As it now stands, the realm consists of three estates; the king; the lords temporal and spiritual; and the commons. The parliament is the grand council. It possesses the supreme power. It enacts laws, by the concurring assent of the lords and commons — subject to the approval of the king. The executive power is vested in the monarch, who is regarded as constituting the first estate. Although irresponsible himself, he can only act through responsible ministers and agents. They are responsible to the other estates; to the lords, as constituting the high court before whom all the servants of the crown may be tried for malpractices, and crimes against the realm, or official delinquencies — and to the commons, as possessing the impeaching power, and constituting the grand inquest of the kingdom. These provisions, with their legislative powers — especially that of withholding supplies — give them a controlling influence on the executive department, and, virtually, a participation in its powers — so that the acts of the government, throughout its entire range, may be fairly considered as the result of the concurrent and joint action of the three estates — and, as these embrace all the orders — of the concurrent and joint action of the estates of the realm.
He would take an imperfect and false view of the subject who should consider the king, in his mere individual character, or even as the head of the royal family — as constituting an estate. Regarded in either light, so far from deserving to be considered as the First Estate — and the head of the realm, as he is — he would represent an interest too inconsiderable
