India to Malta and back
again; decreed an Invasion of Afghanistan
which, commencing with dishonor, ended
In disgrace; did the same In Southern
Africa with like resulle-all merely to
exalt himself and gratifv the vain
glory of the god Jingo-that malevo-
lent divinity too often presiding over the
destinies of England. All this murderous.
wasteful work was done without the au-
thoritY Of Parliament, or warning given to
It even so much as saying with your
leave" When done Parliament Was merely
asked to pay the bill, or rather demanded
| to do so, since it could not be well repu-
dated. The eXtravagant expenditure, how
ever, not yet paid nor fully audited, has cost
the nation some 44O, ,O00, 600, sacrifice that
| will bring retribution for the wrongs done,
| II not humiliation. And its baneful effects
will hang like milestone around England's
| neck for the next half century of her ex-
istence.
In point of fact, the Euglish Parliament.
even allowing 1t to be fair representation
OF the people, instead of a feeble one, is in
trusted with only portion Of the national
law making; large slice of it emanating
from privy council. In other words, direct
from the crown. This permanent authority
is endowed with all the three powers of gov
ernment-iudicial and executive as well as
legislative-and can issue DEGREES and edicts,
many Of them relating to most important
matters. They are supposed to need IN
dorsement by the Parliament before
becoming law; but there is a very loose con.
| struction put upon this leave, which is often
forestalled, and usually taken for granted
| The people, accusf omed to be ruled BY
somebody above them, never call those de-
| crees into question, but look upon them as
having ali the force of law. To them the
privy council is mysterious but potential
entity, of which they must not speak, or
| only with bated breath. If disposed to
complain Of its action, they know It to be
an Irresponsible power, far above and be-
yond the reach Of their voice.
AS q result OF bnls-lts natural and lOg1-
| cal seQuence-is the Indifference of the
English people to exercising the franchise
"a very apathy. For what interest can
man have in voting, with the conviction
that his vote is not worth the casting ?
For 1t is not worth casting in England, at
least as regards her Parliament and were
this dissolved tomorrow, and permanently,
| It would not be greatly missed.
| So / once more repeat my assertion, with
I he hot I ad - h.
| If ever there was a myth or misconception in
the world, it is that of England's having q
representative form of government. Nor
| fear l to add that one nearer the opposite
| could not well be contriVed or imagined
short of absolutism itself.