登陆注册
5247300000018

第18章 V. (1)

How the Common Law of England stood at and for some Time after the coming in of King William IIt is the Honour and Safety, and therefore the just Desire of Kingdoms that recognize no Superior but God, that their Laws have those two Qualifications, viz. 1st. That they be not dependent upon any Foreign Power; for a Dependency in Laws derogates from the Honour and Integrity of the Kingdom, and from the Power and Sovereignty of the Prince thereof. Secondly, That they taste not of Bondage or Servitude; for that derogates from the Dignity of the Kingdom, and from the Liberties of the People thereof.

In Relation to the former Consideration, the Kings of this Realm, and their great Councils, have always been jealous and careful, that they admitted not any Foreign Power, (especially such as pretended Authority to improve Laws upon other free Kingdoms or States) nor to countenance the Admission of such Laws here as were derived from such a Power.

Rome, as well Ancient as Modern, pretended a kind of universal Power and Interest; the former by their Victories, which were large, and extended even to Britain itself; and the later upon the Pretence of being Universal Bishop or Vicar-General in all Matters Ecclesiastical; so that upon Pretence of the former, the Civil Law, and upon Pretence of the later, the Canon Law was introduc'd, or pretended to some Kind of Right in the Territories of some absolute Princes, and among others here in England: But this kingdom has been always very jealous of giving too much Countenance to either of those Laws, and has always shewn a just Indignation and Resentment against any Encroachments of this Kind, either by the one Law or the other. It is true, as before is shewn, that in the Admiralty and Military Courts, the Civil Law has been admitted, and in the Ecclesiastical Courts, the Canon Law has been in some Particulars admitted. But still they carry such Marks and Evidences about them, whereby it may be known that they bind not, nor have the Authority of Laws from themselves, but from the authoritative Admission of this Kingdom.

And, as thus the Kingdom, for the Reasons before given, never admitted the Civil or the Canon Law to be the Rule of the Administration of Common Justice in this Kingdom; so neither has it endured any Laws to be imposed upon the People by any Right of Conquest, as being unsuitable to the Honour or Liberty of the English Kingdom, to recognize their Laws as given them at the Will and Pleasure of a Conqueror. And hence it was, that altho' the People unjustly assisted King Hen. 4 in his Usurpation of the Crown, yet he was not admitted thereunto, until he had declared, that he claimed not as a Conqueror, but as a Successor; only he reserved to himself the Liberty of extending a Pretence of Conquest against the Scroops that were slain in Battle against him; which yet he durst not rest upon without a Confirmation in Parliament. Vide Rot. Parl. 1 H. 4. No. 56. & Pars 2. Ibid. No 17.

And upon the like Reason it was, That King William I tho' he be called the Conqueror, and his attaining the Crown here, is often in History, and in some Records, called Conquestus Angliae;yet in Truth it was not such a Conquest as did, or could alter the Laws of this Kingdom, or impose Laws upon the People Per Modum Conquestus, or Jure Belli: And therefore, to wipe off that false Imputation upon our Laws, as if they were the Fruit or Effect of a Conquest, or carried in them the Badge of Servitude to the Will of the Conqueror, which Notion some ignorant and prejudiced Persons have entertain'd; I shall rip up, and lay open this whole Business from the Bottom, and to that End enquire into the following Particulars, viz.

1. Of the Thing called Conquest, what it is, when attained, and the Rights thereof.

2. Of the several Kinds of Conquest, and their Effects, as to the Alteration of Laws by the Victor.

3. How the English Laws stood at the Entry of King William the First.

4. By what Title he entred, and whether by such a Right of Conquest as did, or could, alter the English Laws.

5. Whether De Facto there was any Alteration of the said Laws, and by what Means after his coming in.

First, Touching the first of these, viz. Conquest, what it is, when attain'd, and the Rights thereof. It is true, That it seems to be admitted as a kind of Law among all Nations, That in Case of a Solemn War between Supream Princes, the Conqueror acquires a Right of Dominion, as well as a Property over the Things and Persons that are fully conquered; and the Reasons assign'd are Principally these, viz.

