The constitution of England; or, An account of the English government |
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advantages afterwards ancient assembly bill body called cause CHAP Charles circumstances citizens common law consequence constitution consuls continued court of chancery courts of equity crime crown danger decemvirs degree effect election enacted endeavour England English government English law enjoy established evil executive power exercise farther favour framed France give granting house of commons house of lords Hugh Capet individual influence instance judges jury justice kind king king of England king's kingdom latter legislative legislature lords magistrates manner means ment mention monarchy nation nature necessary never nobles observe opinion oppression parliament party peculiar persons political possessed prætor precautions prerogative present prince principles privilege proceedings procure proposed public liberty punishment regard reign remedy render republic respect revolution Roman Roman laws Roman republic Rome senate sovereign taken thing tion tribunes twelve tables votes whole words writ
Popular passages
Page 33 - AN ACT DECLARING THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF THE SUBJECT, AND SETTLING THE SUCCESSION OF THE CROWN.
Page 52 - Will you to the utmost of your " power maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the " gospel, and the protestant reformed religion established " by the law ? And will you preserve unto the bishops and " clergy of this realm, and to the churches committed to " their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do " or shall appertain unto them, or any of them ? — King " or queen. All this I promise to do.
Page 171 - And, lastly, to vindicate these rights when actually violated or attacked, the subjects of England are entitled, in the first place, to the regular administration and free course of justice in the courts of law ; next, to the right of petitioning the king and parliament for redress of grievances ; and, lastly, to the right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defence.
Page 51 - Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this kingdom of England, and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in parliament agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same?
Page 54 - That the freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in Parliament, ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament.
Page 170 - That King James II., having endeavoured to subvert the constitution of the kingdom, by breaking the original contract between king and people ; and by the advice of Jesuits and other wicked persons, having violated the fundamental laws and having withdrawn himself out of the kingdom, has abdicated the government, and that the throne is thereby vacant.
Page 20 - ... Charta, forms the basis of the English constitution. If from the latter the English are to date the origin of their liberty, from the former they are to date the establishment of it : and as the Great Charter was the bulwark that protected the freedom of individuals, so was the statute in question the engine which protected the charter itself, and by the help of which the people were thenceforth to make legal conquests over the authority of the crown.
Page 105 - These pitiful evasions gave rise to the statute 16 Car. I. c. 10. § 8. whereby it is enacted, that if any person be committed by the king himself in person, or by his privy council, or by any of the members thereof, he shall have granted unto him, without any delay upon any pretence whatsoever, a writ of habeas corpus...
Page 106 - Guernsey, or any places beyond the seas, within or without the king's dominions; on pain that the party committing, his advisers, aiders, and assistants, shall forfeit to the party aggrieved a sum not less than 500Z.
Page 86 - But in a state where the ministers of the laws meet with obstacles at every step, even their strongest passions are continually put in motion; and that portion of public authority, deposited with them as the instrument of national tranquillity, easily becomes a most formidable weapon. Let us begin with the most favourable supposition, and imagine a prince whose intentions are in every case thoroughly upright; let us even suppose that he never lends an ear to the suggestions of those whose interest...