The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-09
CONVENTION FOR GREAT BRITAIN.
An Experience of Forty Years Ago
Recalled by the Home Rule Bill.

1t is forty years or more since I re-
ceived visit in Worcester, Mass, from
a young Englishman who has since
risen to high distinction. He was glad
to hear me talk on American politics,
and L enlightened him as L could.
Among other things L told him he
must stay in Albany long enough to see
the convention which was remaking the
constitution of the state Of New York.
And l said he would be interested in
seeing in session at the same time the
legislature OF New York carrying on
its business under the old constitution
at the same time when the convention
was making another. l said that if the
French had understood our system and
had separate convention to make the
constitution, with separate parliament
to govern France. they would have done
better, for this was not long after their
revolution of 1S4S.
My friend looked at me with surprise
and said that what l proposed was inn
possible. He said that one of the two
bodies must be superior in authority to
the other. The other then would refuse
to act or would act merely to register
the decree Of a higher power.
So began all over again, as you do
with such people, and explained again
that the business of making a constitu-
ton is one thing, the business of gov
eTning a state or nation is another. You
iAAA6lb Go NtlA SOY mat hAlAG SOu hNAC
sailing a ship the seamen should occu-
py their leisure in making a steam en-
CINE for her as to say that legislative
body fit for one business should turn to
making a constitution, which is quite
another business.
In fact there is a sort of risk in let
ting the legislature making constitu-
ton, for if it has that power another
legislature can unmake it, and then
nothing is really constituted.
My friend listened to me with the
courtesy Of an English gentlemen, and
then with the solidity or stolidity, which
they sometimes show, he said: What
you propose is impossible. One body
must have control over the other" And
so L bade him goodby-on one of the
hottest days of this century. And he
took the train to Albany to see the next
day, as l suppose, the constitutional con-
vention and the legislature of New York
sitting and working in the same city at
the same time-to see his impossibility
made possible.
1 have never seen him again, except
i'll his seat in the house OF commons,
being in mine in the gallery.
L do not know if he is In the house of
commons now, or indeed if he is living.
If he is, / wonder II he ever ''harks
back to that day In Albany, for the
house of commons is working at that
same well nigh impossible undertaking,
so often, and which America never at
tempts-that is, the house of commons
is trying to be a constitutional conven-
ton. The regular legislation Of Great
Britain is neglected because the house
is revising the constitution. And the
revision OF the constitution nmps and
is hindered because the house is trying
to carry on legislation at the same time.
Now, constitution making is one thing,
and legislation is another.
In this matter Of home rule Great
Britain is fond OF studying American
experience and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ex-
perience and other federal experiments.
Why will they not try our habit Of
calling a constitutional convention"
which shall have nothing to decide but
the change in the constitution? In
three months time, according TO Mr..
Gladstone. our federal convention struck
off a constitution involving more politi-
cal wisdom than any other work of the
same time. Why will not Great Britain
do a like thing in three other months?
The house OF lords will refuse TO pass
the present home rule bill The way is
then open for an act of parliament which
shall call a constitutional convention to
act on that subject and on no other.
This convention can meet In the recess
Of parliament. Men will be willing to
sit in it who would or could not be
chosen TO parliament. Jurists will sit
there close students of politics, and
men of affairs quite outside of political
lines would sit in it. Party lines would
govern the choice Of delegates in part,
but not exclusively. Noblemen and
eommoners would sit in the same house.
And it is quite within the possibilities
that such a constitutional convention
would make plan for home rule which
would satisfy England and Scotland
and Wales and Ireland.-Edward Ever
EFT Hale in N. Y. Recorder.