spirit
of Whiggism. There is this connection between the subjects--that the
spirit of Whiggism is hostile to the English constitution. No political
institutions ever yet flourished which have been more the topic of
discussion among writers of all countries and all parties than our
famous establishment of 'King, Lords, and Commons;' and no institutions
ever yet flourished, of which the character has been more misrepresented
and more misconceived. One fact alone will illustrate the profound
ignorance and the perplexed ideas. The present Whig leader of the
House of Commons, a member of a family who pique themselves on their
constitutional reputation, an author who has even written an elaborate
treatise on our polity, in one of his speeches, delivered only so late
as the last session of Parliament, declared his desire and determination
to uphold the present settlement of the 'three estates of the realm,
viz.--King, Lords, and Commons.' Now, his Gracious Majesty is no more an
estate of the realm than Lord John Russell himself. The three estates of
the realm are the estate of the Lords Spiritual, the estate of the Lords
Temporal, and the estate of the Commons. An estate is a popular class
established into a political order. It is a section of the nation
invested for the public and common good with certain powers
and privileges. Lord John Russell first writes upon the English
constitution, and then reforms it, and yet, even at this moment,
is absolutely ignorant of what it consists. A political estate is a
complete and independent body. Now, all power that is independent is
necessarily irresponsible. The sovereign is responsible because he
is not an estate; he is responsible through his Ministers; he is
responsible to the estates and to them alone.

When the Whigs obtained power in 1830, they found the three estates
of the realm opposed to them, and the Government, therefore, could not
proceed. They resolved, therefore, to remodel them. They declared that
the House of Commons was the House of the people, and that the people
were not properly represented. They consequently enlarged the estate
of the Commons; they increased the number of that privileged order who
appear by their representatives in the Lower House of Parliament. They
rendered the estate of the Commons more powerful by this proceeding,
because they rendered them more numerous; but they did not render their
representatives one jot more the representatives of the p