Reading Time: 3 minutes [362 words]

NICHOLAS BAYARD. 533

hy that it plainly appears to be the right of the subject to
petition the House of Commons, or the King. The proviso
in that act eays, ‘that neither that act, nor anything therein
contained, shall be construed to extend or hinder any person
or persons, not exceeding the number of ten, to present any
publie or private grievance or complaint to any member of
the House of Commons after his election, or to the king’s
majesty.”? By the act of recognition of William and Mary,
declaring the rights and liberties of the subjects, and settling
the succession of the crown, it is enacted, amongst other
things ‘‘that it is the right of the subject to petition the king;
and all commitments and prosecutions for such petition-
ing are illegal.” And they do claim, demand, and insist,
upon all and singular the premises, as their undoubted rights
and liberties; and that no declaration, judgment, doings or
‘proceedingg, to the prejudice of the people, in any the said
premises, ought in any wise hereafter to be drawn into conse-
quence or example. Here is no grant of any new privilege,
but a claim and acknowledgment of an ancient right; and pe-
titions to the parliament are as ancient as parliaments them-
selves. If the subjects of the plantations may not petition
and complain to their prince, they are in a worse condition
than glaves. The eries of the oppressions in the plantations
have gone up to heaven, and are again come down upon the
earth, and have inspired and moved the king and Partia-
ment of England to make a law to check the exorbitant ac-
tions of governors in the plantations, and make them ac-
countable in England for their miscarriages abroad; which
ean never be discovered to the king but by petition.”

This prosecution seems to be made to frustrate and evade
this act of Parliament, The subject is oppressed, or eon-
ceives himself to be eo, and complains of this oppreasion; this

1This aet provided that if any governor of any colony should be
guilty of oppressing his majesty’s subjects beyond the sess, or
should be guilty of any other crime or offense, the same should be
inquired of by the eourt of king’s bench in England, and such pan-

ishments inflicted aa were usually inflicted for offenses of a like
nature committed in England.

Related Posts