new parliamentary election, by which the nation decides the
question. This method renders the old, and never desirable, remedy of
the impeachment of the ministers of the sovereign no longer
necessary. The Prime Minister--who answers for the acts of the
sovereign and for his policy--is more directly responsible to the
people than is the President of the United States.

[2] See S27 of this Summary.
[3] The real efficiency of the Cabinet system of government was not
fully developed until after the Reform Act of 1832 had widely extended
the right of suffrage, and thus made the government more directly
responsible to the people (S582).

22. The Pretended "Popish Plot"; Rise of the Whigs and the Tories;
Revocation of Town Charters.

The pretended "Popish Plot" (1678) (S478) to kill the King, in order
to place his brother James--a Catholic convert--on the throne, caused
the rise of a strong movement (1680) to exclude James from the right
of succession. The Exclusion Bill failed; but the Disabling Act was
passed, 1678, excluding Catholics from sitting in either House of
Parliament; but an exception was made in favor of the Duke of York
(S478). Henceforward two prominent political parties appear in
Parliament,--one, that of the Whigs or Liberals, bent on extending the
power of thepeople; the other, that of the Tories or Conservatives,
resolved to maintain the power of the Crown.

Charles II, of course, did all in his power to encourage the latter
party. In order to strengthen their numbers in the Commons, he found
pretexts for revoking the charters of many Whig towns (S479). He then
issued new charters to these towns, giving the power of election to
the Tories.[4] While engaged in this congenial work the King died, and
his brother James II came to the throne.

[4] The right of election in many towns was then confined to the town
officers or to a few influential inhabitants. This continued to be
the case until the passage of the Reform Bill in 1832.

23. James II; the Dispensing Power; Declaration of Indulgence; the
Revolution of 1688.

James II was a zealous Catholic, and therefore naturally desired to
secure freedom of worship in England for people of his own faith. In
his zeal he went too far, and the Pope expressed his disgust at the
King's foolish rashness. By the exercise of the Dispensing Power[1]
he suspended the Test Act and the Act of Uniformity, in order that
Catholics might be relieved from