Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PART II. CHAPTER I. THE PARLIAMENT OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. The House Of Commons. UNDOUBTEDLY the most important consideration to be given in the formation of a Britannic Federation is that of a Parliament or Council whereby the units would each be represented in all that concerns them as a whole. If it is found that such a legislature will be possible, both from a theoretical and practical standpoint, the greatest problem in regard to a Britannic Federation will be solved, and the other problems and difficulties will, in comparison, be considered easy of solution. To begin with, it will be well to determine the parliamentary system of government under which the Empire exists to-day. The supreme power of government in the British Empire is divided into two branches : First, legislative, consisting of the King and an Upper and Lower House ; secondly, executive, which theoretically consists of the King alone. The supreme legislative power of the British Empire is by its Constitution given to Parliament. " The power and jurisdiction of Parliament," says Sir Edward Coke, " is so transcendent and absolute that it cannot be confined, either for causes or persons, within any bounds." By our Constitution we know that the Sovereign is the head of Parliament, and he alone can summon it. It is also a branch of the Royal Prerogative that no Parliament can be convened by its own authority, but by the King alone, save on his demise, when it can then assemble of its own accord. Parliament is regularly summoned by the King's writ,issued out of Chancery by advice of the Privy Council, at least thirty-five days before it assembles. The great advantage which we have derived from our Constitution is that all parts of our Government are mutual checks upon one another. In the legislatur...