Milford chronicle., 1893-08-11
An Experience Of Forty Years Ago Re-.
called by the Home Rule BILL

An Experience Of Forty Years Ago Re-
called by the Home nule BILL
II is 40 years OF more since I received o
visit in Worcester Mass. from a young
Englishman who has since risen TO highdis-
tinction lie was glad 10 hear me talk on
American politics, and I enlightened linn as
/ could
4 Among other things told him Ne must
stay in Albany long enough to see the cons
vention which was remaking the cmstitu-
! tion Of the state of New York And ] ilid
/ he would he interested in seeing In session
at the same time the legislature Of New
York, carrying on lis business under fhe
Old constitution at the same time when the
convention was making another. said
that if the French had understood our sys-
ITEM and had a separate convention 10 make
the constitution, with a separate parlia-
ment to govern France. they would have
done better, for this was not long after their
revolution Of lS4s.
Ny friend looked at me with surprise and
said that what I proposed was impossible.
He said thnt one Of the two bodies must ha
superior in authority to the other The
other then would either refuse to act or
would act merely TO register the decree Of a
higher power
such people, and explained again chat the
business Of making "A constitution is one
thing, the business of governing a state or
nation is another You might as well say
that while you were sailing q ship the sea
men should occupy their leisure ia making
a steam engine for her as 20 say chat a leg
islative body ft for one business should
turn to making a constitution. which is
quite another business
In fact, there is a sort of risk ia letting the
legislature makea constitution, 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 saidi ''What you propose IS im-
possible. One body must have control over
the other" And SO bade him go0dby-on
one of the hottest days Of this century. And
he took the train to Albany to see the next
day, as / 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
have never seen him again, except in
his seat in the house Of commons ] being
in mine in the gallery.
A0 AAbA hAWN "a AAN A1 AZ liAl Aa4taaA AA NNlAA-
mons now, or indeed if he is living II he Is.
in Albany. for the house of commons is work
ing at that same well nigh impossible under
taking, which has brought France such mis-
cry so often, and which America never at
is, the house Of commons is
trying to be a constitutional convention.
The regular legislation Of Great Britain is
neglected because the house is revising the
And the revision Of the con
limps aud 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 oil studying American experience
and Hungarian-Austrian experience and
other federal experiments Why viii they
not try our habit Of callinga Constitution
al convention, which shall have nothing
to decide but the change in the constltu-
ton? In three months time, according to
Mr.. setladstone, our federal convention
stru. . Of constitution involving more
pQlik. 2, Nsdom than any other work Of
the same ti7AA. Why will not Great Brit
ain do a like thilie three other monthss
The house of lords - refuse 20 pass the
present home rule bin tlyay Is t1sp
open for an act Of parliamenS - 1sss.si
call a constitutional convention -
that subject and on no other. This eonven-
tion can meet in the recess Of parliament
It's work will not in any way interfere with
that Of parliament. Men viii be willing to
sit in it who would not or could not be
chosen to parliament Jurists viii sit there,
close students of politics, and men Of af-
fairs quite outside Of political lines would
iit in it, Party lines would govern the
,hoice Of delegates ia part, but not exclu-
lively. Noblemen and commoners would
it in the same house
And it is quite within the possibilities
hat such constitutional convention Z
would make a plan for home rule whieS-2Ss
would satisfy England and Scotland arr1 I
Wales and n ~ yegett Ha<,