[clxvii. 79]

1820. Aug. 17.

Rid yourselves of Ultramaria

'5. 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 a Monarch - carried on by his uncontroulable 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 Blackstone's Gad 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, taht 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 mojority of the members of the Legislative body have, on such and such an occasion, been induced to sacrifice, in such and 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 the same department, there exists one functionary, namely the Monarch by whom, seated as he is not by choice but by consanguinity, and nto removable, as above, the validity of any act of ligislation 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.

As