Walter Bagehot: “What is there requisite is a single government--call it Church or State, as you like--regulating the whole of human…”

Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner.

Political philosophy is still more imperfect; it has been framed from observations taken upon regular specimens of politics and States; as to these its teaching is most valuable.

I own that I do not entirely sympathise with the horror of these anomalies which haunts some of our best critics.

Subject to this saving remark, however, I not only admit, but maintain, that our Constitution is full of curious oddities, which are impeding and mischievous, and ought to be struck out.