Walter Bagehot: “If they could ever have been trusted to resist the people, they would…”

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If they could ever have been trusted to resist the people, they would then have resisted it.

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Walter Bagehot

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Bagehot argues that if the Lords had the ability to resist the people's will, they would have done so in the past.

More from Walter Bagehot

But as soon as the House met, Lord Thurlow became the greatest.

But all men heed great results, and a change of Government is a great result.

The whole history of civilisation, is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.

The Parliament, the laws, the press were human institutions; but the Monarchy was a Divine institution.

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Walter Bagehot: “If they could ever have been trusted to resist the people, they would then have resisted it.”