They  did  not  make  them.  They  were  made  for  them  by  their
wisest  and  best  men.  The  people  did  not  ratify  the  perform-
ances of  these  by  votes  and  conventions,  but  by  acceptance,
by  enjoyment,  by  love  and  reverence ;  walls  and  buttresses
stronger  to  resist  rash,  passionate,  mistaken  aiul  dishonest
innovations,  than  any  reserved  powers  or  fifth  articles  that
could  have  been  contrived  to  curb  the  free  yet  responsible
action  of  Parliament.
The  English  Constitution  is  not  without  internal  checks  to
regulate  the  Avorking  of  its  machinery.  They  are  described
by  elementary  wi-iters  as  contrived  to  prevent  the  encroach-
ment of  one  branch  of  the  (jrovernment  on  the  right  and  au-
thoi'ity  of  aiioiher,  or  of  one  class  or  oi'der  of  the  people  on
the  liberty  and  intei'csts  of  another.  They  create  that  balance
of  power  and  balance  of  interest  which  secures  the  steady  and


A    WRITTEN    CONSTITUTION.  45

harmonious  action  of  the  Avhole.  They  all  tend  to  secure  the
supremacy  of  the  Legislature,  and  to  subject  it  to  the  control
of  the  people.
