The English constitution / by Walter Bagehot ; with an introduction by the Earl of Balfour.
- Walter Bagehot
- Date:
- [1945]
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The English constitution / by Walter Bagehot ; with an introduction by the Earl of Balfour. Source: Wellcome Collection.
322/348 page 290
![the uncommon—the ninety-ninth case in a hundred —in which the Opposition hoped to turn out the Government because of the alleged badness of the treaty they have made, the criticism is sure to be of the most undesirable character, and to say what is most offensive to foreign nations. All the practised acumen of anti-Govemment writers and speakers is sure to be engaged in proving that England has been imposed upon—that, as was said in one case, ‘The moral and the intellectual qualities have been divide d; j that our negotiation had the moral, and the negotia- , tion on the other side the intellectual’, and so on. The whole pitch of party malice is then expended, | because there is nothing to check the party in oppo¬ sition. The treaty has been made, and though it ] may be censured, and the party ^which made it | ousted, yet the difficulty it was meant to cure is i cured, and the opposing party, if it takes office, will | not have that difficulty to deal with. I In abstract theory these defects in our present , practice would seem exceedingly great, but in prac- , tice they are not so. English statesmen and English | parties have really a great patriotism, they can rarely | be persuaded even by their passions or their interest | to do anything contrary to the real interest of Eng- j land, or anything which would lower England in the | eyes of foreign nations. And they would seriously | hurt themselves if they did. But still these are the | real tendencies of our present practice, and these are | only prevented by qualities in the nation and | qualities in our statesmen, which will just as much | exist if we change our practice. I It certainly would be in many ways advantageous | to change it. If we require that in some form the j assent of Parliament shall be given to such treaties, | we should have a real discussion prior to the making | of such treaties. We should have the reasons for the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30010445_0322.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
