Thoughthelord-lieutenantandthejusticesofthepeacewerenominatedbythecrown，theirauthoritycameinfactasanalmostspontaneousconsequenceoftheirbirthrightortheiracquiredpositioninthecountry。Theyshonebytheirownlightandwerereallytheultimatesourcesofauthority。Seatsinparliament，prefermentsinthechurch，commissionsinthearmybelongedtothemliketheirestates；andtheyseemedtobequalifiedbynature，ratherthanbyappointment，toactinjudicialandadministrativecapacities。Thesystemof’self-government’embodiesthisview。Thefunctionsofgovernmentwereassignedtomenalreadypowerfulbytheirsocialposition。TheabsenceofthecentralisedhierarchyofofficialsgavetoEnglishmenthesenseofpersonallibertywhichcompelledtheadmirationofVoltaireandhiscountrymenintheeighteenthcentury。InEnglandwerenolettresdecachet，andnoBastille。
Amancouldsaywhathethoughtandactwithoutfearofarbitraryrule。Therewasnosuchsystemasthatwhich，inFrance，putstheagentsofthecentralpowerabovetheordinarylawoftheland。Thisimplieswhathasbeencalledthe’ruleofthelaw’inEngland。’Withuseveryofficialfromtheprimeministerdowntoaconstableoracollectoroftaxes’asProfessorDiceyexplainstheprinciple’isunderthesameresponsibilityforeveryactdonewithoutlegaljustificationasanyothercitizen。’25*TheearlycentralisationoftheEnglishmonarchyhadmadethelawsupreme，andinsteadofgeneratinganewstructurehadcombinedandregulatedtheexistingsocialforces。Thesovereignpowerwasthusfarmedtothearistocracyinsteadofforminganorganofitsown。Insteadofresigningpowertheywereforcedtoexerciseitonconditionofthoroughresponsibilitytothecentraljudiciary。Theirprivilegeswerenotdestroyedbutwerecombinedwiththedischargeofcorrespondingduties。Whatevertheirshortcomings，theywerepreservedfromthedecaywhichistheinevitableconsequenceofadivorceofdutiesfromprivileges。
Anotheraspectofthecaseisequallyclear。Iftheprivilegeisassociatedwithaduty，thedutymayalsoberegardedasaprivilege。Thedoctrineseemstomarkanaturalstageintheevolutionoftheconceptionofdutytothestate。Thepowerwhichislefttoamemberoftherulingclassisalsopartofhisdignity。Thuswehaveanamalgamationbetweentheconceptionsofprivatepropertyandpublictrust。’Insofarastheidealoffeudalismisperfectlyrealised，’ithasbeensaid，26*’allthatwecancallpubliclawismergedinprivatelaw；jurisdictionisproperty；officeisproperty；thekingshipitselfisproperty。’Thisfeudalidealwasstillpreservedwithmanyoftheinstitutionsdescendedfromfeudalism。Theking’srighttohisthronewasregardedasofthesamekindastherighttoaprivateestate。Hisrightsaskingwerealsohisrightsastheowneroftheland。27*Subordinatelandownershadsimilarrights，andastheroyalpowerdiminishedgreaterpowersfelltotheaggregateofconstitutionalkingletswhogovernedthecountry。Eachofthemwasfromonepointofviewanofficial，buteachalsoregardedhisofficeaspartofhisproperty。Thecountrybelongedtohimandhisclassratherthanhetothecountry。Weoccasionallyfindthequainttheorywhichdeducedpoliticalrightsfrompropertyinland。Thefreeholdersweretheownersofthesoilandmightgivenoticetoquittotherestofthepopulation。28*
Theyhadthereforeanaturalrighttocarryongovernmentintheirowninterests。
Therulingclasses，however，werenotmarkedofffromothersbyanydeeplineofdemarcation；theycouldselltheirownshareinthegovernmenttoanybodywhowasrichenoughtobuyit，andtherewasaconstantinfluxofnewblood。Moreover，theydidinfactimprovetheirestatewithverygreatenergy，anddischargedroughly，butinmanywaysefficiently，thedutieswhichwerealsopartoftheirproperty。Thenoblemanoreventhesquirewasmorethananindividual；asheadofafamilyhewasalifetenantofestateswhichhedesiredtotransmittohisdescendants。Hewasa’corporationsole’