1820. Aug. 17.

Emancipation Spanish

Summary

Corruptive influence

Townsend

In a pure Monarchy - In a government in which there is no Cortes - no

representation of the people - government being carried on by the single will of the

/a/ Monarch - carried on by his uncontrouled force, corruptive influence has no place: there is no coordinate power for it to be exercised

upon:- there is accordingly no need of it. the will of Blackstones God upon earth is

done without it. Such was the case with Spain, antecedently

to the late happy change.

Where not only the business of the legislative department is carried

on by a representative body, the Members of which are all of them immediately or by

the intervention of others chosen and removable by the subject many, but the Members

of the Executive department likewise are, all of them, chosen and removable on the

same principle, in such sort that every functionary of government without exception

is thus chosen and removable, and if need be punishable, corruptive influence has no

power. Let it be conceived for a moment, that by the

influence, exercised by means of such or such a mass of patronage, in the hands of

the Chief or any other member of the Executive body, a majority of the members of the

Legislative body have, on such or such an occasion been induced to sacrifice, in such

or such a way,- the interests of their constituents. For the purpose of the argument,

this, like any other improbable supposition, may be entertained. But under the system

of arrangements just stated, the improbability of any such incident is, on the face

of it, so glaring, that to enter into details for the proof of it would be a waste of

words. Such is the case with the Anglo-American United

States.

In a Mixt Monarchy, in which though the business of the legislative

department is carried on by a representative body, the members of which are, all of

them, as above, immediately or by the intervention of others, chosen and removable by

the subject many, at the same time that in that same department there exists one

functionary namely the Monarch by whom, seated as he is not by choice but by

consanguinity, and not removable as above, the validity of any act of legislation may

be suspended for an indeterminate length of time, and who in the filling of

situations conferring pecuniary profit, power and factitious dignity has a share more

or less ample, corruptive influence can not but have more or less power and

efficacy.