The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-01

In the Great Parliament OF 1865. and English
men are indebted for 1t to Simon De Montfort,
who was q foreigner. but who even during his
lifetime more endeared himself to England
than any OF her sons. and who has left an i'm
perishable name in the constitutional history
Of his adopted country. The remarkable
feature OF tho Parliament of 1865 was the
representation OF the shires. cities. and bor-
oughs: each Sheriff received q writ ordering
him to return two knights from each shire: a
like addressed to the cities and
boroughs. ordered two representatives to be
sent from each Of them. and the barons Of the
Cirque Ports received a similar mandate.
The next important stage in the develop.
ment OF English Parliamentary institutions is
marked by the Parliament OF 1905. Tho per-
sons consisted Of eight earls.
forty-one barons. the two Archbishops and the
Bishops. sixty-seven abbots. the Masters OF
the Temple and OF Sendringham. the prior Of
the Hospital Of 81. John OF Jerusalem. the
Dean and Archdeacons OF the dioceses Of Can
terbury and York. one proctor from the chapel
Of each cathedral. two %proctors from the paro-
chial clergy OF each diocese. two knights from
each county. and two citizens or burGesses
from each city or borough in every shire. In
this assembly historians have discerned all
the component parts OF d model Parliament. for
every section OF the population possessing po-
litical rights was represented here either in
person or by proxy. 1T was from me that he
learnet It," Earl Simon had cried. as he
recognized the military skill shown by Prince
Edward In the onset at Evesham; and his spirit
might have uttered tho same exclamation as he
saw Prince edward. now become King. gather
ing at last two burgesses from every city. bor-
ough. and leading town within the realm to
sit side by side with knights and mobiles In the
Great Council The fabric OF England's repre-
sentative Constitution was at length COM
pleted. and the Great Council OF the past be-
came the Parliament OF the future. Each OF
the three estates now began to take part in
the grant Of supplies and in the work OF legis-
lation. 1t Is. however. to DO noted thai,
although the word Parliament is OF frequent
occurrence In the statutes from 1875. the first
mention OF the Commons is met with in 1904.
or nine years later than the actual constitu-
ton OF Parliament rs 1t does actually exist.
In the year 1904 there was recorded a procla-
nation Of the King. In which he thanks not
only the Archbishop 8. Bishops. earls. barons.
&C.. but also the knights Of the counties. citi-
zens. and burgesses. and other people who
had come to that Parliament. They who be-
lieve that the peoples representatives in legis-
latures should be paid will be interested to
learn that on this. the very first Official men
ton Of the Commons. the royal proclamation
goes on to direct that the knights. citizens.
and burgesses shall receive drefS dapoir iou
deSpensesen lOT p~ais-orders for the payment
OF their expenses by their constituencies. For
a long time this is n regular entry in one form
or other at the end Of every session
This model Parliament Of Edward /. unQues-
tionably forms an epoch in the constitutional
history OF England. Although the materials
were ready for the Kings hands. to him must be
attributed the regular and practical constitu-
tion OF the English Parliament as It has since
| existed In Its sGliant features. He accepted