第29章

HAVINGspokenofthegeneration，form，andpowerofaCommonwealth，Iaminordertospeaknextofthepartsthereof。Andfirstofsystems，whichresemblethesimilarpartsormusclesofabodynatural。Bysystems，Iunderstandanynumbersofmenjoinedinoneinterestoronebusiness。Ofwhichsomeareregular，andsomeirregular。Regulararethosewhereoneman，orassemblyofmen，isconstitutedrepresentativeofthewholenumber。Allotherareirregular。

Ofregular，someareabsoluteandindependent，subjecttononebuttheirownrepresentative：suchareonlyCommonwealths，ofwhichIhavespokenalreadyinthefivelastprecedentchapters。Othersaredependent；thatistosay，subordinatetosomesovereignpower，towhicheveryone，asalsotheirrepresentative，issubject。

Ofsystemssubordinate，somearepolitical，andsomeprivate。

Political(otherwisecalledbodiespoliticandpersonsinlaw)arethosewhicharemadebyauthorityfromthesovereignpoweroftheCommonwealth。Privatearethosewhichareconstitutedbysubjectsamongstthemselves，orbyauthorityfromastranger。Fornoauthorityderivedfromforeignpower，withinthedominionofanother，ispublicthere，butprivate。

Andofprivatesystems，somearelawful；someunlawful：lawfularethosewhichareallowedbytheCommonwealth；allotherareunlawful。

Irregularsystemsarethosewhich，havingnorepresentative，consistonlyinconcourseofpeople；whichifnotforbiddenbytheCommonwealth，normadeonevildesign(suchasareconfluxofpeopletomarkets，orshows，oranyotherharmlessend)，arelawful。Butwhentheintentionisevil，or(ifthenumberbeconsiderable)unknown，theyareunlawful。

Inbodiespoliticthepoweroftherepresentativeisalwayslimited：

andthatwhichprescribeththelimitsthereofisthepowersovereign。Forpowerunlimitedisabsolutesovereignty。Andthesovereign，ineveryCommonwealth，istheabsoluterepresentativeofallthesubjects；andthereforenoothercanberepresentativeofanypartofthem，butsofarforthasheshallgiveleave：andtogiveleavetoabodypoliticofsubjectstohaveanabsoluterepresentative，toallintentsandpurposes，weretoabandonthegovernmentofsomuchoftheCommonwealth，andtodividethedominion，contrarytotheirpeaceanddefence，whichthesovereigncannotbeunderstoodtodo，byanygrantthatdoesnotplainlyanddirectlydischargethemoftheirsubjection。Forconsequencesofwordsarenotthesignsofhiswill，whenotherconsequencesaresignsofthecontrary；butrathersignsoferrorandmisreckoning，towhichallmankindistooprone。

Theboundsofthatpowerwhichisgiventotherepresentativeofabodypoliticaretobetakennoticeoffromtwothings。Oneistheirwrit，orlettersfromthesovereign：theotheristhelawoftheCommonwealth。

ForthoughintheinstitutionoracquisitionofaCommonwealth，whichisindependent，thereneedsnowriting，becausethepoweroftherepresentativehastherenootherboundsbutsuchasaresetoutbytheunwrittenlawofnature；yetinsubordinatebodies，therearesuchdiversitiesoflimitationnecessary，concerningtheirbusinesses，times，andplaces，ascanneitherberememberedwithoutletters，nortakennoticeof，unlesssuchlettersbepatent，thattheymaybereadtothem，andwithalsealed，ortestified，withthesealsorotherpermanentsignsoftheauthoritysovereign。

Andbecausesuchlimitationisnotalwayseasyorperhapspossibletobedescribedinwriting，theordinarylaws，commontoallsubjects，mustdeterminewhattherepresentativemaylawfullydoinallcaseswherethelettersthemselvesaresilent。AndthereforeInabodypolitic，iftherepresentativebeoneman，whatsoeverhedoesinthepersonofthebodywhichisnotwarrantedinhisletters，norbythelaws，ishisownact，andnottheactofthebody，norofanyothermemberthereofbesideshimself：becausefurtherthanhislettersorthelawslimit，herepresentethnoman’sperson，buthisown。Butwhathedoesaccordingtotheseistheactofeveryone：foroftheactofthesovereigneveryoneisauthor，becauseheistheirrepresentativeunlimited；andtheactofhimthatrecedesnotfromthelettersofthesovereignistheactofthesovereign，andthereforeeverymemberofthebodyisauthorofit。

Butiftherepresentativebeanassembly，whatsoeverthatassemblyshalldecree，notwarrantedby