4581. LEGISLATURES, Depotism and.—
All the powers of government, legislative,
executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative
body. The concentrating these in the
same hands is precisely the definition of despotic
government. It will be no alleviation
that these powers will be exercised by a plurality
of hands, and not by a single one. One
hundred and seventy-three despots would
surely be as oppressive as one. Let those
who doubt it turn their eyes on the republic
of Venice.—
Notes on Virginia. Washington ed. viii, 361.
Ford ed., iii, 223.
(1782)
