(ii.) Frederic, D. of York, Fredro. Mary, born April 25, 1776. Sophia, born

Bp. of Osnaburg, &c. born Aug. 16, 1763; died

William Frederic, Duke of
Gloucester (her cousin),

July 22, 1816; died

THE RISE AND PROGRESS

OF THE

ENGLISH CONSTITUTION.

B

THE INTRODUCTION.

Ir was the depravity of multitudes, as well as their mutual wants, which obliged men first to enter into societies, depart from their natural liberty, and subject themselves to government,-in fact, the bands of society are kept together by the hope of reward, and the fear of punishment.

By the constitution of a country is meant so much of its law, as relates to the designation and form of the legislature ; the rights and practices of the several parts of the legislative body; the construction, office, and jurisdiction, of courts of justice.

The constitution is one principal division, section, or title, of the code of public laws; distinguished from the rest only by the superior importance of the subject of which it treats: therefore the terms "constitutional" and "unconstitutional," mean legal and illegal.

Society pre

served by the

hope of reward, and fear of pu

nishment.

Terms constitustitutional mean legal and illegal.

tional and uncon

of the system of

In England, the system of public jurisprudence is made up Component parts of acts of parliament, of decisions of courts of law, and of public jurispruimmemorial usages; consequently, these are the principles of dence. which the English constitution itself consists, the sources from which all our knowledge of its nature and limitations is to be deduced, and the authorities to which all appeal ought to be made, and by which every constitutional doubt can alone be decided.

stitution has grown out of oc

gency.

Most of those who treat of the English constitution, con- The English consider it as a scheme of government formally planned and contrived by our ancestors, in some certain æra of our national casion and emerhistory, and as set up in pursuance of such regular plan and design. Something of this sort is secretly supposed, or referred to, in the expressions of those, who speak of the