Parliament: Its History, Constitution and PracticeWilliams & Norgate, 1920 - 256 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
Acts of Parliament administration altered amendments appointed assembly assent authority become law body boroughs cabinet cabinet government chapter clerk committee of supply conferences consolidated fund constitution courts crown discussion dominions eighteenth century election electoral England English estimates executive government exercise expenditure formal franchise French functions gallery grant Hansard Henry house of commons house of lords important Ireland judicial king king's legislation legislature measure member of parliament ment mentary ministers mittee obtained opinion parlia Parliament Act parliamentary debates party passed peerages Pelman period permanent petitions political powers practice present principle private bill private members privilege proceedings Prof proposals provisions public bill questions Reform Act reign reports representative peers resolutions rolls of parliament rule Scotland seats session seventeenth century sitting Speaker speeches standing orders statute summoned taxes tion treasury United Kingdom usually vote Westminster whilst whole house
Popular passages
Page 150 - Certainly, gentlemen, it ought to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention.
Page 150 - My worthy colleague says his will ought to be subservient to yours. If that be all, the thing is innocent: if government were a matter of will upon my side, yours, without question, ought to be superior. But government and legislation are matters of reason and judgment, and not of inclination...
Page 151 - To deliver an opinion, is the right of all men ; that of constituents is a weighty and respectable opinion, which a representative ought always to rejoice to hear ; and which he ought always most seriously to consider. But authoritative instructions ; mandates issued, which the member is bound blindly and implicitly to obey, to vote, and to argue for, though contrary to the clearest conviction of his judgment and conscience, — these are things utterly unknown to the laws of this land, and which...
Page 235 - ... choice of advisers in the Crown, were the Colonial Governor to be instructed to secure the co-operation of the Assembly in his policy, by entrusting its administration to such men as could command a majority ; and if he were given to understand that he need count on no aid from home in any difference with the Assembly, that should not directly involve the relations between the mother country and the Colony.
Page 212 - ... House of Commons direct to the contrary, be presented to His Majesty and become an Act of Parliament on the Royal Assent being signified thereto, notwithstanding that the House of Lords have not consented to the Bill : Provided that this provision shall not take effect unless...
Page 26 - The most high and absolute power of the realm of England consisteth in the parliament...
Page 46 - I shall only say here, in justice to that old-fashioned constitution, under which we have long prospered, that our representation has been found perfectly adequate to all the purposes for which a representation of the people can be desired or devised.
Page 150 - These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Page 151 - Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests ; which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates ; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole ; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices, ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.
Page 235 - Every purpose of popular control might be combined with every advantage of vesting the immediate choice of advisers in the Crown, were the Colonial Governor to be instructed to secure the co-operation of the Assembly in his policy, by intrusting its administration to such men as could command a majority...