LETTER XX.
ENGLAND.
My dear Sir,
POLAND and England. The hiſtories of theſe countries would confirm the general principle we contend for: the laſt eſpecially. But who can think of writing upon this ſubject after De Lolme, whoſe book is the beſt defence of the political balance of three powers that ever was written.
If the people are not equitably repreſented in the houſe of commons, this is a departure in practice from the theory.—If the lords return members of the houſe of commons, this is an additional diſturbance of the balance: whether the crown and the people in ſuch a caſe will not ſee the neceſſity of uniting in a remedy, are queſtions beyond my pretenſions; I only contend that the Engliſh conſtitution is, in theory, the moſt ſtupendous fabrick of human invention, both for the adjuſtment of the balance, and the prevention of its vibrations; and that the Americans ought to be applauded inſtead of cenſured, for imitating it, as far as they have. Not the formation of languages, not the whole art of navigation and ſhip building, does more honour to the human underſtanding than this ſyſtem of government. The Americans have not indeed imitated it in giving a negative, upon their legiſlature to the executive power; in this reſpect their balances are incompleat, very much I confeſs to my mortification: in other reſpects, they have ſome of them fallen
