ances or by-laws. But when the state expresses
its will through the regular channels, the formal expression is called a
law.

The Three Branches of Government.--After a law is made it needs to be
carried into effect. Incidentally questions will come up as to its meaning
and application. Government, then, has three great functions or powers
with regard to law.

In our government, and to a greater or less extent in all free countries,
these powers are vested in three _distinct_ sets of persons. If one person
or group of persons could make the laws, interpret them, and enforce
obedience to them as interpreted, the power of such person or persons
would be unlimited, and unlimited power begets tyranny. One of the
purposes of a constitution is to limit the power of the government within
its proper sphere, and to prevent misuse of authority; and this
organization of the government in three departments, each acting
independently so far as may be, and acting as a check upon the others, is
one of the modes of limitation.

The law-making, the law-interpreting, and the law-enforcing branches are
called respectively the legislative, the judicial, and the executive
branches.

CHAPTER XII.

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.

Bicameral.--The legislature of every state consists of two chambers or
houses. The _reason_ for this is that during colonial times most of the
legislatures consisted of two houses, the governor's council and the
representative assembly. Then on becoming states, each of the "old
thirteen," except Pennsylvania, organized bicameral legislatures. And the
new states, being largely settled by people from the older states,
naturally followed their example. The structure of congress has also had
much influence.

The _advantages_ to be derived from having two houses are numerous.
Perhaps the only one which it is necessary to mention here is that it
tends to prevent hasty legislation, because under this arrangement a bill
must be considered at least twice before passage.

Apportionment.--As the population of a state is changeful, the
constitution does not usually specify the number of members to compose
each house. This is determined, within certain limitations imposed in the
constitution, by the legislature itself. A re-apportionment is usually
made every five years, after a census by the state or general government.
The number of senators usually ranges between thirty and fifty; that of
representatives from seven