Page:The Effects of Civilisation on the People in European States.djvu/82

the generality of civilised states. The wealthy part of these states have in their hands all power; the legislative, the executive, and judiciary, in all their branches, viz., ecclesiastical, magisterial, martial, &c. The poor man having a vote in certain cases, gives no introduction to any of these; the vote of a poor man being almost always directed by some kind of influence or other of the rich. And if that was not the case, the representatives or delegates chosen are generally of the order opposite to that of the poor. The rich, therefore, of such states form an aristocracy, in which the effective power is lodged: for, although the forms of government established in different nations may be various, they are generally so in appearance only, not in effect. These forms of government are either monarchical or republican. As to the first of them, i. e. absolute monarchy: in no single man, at least in no hereditary succession of single men, could the authority be supported by any means, personal or inherent, in himself. He is supported by those who have power, whom we have shown to be the rich, and who have an especial interest to support him in his situation; for all those, by supporting his authority, expect in return that the same authority shall be employed to preserve to them those things from which they derive the power to support him.