THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION 21

may be parked. This habit of "delegating" authority—that is,
handing it over, on condition, to somebody other than Parlia-
ment-—has steadily grown as the number of matters with which
Government must deal* has increased. The advantage of the
practice is that it makes quick decisions possible; the danger is
that Parliament may give away so much of its power that it would
be unable to reassert itself if it wished. The position can be
understood from the Emergency Powers Act passed in 1920
when the Government feared widespread strikes. This Act gives
the Privy Council power to proclaim a State of Emergency if
it has reason to fear that any large section of the people may be
deprived of the necessaries of life. While the State of Emergency
lasts the Government may issue orders restricting the people's
rights to hold meetings, and commandeering property. But such
orders must be approved by Parliament shortly after they are
made, and if the State of Emergency is to continue for more
than a month a fresh Proclamation and renewed Parliamentary
approval will be necessary. This Act was used in 1926 and the
summer holidays of M.P.s' were interrupted by the necessity
for monthly meetings. It may well be argued that if the
Government cannot use powers of this kind, a resolute group of
people could overthrow it and set up a tyranny. On the other
hand, the Government itself, in the first few days, or indeed at
any time during a State of Emergency, might use its powers to
such effect, arresting its opponents and seizing property, that it
could ignore Parliament and rule in defiance of the law. The
authority of Parliament can, like any other authority, be over-
thrown illegally, by force; the phrase "Parliament is Sovereign*'
means simply that it cannot be overthrown by any legal means.
But if Parliament is Sovereign,' what is the position of the
people? Has not the House of Commons to be elected, at least
once every five years? It has; but only because the Parliament
Act requires it. If the present Parliament chose to alter that Act
,and prolong its own life indefinitely, there would be no illegality.
During the Great War a Parliament did in fact prolong its life,