Page:Essay on the government of dependencies.djvu/25

 PRELIMINARY INQUIRY. 7

styled the legislative, executive, arbitrary, and inquisitorial powers of a sovereign government.

We will now proceed to consider the nature of each of these powers.

First. A sovereign government may issue a e:e- ^-^^^^^^ ^

° '^ J & the powers

neral command ; that is, make a law, properly so of a sove-

■^ reign go-

called ; or it may declare a ereneral intention of vemment.

, . . „ . 1- Legisla-

doing certain acts, or of pursuing a certain course of tive power conduct ; which declaration is also commonly called a law. For example, it may issue a general com- mand to its subjects not to kill, or take the property of others, excepting under certain circumstances; or it may declare a general intention of performing certain services for the public, such as the convey- ance of passengers, goods, and letters, and the main- tenance of roads, bridges, lighthouses, harbours, hospitals, schools ; or of supplying the public with certain commodities, such as tobacco, gunpowder, or salt.

A sovereign government may issue a general command, either independently of any other general command, or for the purpose of carrying into effect another general command which it had previously issued ; that is to say, a law may be made either for its own sake, or for the purpose of carrying another law into effect.

Laws made for the purpose of carrying other laws into effect are often made by subordinate legisla- tures, as will be shown presently.

Secondly. A sovereign government may issue a fiVe^power special command, or it may do an act directly re-g^'go!

vernmeut.