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29

bers of the corporation makes no change in the being or
powers of the body.

These principles, known and established by every
government on earth, show in what cases one legislature
can repeal or amend the act of a former legislature.

The legislature is the acting state ; it is the only form
of the state in which it can act at all. A convention is a
legislature elected for a particuar purpose ; and for that pur-
pose, the framing of a constitution, organizing the several
departments of the government, it may be convenient to
consider it as a body having powers superior to those of an
ordinaty legislature, and particularly when the constitution
is ratified by the whole body of citizens, acting as indi-
viduals.

But in ordinary cases of legislation, the legislature is
the supreme power, or the state in the only form in which
it can act, as a state.

This body then has always the same powers, and the
legislature of this year may repeal a law enacted the last
year. The reason is, that a law is the will of the state,
acting on itself or on its own members, and the body that
repeals a law is the same body that enacted it.

But in the case of charters granted or debts contracted,
there are two parties, the state and the individuals to whom
a grant or a promise is made ; there are two wills con-
cerned, both of which are essential to the act. In this case
one party has no better right to annul a grant or violate a
promise, than one private person has to annul a covenant

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