The parliament was the prime minister of his tyrannical administration. It authorised his oppressive taxes, it gave its sanction to his most despotick and oppressive measures; to measures, which of himself he durst not have carried into execution; or which; if supposed to be merely the result of his own arbitrary will, would have roused the spirit of the nation to assert the rights of humanily; and the privileges of a free people. Our admirable constitution is but a gay curtain to conceal our shame, and the iniquity of our oppressors, unless our senators are animated by the same spirit which gave it birth. If they can be overawed by threats, seduced from their duty by bribes, or allured by promises, another Henry may rule over us with a rod of iron, and drench once more the scaffold with the best blood of the nation. The parliament will be the humble and secure instrument of his tyrannies."[1] Henry's influence made "the parliament the prime minister of executive tyranny, and an instrument of the most despotick measures."
Compare this influence of Henry's, with the present influence of the crown in England, and consider, which possesses in the highest degree, the properties of bribery, alluring by promises, permanency, and capacity to convert a parliament "into the humble and secure instrument of executive tyranny." Were Henry's parliaments more subservient to the crown in money matters, than those subjected to the modern species of influence? Were his pecuniary oppressions more intolerable, than those which modern parliaments sanction without difficulty? Or was his influence more systematick and regular, than that of the crown for the last century? If not, the modern system by which executive power influences legislative bodies, is more dangerous than Henry's; and his sufficed to make him a tyrant.
Executive patronage over legislative bodies, is the essential quality of this modern system, and the only quality by which "parliaments can be made the prime ministers of
- ↑ Modern Europe, v. 2, 294 & 5.
