composed of twelve honest and unexceptionable

men,

143, By our laws, wilful murder, forgery, house-breaking, house-burning, horse and sleepstealing, rape, highway-robbery, cutting and maiming, piracy, coining, and treason against the king, are punishable with death.

144. Numerous other offences are also punishable with death; but the sentence is generally commuted into transportation for life: smaller offences involve transportation for fourteen or seven years; and petty ones are punished by imprisonment, whipping, pillory, burning in the hand, or by fines,

145, A man who has committed a crime, is charged with it before a justice of the peace: who issues his warrant to the constable for his apprehension.

The justice commits him to the custody of the sheriff in the county gaol, on the oath of the accuser; who, at the assizes, must repeat his charge before the grand jury.

If they find a true bill, he is then tried before the petty jury; and, on being found guilty. receives from the judge, the sentence of the

law.

146. Death is inflicted by hanging: transportation is made to Botany Bay, in New Holland; but many such culprits are employed in England on board of hulks, or old ships: small offenders are sent to houses of correction, and kept to hard labour.

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As the king is the executor of the laws, and as all prosecutions are carried on in his name, he has the power of pardoning eriminals.

147. The constitution of Great Britain s0cures the liberty, as well as the good govern ment, of the people;--

Because no law can be made, without the consent of their representatives in the House of Commons.

Because no tax can be imposed, unless it ori ginates, and first passes, in that house. And Because no man can be punished, in any way, without the consent of twenty-four of his peers, or equals; i.e. by twelve of a grand, and twelve of a petit jury.

148. The public rights of Britons are also se cured by Magna Charta, by the Habeas Corpus Act, by the Bill of Rights, and by innumerable acts or statutes of parliament passed chiefly in the reign of Edward the First, and William the Third.

Obs. The two most enlightened countries in Europe, having published the general principles of government, the one in a document, called the BILL ov Riante, in 1089; and the other in a DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, in 1789, both are subjoined as the most complete, and the least objectionable summaries that were ever compiled on these subjects.

The Lorda spiritual and temporal, and Commons of England, being assembled in a full and free representation of the nation, did, (as their ancestors in like cise had usually done) for vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties, declare,

1. That the pretended power of suspending of laws. or for the execution of laws, by regal authority, withou consent of parliament, is illegal a

That the pretended power of dispensing with lows, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of fate, is illegal!

3. That the commission for erecting the late court "of commissioners for ecclesinstical causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature, are illegal and pernicious:

4. That levying money for, or to the use of the crown, by pretence of prerogative, without grant of parliament, for longer time, or in all other manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal:

5. That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king; and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal:

6. That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent ́of parliament, is against law:

7. That the subjects which are protestants may have arms for their defence, suitable to their conditions, and as allowed by law:

8. That election of members of parliament ought to be free:

9. That the freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in parliament, onght not to be impeached or questioned in any court for place out of parliament;

10. That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted:

11. That jurors ought to be duly impannelled and returned ; and jurors which pass judgment upon men in trials for high-treason ought to be freeholders:

12. That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction, are illegal and void:

13. And that for redress of all grievances and for the amending, strengthening, and preserving of the laws, parliaments ought to be held frequently.

And they do claim, demand, and insist upon all and singular the premises, as their undoubted rights and liherties and that no declarations, judgments, doings, or proceedings, to the prejudice of the people in any of the

said premises, ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter in consequence or example.

Again, in 1789, the National Assembly of France res cognized and declared, in the presence of the Supreme Being, and in the hope of his blessing and favour, the following sacred rights of inen and citizens.

1. Men are born, and always continue, free and equal in respect of their rights. Civil distinctions, therefore, can be founded only on public utility.

2. The end of all political associations, is, the preser◄ vation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of mans and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.

3. The Nation is essentially the source of all sovereignty, nor can any individual, or any body of men, be entitled to any authority which is not expressly derived from it.

4. Political liberty consisting in the power of doing whatever does not injure another; the exercise of the natural rights of every man, has no other limits than those which are necessary to secure to every other mau the free exercise of the same rights and these limits are determinable only by the laws.

5. The law ought to prohibit only netions hurtful to society. What is not prohibited by the law, should not be hindered nor should any oue be compelled to do that which the law does not require.

6. The law is an expression of the will of the community all the people have a right to concur, either personally, or by their representatives, in its formation. It should be the same to all, whether it protects or punishes y and all being equal in its sight, are equally eligible to all honours, places, and employments, according to their different abilities; without any other distinction than that created by their virtues and talents.

7. No man should be accused, arrested, or held in con finement, except in cases determined by the law; und Recording to the forms which it has prescribed. All who promete, solicit, execute, or cause to be exabiited, /

arbitrary orders, ought to be punished : and every person called upon or apprehended by virtue of the law, ought hamediately to obey ; and he renders himself culpable by resistance,

8. The law ought to impose no other penalties than such as are absolutely and evidently necessary; and no one ought to be punished, but in virtue of a law promulgated before the offence, and legally applied.

9. Every man being presumed innocent, till he has been convicted, whenever his detention becomes indispensable, all rigour to him more than is necessary to res cure his person, ought to be provided against by the law.

10. No man orght to be molested on account of his opinions, not even on account of his religious opinions ¿ provided his avowal of them does not disturb the public order established by the law.

11. The unrestrained communication of thoughts and opinions, being one of the most precious rights of man, every person may speak, write, and publish freely, pro vided he is responsible for any abuse of this liberty, in modes determined by the law.

12. A public force being necessary to give security to the rights of all the people, that force is instituted for the benefit of the community, and not for the particular benefit of persons with whom it is entrusted.

13. A common contribution being necessary for the support of the public force, and for defraying the other expenses of government, it ought to be divided equally among the members of the community, according to their ability to pay.

14. Every person has a right, either by himself, or his representative, to a free voice in determining the neces sity of public contributions; the appropriation of them and their amount; their mode of assessment, and their duration.

15. Every community has a right to demand of all its agents, an account of their conduct.

16. Every community in which a security of rights is not provided for, by a separation of powers, wants a Constitution.

17. The right of property being inviolable and sacred, no one ought to be dreprived of it, except in cases of