By the spectacle of this august society, countless ignorant men and women are induced to obey the few nominal electors--the Ll0 borough renters, and the L50 county renters--who have nothing imposing about them, nothing which would attract the eye or fascinate the fancy.
Bagehot critiques the political system by highlighting the disparity between the visible elite and the true power holders.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
We have thus a whole group of ancient republics of non-Aryan race, and one which, being more ancient than the classical republics, could not have borrowed from or imitated them.
They say, We reject your Bill for this once or these twice, or even these thrice: but if you keep on sending it up, at last we won't reject it.
And therefore party is inherent in it, is bone of its bone, and breath of its breath.
I do not think I put this too high when I say that a most important if not the most important object of early legislation was the enforcement of LUCKY rites.
Other voices in this conversation
