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entitled to vote for the county in which such borough should be situated. 3. That an addition of knights of the shire and of representatives of the metropolis, should be added to the state of the representation.

The Ladies interrupt the Business of the House of Commons

for two Hours.

MR. HATSELL relates, [early part of reign of George III.,] that it being insisted that the order for clearing the House of Commons of strangers should be put in execution at a time when the whole gallery, and the seats under the front gallery, were filled with ladies— Captain Johnstone of the navy, (commonly called Governor Johnstone), being angry that the House was cleared of all "the men strangers," amongst whom were some friends he had introduced, insisted that "all strangers" should withdraw. This produced a violent ferment for a long time, the ladies showing great reluctance to comply with the orders of the House; so that, by this perseverance, business was interrupted for nearly two hours. But at length they were compelled to submit.

Laws of this Country described.—Seventeenth Century. THE laws of this country are quite unworthy of a free people. They deserve from first to last to be seriously debated and considered, and reduced to an agreement with right reason and common equity, which ought to be the form and life of every government. The Norman way for ending of controversies was much more abusive than the English way; yet William the Conqueror, contrary to his oath, introduced the laws of the Normans and their vexatious and litigious way amongst us, controversies of all natures having before a quick and final despatch in every hundred. He erected a trade of judges and lawyers, to sell justice and injustice at his own unconscionable rate, and in what time he pleased; the corruption whereof is yet remaining upon us, to our continual impoverishing and molestation.-Rare Pamphlet, reign of Charles I.

What, not being comprehensible to persons of ordinary intelligence, is a technical System invented for the Creation of Costs.

13TH FEBRUARY, 1850.-The Solicitor-General [Sir John Romilly] said he must warn the House, if they attempted legal reforms, that they must not allow lawyer after lawyer to get up and tell them, that they were not capable of understanding the subject. The House

might depend upon it, if they could not reduce a legal proposition to the plain principles of common sense, comprehensible to persons of ordinary intelligence and understanding, the defect was that it was a technical system invented for the creation of costs, and not to promote the due administration of justice.

When the Lawyer will remain quiet in his Cabinet. In defence of what the whole body of Lawyers will rush out.

In the debate on the Irish Court of Chancery Bill, February 1850, Mr. Cockburn said that such a case as an honourable and learned gentleman had attempted to put forward against the bill, put him in mind of an old and memorable saying of a celebrated nobleman— Earl Chatham-which, though uttered long ago, appeared applicable to the present day—that if you were to introduce a measure to shake the British constitution to its centre, the lawyer would remain quiet in his cabinet; but if you attempted to shake one of the cobwebs in Westminster Hall, the whole body of lawyers would rush out to its defence.

Lord Chancellor Truro.

LORD Brougham said, in the House of Lords, 11th July, 1850, that if the arrangement of having the Great Seal in commission were to be put an end to, and the Great Seal was to be entrusted to any individual, he did not know any person to whom he should wish to see it entrusted rather than to one of the most amiable, most learned, and most experienced lawyers in Westminster Hall-a man experienced in Chancery proceedings from his former profession, and of great experience in common law; and he begged leave to add, as the crowning words of his eulogy, that he did not know a more honourable, honest, and entirely independent man than Chief Justice Wilde.

As to a new Law three Things to be considered. MARCH, 1562. House of Lords. Lord Montague said the prince or commonwealth that will make a new law, ought to consider three things: 1st. That the same law be necessary. 2nd. That it be just and reasonable. 3rd. That it be possible and commodious, apt and fit to be put in execution. Unto these three qualities may be reduced all other that are requisite, to the end the law should be good.

Going to Principals for Instructions and Ballotting Boxes. In a debate in the House of Commons, March, 1668-9, Sir Richard Temple said he hoped we should not imitate Holland, and go to our principals for instructions. He had heard of ballotting boxes; they had had them in Scotland, but they were there weary of them, as precluding all debates.

Parliament of 1523. Nothing done or spoken there, but that it was immediately blown abroad in every Alehouse. Ar the Parliament held at the Blackfriars in London, April, 1523, Cardinal Wolsey is stated to have found himself much grieved with the burgesses thereof; for that nothing was so soon done or spoken therein, but that it was immediately blown abroad in every alehouse.

What Topic the House of Commons hears dwelt on with the
most Impatience.

