m of Magna Charta as contrasted with its essential nature.

4. Documents somewhat resembling written constitutions:--

a. The Declaration of Rights.
b. The Bill of Rights.

5. The foreshadowing of the American idea of written constitutions:--

a. Two conditions especially notable in England in the seventeenth
century.
b. The influence of these conditions on popular views of government.
c. The "Instrument of Government."
d. Sir Harry Vane's proposition.
e. Why allude to Vane's scheme when nothing came of it?

6. Early suggestions of written constitutions in America:--

a. The compact on the Mayflower.
b. Wherein the compact fell short of a written constitution.
c. The "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut."

7. The development of the colonial charter into a written constitution:--

a. The limitation of the powers of colonial assemblies.
b. The decision of questions relating to the transgression of a charter
by a colonial legislature.
c. The colonial assembly as contrasted with the House of
Commons.
d. The difference between the written constitution and the
charter for which it was substituted.
e. The readiness of the people to adopt written constitutions.

8. The extensive development of the written constitution in
some states:--

a. The simplicity of the earlier constitutions.
b. Illustrations of the legislative tendencies of later constitutions.
c. The motive for such extension of a constitution.
d. The difficulty of amending a constitution.
e. The legislative method of amendment.
f. The convention method of amendment.
g. The presumed advantage of embodying laws in the constitution.
h. A comparison with the Swiss Referendum.
i. Objections to the Swiss Referendum.
j. Other objections to the practice of putting laws into the
constitution.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS.

1. Do you belong to any society that has a constitution? Has the society
rules apart from the constitution? Which may be changed the more
readily? Why not put all the rules into the constitution?

2. Read the constitution of your state in part or in full. Give some
account of its principal divisions, of the topics it deals with, and its
magnitude or fullness. Are there any amendments? If so, mention two or
three, and give the reasons for their adoption. Is there any declaration
of rights in it? If so, what are some of the rights declared, and whose
are they