1822 June 10

Economy

IV English Practice

In the English Government, the Monarch, mixt as is the Monarchy, is altogether

exempt from legal responsibility in every shape. Do whatever evil he will, he

can neither be punished nor so much as dislocated. What is the consequence? that

the doing of political evil in all manner of shape evil and nothing but evil is

in that Monarchy as in every other, the uninterrupted occupation of the Monarchs

political life

The King can do no wrong. By this phrase it is that his exemption from all legal

responsibility, the compleat licence for the operating of evil in every

imaginable shape is expressed.

Out of this real security pregnant as it is /it has been seen to be with absolute

and/ [...?] power by a forced construction, a sort of lawyers' will - an abuse

of words - has been deduced his alledged impotence. Be the thing what it may

that it is his desire to do, if it be wrong, power adequate to the production of

the effect, is not in his hands.

In fact however nothing can be more compleatly false

To any great extent it may be said it is not in this mans power - for it is not

in any man's power to do wrong - without instruments: and all but he being

legally responsible if the thing whatever it be which it is his desire to do

have any thing wrong in it, no such instruments will he find. Of this supreme

functionary no written act is valid without some appropriate counter-signature

Were this even true it would as above amount to nothing. But neither is it true.

For to him belongs the command of the whole army. With this instrument therefore

in his hands what need of any such thing as a counter-signature what act[?] is

there that can not be done by him?

Then as to the alledged responsibility of all other individuals - the highest

functionaries under this one not excepted neither in this is there any

truth.