125_125.xml

Title: [17 June 1811 E Abdication 53]

Description: 17 June 1811 E

Abdication

53

Quere whether to insert the contents of this page?

In morals, in politics, neither on this occasion nor on any other has truth - useful and important truth - any need of imposture to /for the/ support /of/ it.

What I will not do /say/, either directly or in the way of insinuation, is that in the House of Commons an habitual majority of the Members have an habitual aversion, a decided and habitual aversion to the continuing in possession of their powers as such any longer.

What I will not say is that in that sence in any such sense as that in which King James the 2 d was in his day by the majority of the House pronounced to have abdicated his power, in the present time the majority of the House have abdicated them.

What I will say is - that in that same sense in which in that his day King James the 2 d was treated by the majority of the Honourable House as if he had abdicated his power, the majority of the same Honourable House ought, by the people of England those people whom without being oposed[?] by them they are so ready to govern as well as to represent, ought to be treated as if they had abdicated theirs.

125_075.xml

Title: [20 June 1811 A.2. Abdication]

Description: 20 June 1811 A.2.

Abdication

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So much for the misguided King.

In regard to the Honourable House, the proposition /propositions/ which on the present occasion I have to submitt to the consideration of the people, is - 1 that, as to their /its/ /the exercise of its/ share of the supreme power, the Honourable House has not only forfeited but abdicated it: 2 and that for the filling up of the gap thus made, it is high time for the people, in conjunction with the two other branches of the supreme power, for the people acting by and for this purpose, making use of the Honourable House in its present form, for the people, following the example /proceeding upon the pattern/, set as will be seen by the Honourable House itself, to organize /provide /take measures/ for the organizing/ upon constitutional grounds, a succedaneum to the Honourable House - a new House so composed as to preserve it from that line /course/ of conduct by which the pernicious effects /results/ indicated as above by the terms forfeited and abdicated have been /were/ brought about.

By an habitually efficient majority - I speak of the habitually dependent and consequently /thence habitually/ corrupt part this trust the highest of trusts has, I say, taking even Blackstone for Judge become forfeited: - by the non-attendant part constituting almost always a vast majority, it is I say taking the decision from the same Judge abdicated - repeatedly and almost constantly abdicated /-dicated - for and during this last half-century - it being needless to go any higher repeatedly and by one continued and continued and habitual act carried on without abdication, abdicated./

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Title: [17 June 1811 Abdication 3]

Description: 17 June 1811

Abdication

3

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Now, Sir, the doctrine with the truth of which it is my wish to impress my readers, being myself most seriously and thoroughly impressed with it, is- that the House of Commons taken in its totality has abdicated its functions - abdicated its obligations, and with these obligations its rights and power.

Taken In respect of the idle part of it, it has abdicated its functions in the literal, natural, true, proper and natural sense in which the word abdication is understood by plain and honest men whose wish is neither to deceive nor to be deceived.

In respect of the corrupt part of it, it has abdicated its functions in the technical, and the improper though unhappily notwithstanding its impropriety the constitutional sense of the word: the sense invented for it by lawyers who to the end /that/ they may the better deceive others, talk and preach[?] as if they were themselves deceived.

In respect of the idle part of it, it has abdicated in the sense /in a manner similar to that/ in which honest King Louis Bonaparte so lately abdicated: in respect of the corrupt it has abdicated in the manner our King James the 2 d was solemnly said to have abdicated his power, or the manner in which our ally King Gustav might in the opinion of some of his subjects with equal propriety be said to have abdicated it: i.e. parted with it because he could not keep it, or with greater propriety still, desired[?] to be treated as if he had parted with it, though as far as depended upon himself he neither did nor was ever disposed to part with it.