The Rise and Progress of the English Constitution - Edward Shepherd Creasey - Google Livres

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CONTENTS.

Meaning of the term "English Constitution."-Is there an

English Constitution?-Primary Principles of the Consti-

tution. Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill

of Rights forms its Code.-General Ignorance of these Sta-

tutes.-Scope of the present Work.-Constitutional Law of

Progress.-How to learn the Constitution.-Classification

of Constitutional Functions.-Importance of studying lead-

ing Scenes in History.-History of the Elements of our

Nation, why material.-Exclusion of Party Politics

Page

Our Constitution coeval with our Nationality.—Thirteenth

Century the date when each commences.-The Four Ele-

ments of our Nation.-The Saxon, i. e. the Germanic, the

chief Element.-Parts of the Continent whence our Ger-

manic Ancestors came.-Their Institutions, Political, So-

cial, and Domestic.-Date of the Saxon Immigrations into

this Island.-What Population did they find here ?—The

British Element of our Nation, Romanized Celtic.—Primary

Character and Institutions of the British Celts.-Effect of

Roman Conquests.-How far did the Saxons exterminate or

blend with the Britons ?-Evidence of Language

Conversion of the Anglo-Saxons.-Its civilizing Effects.-

They occupy the Roman Towns.-England attacked by the

Danes.—The third, i. e. the Danish, Element of our Nation.

Danish Institutions and Customs.-Ferocity of their Attack

on England.-Extent of their chief Settlements here.-

Evidence of Danish Names of Places and Persons.-Alfred

rescues Saxon England from them.-The Danish blends

with the Saxon Element.-Fusion of the first three Ele-

ments of our Nation .

Anglo-Saxon Institutions.—Classes of the Population.

Thralls, Ceorls, Thanes.-Townships.-Hundreds.-Tyth-

ings.-Frank pledge.-Lords-The Were.-The Socmen.-

The Towns.-The Witenagemote.-The King.—The Bishops.

-The Clergy-The Poor.-Deterioration of the Saxon Po-

lity before the Conquest

The Norman Element.-Different from the Danish.-Rolf the

Ganger's Conquest of Neustria.-State of Civilization in

France. Characteristics of the Normans.-Their brilliant

Qualities.-Their Oppression of the Peasantry

The Norman Conquest.-Extent of the Changes which it

caused.-Numerical Account of the Norman and Anglo-

Saxon Populations.-Amount of Loss of Life caused by the

Conquest.-Probable Number of the Normans and other

New-comers from Continental Europe.-Did the Popula-

tion increase in the Century and a-half preceding the sign-

ing of Magna Carta ?—The Miseries of Stephen's Reign.-

Period of Tranquillity under Henry II.-Probable Amount

of Population in 1215

General View of the Feudal System.-Meaning of the terms

"Feudal" and "Allodial."-General Sketch of the Progress

of a Germanic Settlement in a Roman Province.-Causes of

Feudalism.-Progress of "Subinfeudation.”—Aristocratic

Character of Feudalism.-Its Oppressiveness to the Com-

monalty. Its brighter Features

Distinction between Feudalism as developed in England, and

Feudalism as generally developed on the Continent.-How

far did it exist among the Saxons before the Conquest;

how far among the Normans?-Character of William the

Conqueror.-Feudalism which he introduced.-His Checks

on the Baronial Power.-Great authority of the First An-

glo-Norman Kings

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State of the Mass of the English Nation at the Commence-

ment of the Thirteenth Century.--The Peasantry.-Villein-

age: its Incidents: its probable Origin and Extent; and

the Modes of becoming emancipated from it.-State of the

Lower Classes in Towns.-State of the Middle and Upper

Classes.-The various Tenures of Land.-State of the Bo-

roughs after the Conquest.-Their partial Recovery of their

Evil Character of King John.-Its Importance to our His-

tory.-Fortunate Loss of Normandy.-John's Quarrels with

his Clergy and with the Pope.-The Interdict.-The Ex-

communication.-John's abject Submission to the Pope.-

Return of Archbishop Langton to England. His patriotic

Character. He checks the King.-King's Oath to redress

Wrongs. His repeated Acts of Tyranny.-Council of the

Barons. Archbishop Langton produces the Charter of

Henry I.-Nature of this Charter, and its Value.-Demands

of the Barons on the King.-Vain Intervention of the Pope.

-Firmness of Archbishop Langton.-Strength of the Na-

tional Party.-Runnymede.-Articuli Carta.-The Grant

of the Great Charter .

Magna Carta.-General Distribution of its Clauses.—Text of

the Great Charter, and Comments

Renewals of the Great Charter in Henry the Third's Reign.

The Charter as confirmed by Edward I., and subsequent

Kings.-The Statute Confirmatio Cartarum.—All Taxation

without consent of Parliament made illegal

The Principles of the Constitution traced in the Charter.-

Kingship in England.-Its Powers and Limitations.-Par-

liament. Origin of the House of Commons. Of the two

Branches of the House of Commons.-Trial by Jury.—Writ

of Habeas Corpus.-Origin and Value of these Constitu-

Progress of the Constitution during the Reigns of the ten last

Plantagenet Kings.-Growing Importance of the House of

Commons. Qualifications of Members and Electors.-Pre-

rogatives of the Crown.-State of the Population.--Jurors.

-Boroughs.-Number of Electors

State of the Constitution under the Tudors.-Revival of spirit

in the House of Commons.-Weak but arbitrary Character

of the first two Stuart Kings.-Charles I. sincere, but an

Aggressor on the Constitution.-The Petition of Right

The Restoration.-Affection of the English Nation for their

old Institutions.-Effects of the Period of Revolution.

Military Tenures abolished. Habeas Corpus Act.

Custom of Fining Jurors for their Verdicts pronounced

Illegal.-Revolution of 1688.-The Bill of Rights.-The

Act of Settlement.-Kingship in England since the Revo-

lution.—Its Limitations.—Its enduring Value.—House of

Lords.-Attempt to check Creation of Peers.-Benefits of

the House of Peers to the Country.-House of Commons.—

Borough Members.-Rotten Boroughs.-Reform Bill

Present Population of England, and number of Parliamen-

tary Electors.-Property and Education considered as ele-

ments of Representative System.-Qualification of Jurors.

-Magistrates and Officers of various kinds, how appointed.

-Local Self-government.-Municipal Reform.-Influence

of Public Opinion.-Rights of Free Discussion, and Liberty

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