Page:The Leveller movement; a study in the history and political theory of the English Great Civil War (IA levellermovement01peas).djvu/166

 peers, surrendering their privileges and immunities, their pretended power of imprisoning commoners, and their “negative voices,” must follow after the king. The Commons, being chosen by the people of the nation, have in themselves alone the power of making laws, of altering and of abolishing them; and they must no longer admit the form of the assent of king and Lords to legislation.

All this done, the House of Commons must still reform itself before it can free the people. In the first place, since its members were chosen according to the old law of England to sit in Parliament for but a year at most, they should not have continued their sitting so far beyond the period implied in their election. A system must be devised by which year after year a new Parliament or House of Commons may be elected in place of that of the preceding year; and for the future, the attempt of a local magnate to carry an election by influence must be made a serious offense. When it has accomplished this, the House of Commons of the Long Parliament may give place to a representative body fit to enjoy the whole government in practice as well as in right.

Meanwhile, the Commons will find many things in their own practice that call for reform. They must give up their highhandedness in ruling petitions to be breaches of privilege; they must surrender their immunities and become subject to the law of the land; they must lay aside their Star-Chamber methods of imprisonment and of ex officio examinations; they must abandon their designs of