Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/124

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" or grandon, of a king of Poland, cannot be elected immediately upon the death of their father or grandfather; and are not eligible, excepting after an interval of two reigns.

"III. The government of Poland hall be for ever free, independent, and of a republican form.

"IV. The true principle of aid government coniting in the trict execution of its laws, and the equilibrium of the three etates, viz. the king, the enate, and the equetrian order, a permanent council hall be etablihed, in which the executive power hall be veted. In this council the equetrian order, hitherto excluded from the adminitration of affairs in the intervals of the diets, hall be admitted, as hall be more clearly laid down in the future arrangements."

Thus the upreme legilative authority reides in the three etates of the realm, the king, the enate, and equetrian order, aembled in a national diet; but each etate has no negative upon the other, and therefore is no balance, and very little check. The great families and principal palatines will till govern, without any effectual controul.

The executive power is now veted in the upreme permanent council; but here neither have they any checks, all being decided by the majority, and the ame principal families will always prevail.

Thee augut legilators have acknowledged the principle of a free republican government, that it conits in a trict execution of the laws, and an equilibrium of etates or orders: but how are the laws to govern? and how is the equilibrium to be preerved? Like air, oil, and water, haken