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LECTURE IO Necessity ofinquiring into thepoliticalsense ofthe word representation at the time when a representative government began to beformed. ~ Mistaken theories on this subject. ~ Rousseau's theory, which denies representation and insists on individual sovereignty. ~ Theories of writers who attempt to reconcile theprinciple ofrepresentation with that of individual sovereignty. ~ Erroneousness of the idea that the sovereignty belongs to the majority. ~ True idea ofrepresentation. W have studied the primitive institutions of the Anglo-Norman government ; we have traced the successive steps in the history of the charters, and of the struggle which was carried on by the barons to secure their confirmation by the royal power; but up to this point we have not seen anything of a representative government. We have, however, now arrived at the point when this government began to appear. Our attention is now to be called to the creation ofa Parliament, that is to say, to the birth ofa representative system. As we approach this great historical question, a question in political philosophy presents itselfbefore us:-what is the true and legitimate sense ofthis word representation as applied to the government ofa community? It is not for us to pass over this question without noticing it: the history ofpolitical institutions is now no longer a bare recital offacts-it must rest on principles; it neither deserves the name nor possesses the authority ofscience, till it has sounded and placed in clear light the primary foundation in reason, from which the facts which it collects trace their origin. Political history cannot now be otherwise than philosophical; this is demanded by the stage of human culture which the mind ofsociety has reached. Let us now suppose a representative government, aristocratic or democratic , monarchical or republican, completely established and in action: if any one were to ask a citizen of such a State-supposing him to be a man ofgood sense but unversed in political speculations-"Why do you elect such a deputy ?" he would answer, "Because in the consideration ofpublic affairs, I believe ESSAYS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN ENGLAND him to be more capable than any other of sustaining the cause to which my opinions, my feelings, my interests, are allied." Now bring this man before the political theorists who have treated ofrepresentation ; let his good sense be brought into contact with their systemstruth would soon be perplexed and obscured by the falsities ofscience. One learned gentleman would thus address him:-"What have you done? You have supplied yourself with a representative-you are no longer freeyou are no longer in truth a citizen ofa free State. Liberty means a man's sovereignty over himself, the right to be governed only by his individual will. And sovereignty cannot be represented, just because the will cannot be represented -it is either the same or something entirely different, there is no medium. Who has certified you that your representative will always and on all occasions have the same will as yourself? He will certainly not be so accommodating . So far then from your being represented, you have surrendered to him your will, your sovereignty, your liberty. You have given yourselfup not to a representative , but to a master. And why? Because you are an indolent, grasping, cowardly individual, who pay far more regard to your own personal concerns than to public matters, who will rather pay for soldiers than go to war, who will rather appoint deputies and stay at home than go yourself and share in the deliberations ofa national council." This is the way in which Rousseau conceives ofrepresentation: he considers that it is delusive and impossible, and that every representative government is in its own nature illegitimate.* Let the same citizen be addressed by other doctors who, entertaining the same ideas ofsovereignty and liberty as those held by Rousseau, and nevertheless believing in representation, endeavour to harmonize these different conceptions .They might say to him:"Most true; sovereignty resides in yourselfand in yourselfalone; but you may delegate without abandoning it;-you do so every day; to your steward you commit the management of your lands, to your physician the care ofyour health, and you place your legal affairs into the hands of your solicitor. Life is vast and complicated, your personal control is insufficient for all its activity and demands; everywhere you avail yourselfofothers in the exercise ofyour own power-you employ servants. This is only a new application of the same principle-you employ one servant more. If he swerve from your directions, ifhe fail in...

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