FIFTY YEARS

OF THE

ENGLISH CONSTITUTION

LONDON: PRINTED BY

SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARD AND PARLIAMENT STREET

FIFTY YEARS

OF THE

ENGLISH CONSTITUTION

1830-1880

BY

SHELDON AMOS, M.A.

EARRISTER-AT-LAW; LATE PROFESSOR OF JURISPRUDENCE IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON;
AND OF JURISPRUDENCE AND CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND LEGAL HISTORY TO THE

INNS OF COURT; LATE EXAMINER IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF
ENGLAND TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON; AUTHOR OF 'A PRIMER

OF THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION,' 'A SYSTEMATIC VIEW

OF THE SCIENCE OF JURISPRUDENCE,' ETC. ETC.

REESE LIBRARY»

UNIFERBITK
CALIFORNIA

LONDON

LONG MANS, GREEN, AND CO.

1880

All rights reserved

'WHENCE DID THIS HAPPY ORGANISATION FIRST COME? WAS IT A TREE TRANSPLANTED FROM PARADISE, WITH ALL ITS BRANCHES IN FULL FRUITAGE? OR WAS IT SOWED IN SUNSHINE? WAS IT IN VERNAL BREEZES AND GENTLE RAINS THAT IT FIXED ITS ROOTS, AND GREW AND STRENGTHENED? LET HISTORY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. WITH BLOOD WAS IT PLANTED; IT WAS ROCKED IN TEMPESTS; THE GOAT, THE ASS, AND THE STAG GNAWED IT; THE WILD BOAR HAS WHETTED HIS TUSKS ON ITS BARK. THE DEEP SCARS ARE STILL EXTANT ON ITS TRUNK, AND THE PATH OF THE LIGHTNING MAY BE TRACED AMONG ITS HIGHER BRANCHES. AND EVEN AFTER ITS FULL GROWTH, IN THE SEASON OF ITS STRENGTH, WHEN ITS HEIGHT REACHED TO HEAVEN, AND THE SIGHT THEREOF TO ALL THE EARTH, THE WHIRLWIND HAS MORE THAN ONCE FORCED ITS STATELY TOP TO TOUCH THE GROUND; IT HAS BEEN BENT LIKE A BOW, AND SPRANG BACK LIKE A SHAFT. MIGHTIER POWERS WERE AT WORK THAN EXPEDIENCY EVER YET CALLED UP; YEA, MIGHTIER THAN THE MERE UNDERSTANDING CAN COMPREHEND.'

COLERIDGE'S Lay Sermons.