The Constitution of England: Or, An Account of the English Government; in which it is Compared Both with the Republican Form of Government, and the Other Monarchies in Europe

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G. Wilkie, 1816 - Constitutional history - 556 pages
"A classic treatment of the English constitution and of comparative constitutional law, said to have prompted Bentham's remark that "Our author [Blackstone] has copied: but Mr. de L'olme has thought"; with the frontispiece of de Lolme."--Meyer Boswell books description

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Page 91 - 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...
Page 190 - And yet, early in the reign of Charles I. the court of king's bench, relying on some arbitrary precedents, and those perhaps misunderstood, determined that they could not upon a habeas corpus either bail or deliver a prisoner, though committed without any cause assigned, in case he was committed by the special command of the king, or by the lords of the privy council.
Page 91 - 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? — The king or queen shall say, I solemnly promise so to do.
Page 295 - The liberty of the press, as established in England, consists therefore (to define it more precisely) in this, that neither the courts of justice, nor any other judges whatever, are authorized to take notice of writings intended for the press, but are confined to those which are actually printed, and must, in these cases, proceed by the trial by jury.
Page 92 - Power maintain the Laws of God, the true Profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by 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 and Queen : All this I promise to do.
Page 315 - second, 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people — and, by the advice of Jesuits and other " wicked persons, having violated the fundamental laws, " and having withdrawn himself out of this kingdom — has " abdicated the government, and that the throne is thereby
Page 316 - 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 59 - An Act declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and settling the succession of the Crown.
Page 92 - The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep : so help me God :" and then shall kiss the book (12).
Page 219 - That the reader may be more sensible of the advantages of this division, he is desired to attend to the following considerations. It is, without doubt, absolutely necessary, for securing the constitution of a state, to restrain the executive power : but it is still more necessary to restrain the legislative. What the former can only do by successive steps (I mean subvert the laws), and through a longer or shorter train of enterprises, the latter can do in a moment. As its bare will can give being...

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