SIR SAMUEL ROMILLY, in the Diary of his Parliamentary Life,
says:-There is nothing so injudicious as to talk, in the House of
Commons, of a man's own disinterestedness. It is the topic which the
House, with great reason, hears dwelt on with the most impatience.

In what Case the Wealth of the Public will be diminished by a Tax. -Extract from Sir William Petty's Political Arithmetic, first published in 1687.

If the stocks of laborious and ingenious men, who are not only beautifying the country where they live, by elegant dyet, apparel, furniture, housing, pleasant gardens, orchards, and publick edifices, &c., but are also increasing the gold, silver, and jewels of the country by trade and arms; I say, if the stocks of these men should be diminished by a tax, and transferred to such as do nothing at all but eat and drink, sing, play, and dance; nay, to such as study the metaphysics, or other needless speculation; or else employ themselves in any other way, which produces no material thing, or things of real use and value in the commonwealth: In this case the wealth of the publick will be diminished, otherwise than as such exercises

are recreations and refreshments of the mind; and which being moderately used, do qualify and dispose men to what in itself is more considerable.

Resolution of the House of Commons, that the High Court of Chancery should be forthwith taken away.-Reference to a Committee to consider how Chancery Causes might be determined.

5TH AUGUST, 1653. House of Commons. The House this day, according to former order, took into consideration the business of the Court of Chancery.

Resolved, That the High Court of Chancery of England shall be forthwith taken away: and that a Bill be brought in for that

purpose. Resolved, That it be referred to the Committee of the Law, to prepare a Bill for this purpose; and report it to the House.

Ordered, That it be referred to the same Committee, to consider how the causes, now depending in Chancery, may be determined; and likewise a provision for the determining, for the future, matters of Equity, and putting in order other matters of Law, which are within the jurisdiction of that Court; and forthwith to bring in a Bill for that purpose.

Protection in 1815.

IN debates in the House of Lords, March and April, 1840, Lord Ashburton said that in 1815 there were many gentlemen who contended that the price of wheat ought to be kept up to 80s. per quarter: there were gentlemen in the House of Commons who even thought that 80s. was not sufficient; some went so far as to say that the protection ought to go as high as 1208.; and Sir Henry Parnell expressed an opinion that 125s. would be a fair protecting duty.

The Popish Religion, as described in a Petition and

Remonstrance, 1621.

19 JAMES I. 1621. The House of Commons presented a petition and remonstrance to the King against Popery, in which the Popish Religion is thus described :-The Popish Religion is incompatible with ours, in respect of their positions. It draweth with it an unavoid

able dependency on foreign princes. It hath a restless spirit, and will strive by these gradations:-if it once get but a connivance, it will press for a toleration; if that should be obtained, they must have an equality; from thence they will aspire to superiority, and will never rest till they get a subversion of the true religion.

Growth of Popery, 1670.

IN 1670, both Houses of Parliament presented a petition to the King, stating that there were great numbers of Priests and Jesuits frequenting the cities of London and Westminster, and most of the counties of the kingdom, more than formerly, seducing his Majesty's good subjects and also stating the great insolencies of the Papists in Ireland, in which country Archbishops and Bishops, reputed to be made such by the Pope, publicly appeared in opposition unto those made under his Majesty's authority according to the established religion; and that Peter Talbot, the reputed Archbishop of Dublin, was publicly consecrated such at Antwerp with great and public solemnity; from whence he came to London, where he exercised his function; and was all along his journey to Chester treated with the character of his Grace by the Papists whom he visited; and at his landing in Dublin he was received with very great solemnity by those of the Popish religion there; where also he exercised his function publicly, great multitudes then flocking to him, and continuing to do the same.

Extract from Lord Chancellor Clarendon's Observations upon

the Pope's usurped Supremacy.

It is no more excuse for the English Roman Catholics, than it is security for the King, that they say they do not acknowledge any temporal authority to be in the Pope, so that he cannot disturb the peace of the kingdom; and that if himself came to invade the kingdom, they would themselves oppose and resist him with the same courage as they would fight against the Turk. Spiritual authority hath done too much mischief to be undervalued, or to be believed to have less mind to do mischief than it hath had; nor do they who talk of resisting it know to what degree they would resist, or to what degree they would not assist it, if there were occasion. No man yet knows what themselves mean by that spiritual authority which they own to be in the Pope, and which they would before this time have carefully

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