This volume of essays is about something which (for many) does not exist and yet which remains central to our understanding of English politics, history and national identity - the constitution. As European integration and demands for constitutional reform have once again moved the constitution to the centre of contemporary politics, an impressive team of contributors re-examines aspects of the debates over the meaning of the constitution and 'public opinion' in the long nineteenth century, from a sedition trial in the 1790s to the enfranchisement of certain women in 1918. With essays engaging with the histories of law, medicine and even with History as a discipline, the book takes stock of the current state of the new cultural history of English politics after the so-called 'linguistic turn', consolidating upon much of the most innovative work in recent years - particularly by younger scholars - as well as suggesting new ways of re-reading the traditional narratives of English political history.