its principal supporters acknowledge it must lead to, it is a question between an aristocratic government in the proper sense of the term—­that is, a government by the best men of all classes—­and a democracy.  I doubt very much whether a democracy is a government that would suit this country; and it is just as well that the house, when coming to a vote on this question, should really consider if that be the real issue, between retaining the present constitution—­not the present constitutional body, but between the present constitution and a democracy.

It is just as well for the house to recollect that what is at issue is of some price.  You must remember, not to use the word profanely, that we are dealing really with a peculiar people.  There is no country at the present moment that exists under the circumstances and under the same conditions as the people of this realm.  You have, for example, an ancient, powerful, richly-endowed Church, and perfect religious liberty.  You have unbroken order and complete freedom.  You have estates as large as the Romans; you have a commercial system of enterprise such as Carthage and Venice united never equaled.  And you must remember that this peculiar country with these strong contrasts is governed not by force; it is not governed by standing armies—­it is governed by a most singular series of traditionary influences, which generation after generation cherishes and preserves because they know that they embalm customs and represent the law.  And, with this, what have you done?  You have created the greatest empire that ever existed in modern times You have amassed a capital of fabulous amount.  You have devised and sustained a system of credit still more marvelous and above all, you have established and maintained a scheme, so vast and complicated, of labor and industry, that the history of the world offers no parallel to it.  And all these mighty creations are out of all proportion to the essential and indigenous elements and resources of the country.  If you destroy that state of society, remember this—­ England cannot begin again.  There are countries which have been in great peril and gone through great suffering; there are the United States, which in our own immediate day have had great trials; you have had—­perhaps even now in the States of America you have—­a protracted and fratricidal civil war which has lasted for four years; but if it lasted for four years more, vast as would be the disaster and desolation, when ended the United States might begin again, because the United States would only be in the same condition that England was at the end of the War of the Roses, and probably she had not even 3,000,000 of population, with vast tracts of virgin soil and mineral treasures, not only undeveloped but undiscovered.  Then you have France.  France had a real revolution in our days and those of our predecessors—­a real revolution, not merely a political and social revolution.  You had the institutions of the