同类推荐
  • 皱水轩词筌

    皱水轩词筌

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • LAWS

    LAWS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Real Thing

    The Real Thing

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 民权素诗话

    民权素诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 韦十一娘传

    韦十一娘传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 医庶成狂:盛宠世子妃

    医庶成狂:盛宠世子妃

    21世纪的天才医生苏小小,因为一场催眠事故,不小心重生在苍蓝大陆西凉国成为药学家族意外身死的天才庶女身上。没事儿,医经在手天下我有!姐过目不忘,毁了看谁敢抢!医也好,毒也好,药这东西就和女人一样是把双刃剑,用对就好。医术么?简单!催眠术么?更简单!各国皇子,她桃花不断,唯一有挑战性的,大概只有眼前这冰块儿将军了吧?“娘子,咳咳,为夫有隐疾,这……”“放松,我帮你检查检查,治愈治愈!”【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 天隐星辰

    天隐星辰

    这是群雄云集的世界,拥有一切的可能,无数的机遇等待我们。
  • 念佛三昧

    念佛三昧

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 手机系统有点坑

    手机系统有点坑

    魔幻时代,神奇游戏世界,含有多个次元世界,游戏中特殊道具和一部分的力量,能带回现实中。但诸多玩家进入魔幻时代,已分不清现实和游戏,魔幻时代又因此被称为异世界。魔幻与现实的交错,最终莫天正的选择是……
  • 情寄江湖

    情寄江湖

    《诛仙》、《仙剑四》、《剑网三》,最喜欢的三部作品,虽未必能写出那种境界,但却很喜欢那种感觉,那里江湖的感觉!
  • 空中国防论

    空中国防论

    意大利的朱里奥·杜黑、美国的威廉·米切尔和英国的休·特伦查德是三位X著名的思想家。他们的空军理论,对空军建设和作战理论影响重大,构筑起了牢固的空权理论。《空中国防论》又名《有翼的国防》,是空权论的主要著作。作为卓越的战略家,米切尔认为,航空兵促使了作战方法的革命;空军是未来战争决定性力量;要建起驱逐航空兵、轰炸航空兵、强击航空兵三大兵种;由于空军能深入敌国腹地,短时间内摧毁敌之力量,因此一旦获得制空权,牺牲百万生命的长时战争将不会再有;要建立起由监听站、截击机、探照灯和高炮组成的防空体系,以空军的力量保卫国土。
  • 江山为聘:女帝谋天下

    江山为聘:女帝谋天下

    “想要什么礼物?”“你的兵符。”“送你这块玉佩价值连城,喜欢吗?”“连城是多少城?直接送我疆土好了。”“嫁我好吗?”“等我收你入麾下再说吧。”羲皇王者,争霸天下,巅峰之上,四海称臣。金戈纵马清寰海,我以我心正乾坤!读者群:479023515
  • 花芷兮

    花芷兮

    一个是倾国倾城的妖妃,一个是倾霸天下的鬼帝,两个八竿子打不到的人,却相爱了。她爱他,可是她终于知道了什么叫天生注定,她意识到结局是不可能被改变的。…………“夫人,你又瘦了。是不是没好好吃饭,看为夫怎么惩罚你?”下一秒,他的气息随着霸道的吻,席卷而来。
  • 艾尔德兰伯爵与他的人偶

    艾尔德兰伯爵与他的人偶

    艾尔德兰只有父亲早年留下的一个人偶为伴。但是在一次意外中人偶受到了严重的外伤,出于无奈的情况下艾尔德兰只好冒险一搏……
  • 洪荒大自在道

    洪荒大自在道

    无所达致,自然而然,自在自适,不假他求,不须外物,自我圆满。此谓之——大自在!