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LONDON: HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS,

ST. MARTIN'S LANE.

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

Memoirs of the leading Lawyers in the House continued-Con-

trast between the two Tory and Whig Chancellors of the

reign of Queen Anne and George I.--Harcourt and Cow-

per-Proud Lineage of Harcourt: his eloquence in Par-

liament-Specimens of his oratory against Sir J. Fenwick's

attainder-Unscrupulous in election committees-A man

without shame, though very able-His farewell to the

House-Defence of Dr. Sacheverell-Appointed Lord

Keeper-Deficient in legal knowledge-Anecdote of his

career in office, and opposition-A trimming statesman-

Life of Lord Chancellor Cowper-The Will Bigamy' of

Swift-Spoke thrice on the day of taking his seat-Equally

successful in the Commons and at the bar-An excellent

Lord Keeper, calumniated, but learned, courteous, and

dignified-Patron of Hughes, Protector of Richard Crom-

well, Champion of Atterbury

CHAPTER II.

Memoir of another Chancellor of Whig creation, Peter King-

When a youth up to the elbows in grocery-Kinsman of

Locke, author of a theological work at twenty-Sent to

Leyden-Returned to Parliament, with Cowper, for Beer-

alston-Dissuaded by Locke from speaking too soon-

Extracts from his correspondence with the great philoso-

pher-A frequent speaker-Zealous Whig-Appointed

Chief Justice-Anecdote of his humanity-Succeeded

Lord Macclesfield as Chancellor-Feeble and inefficient—

Attacked by Whiston for his distribution of church patron-

age-Struck with apoplexy-Memoir of another pupil of

the good old Whig school, Sir Joseph Jekyll-Vindicated

for his patriotism and odd-fashioned integrity-Sturdily

independent in his votes and speeches-Fought à l'outrance

against duellists and gin-drinkers-An excellent Master of

VOL. II.

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the Rolls for twenty-two years-Wrote in defence of his

office-Anecdote of his intercourse with Whiston-Be-

queathed his fortune towards paying off the national debt-

Well for the world were there more such visionaries to be

found in it!

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CHAPTER III.

Sketches of other eminent Lawyers in the House, but whose

celebrity in the senate was incommensurate with their

reputation at the bar-Chief Justice Holt maintained the

independence of his office against both Lords and Com-

mons-Anecdote of his threat to the Speaker apocryphal

-Most emphatic on the bench-Heneage Finch, the sil-

ver-tongued Solicitor-General, at twenty-nine-Advocate

against Lord William Russell and Sydney-Exchanged

sharp words with Jeffries-Returned to the Convention for

Oxford, and well baited there-Reduced from the weight

of obloquy to the condition of a mute-Created by Queen

Anne a baron; by George I. an earl-Sketch of his con-

temporaries, Pollexfen, Sir George Treby, Sir John

Trenchard, and Sir John Hawles-Miserable speaker-

Admirable pamphleteer-Of Serjeant Pengelly, made the

subject of Steele's quips and gibes-Of Roger North, the

biographer, and Sir Robert Raymond-His valiant stand

in Parliament against the statutes being in English-

Superstition of lawyers for antiquity

CHAPTER IV.

The vindictive privileges of the House reviewed and illustrated
-First over their own Members-Punishments for con-
tempt-Instances of naming by the Speaker-Reprimand
from the chair-Further punishment-Committals to the
custody of the Serjeant, and to the Tower-Examples—
The sentences of the Long Parliament disgraced by
grievous partiality-Instances of infliction of penalty after
the Revolution-Members sometimes, but rarely, sus-
pended from attending-The more favourite remedy, their
extreme act of senatorial power, the sentence of expulsion
-Its necessity asserted-To be exercised with peculiar
caution-The principle well explained in the discussion on
the expulsion of Wilkes-First precedent in the reign of

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Henry VII-Expulsion of Mr. Norton considered-Of Sir

Charles Piggott and Mr. Shepherd-Puritan rigour abused

the privilege most capriciously-Expulsions vigorously

plied by the despotic majorities of the Long Parliament—

Examples-Propriety of expulsions by the Pensioner Par-

liament considered-After the Revolution, of Sir Henry

Monson, Mr. Cholmondely-Mr. Archdale-Sir Richard

Sawyer, Sir J. Trevor-Mr. Hungerford-Anecdotes of

that clever lawyer, and others punished for corruption-Of

Henry Grey, Duncombe, Shepherd, Lord Ranelagh-

Of members unjustly expelled-Ridge and Cardonnell-

Walpole Justice of the stroke of vengeance in his case

considered

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CHAPTER V.

Members expelled for religious and political libels-Mr. Asgill's

strange history and character-Sir Richard Steele sacri-

ficed to the spleen of faction-Account of his expulsion for

the publication of an alleged libellous pamphlet―The

Crisis-Gallantry of Lord Finch-Majority of expulsions

in the reign of George I. necessary Of Pryce Of Foster

-The South Sea Directors-Of Aislabie, Chancellor of

the Exchequer Of the Directors of the Charitable Corpo-

ration-More questionable of Mr. Vernon-Undoubted

necessity for expelling Mr. Ward-Anecdotes of that

miscreant-Increased moderation under George II.-Fewer

expulsions during the sixty years of George III. than in two

years of George I.-The few instances inevitable-Colonel

Cawthorne-Benjamin Walsh-Lord Cochrane-Kneeling

at the bar, once insisted on, disobeyed by Jenkins, the

Welsh Judge-Alexander Murray peremptorily refused to

kneel-His sufferings in consequence-By his firmness the

odious ceremony abolished-As obsolete and barbarous, as

the Chinese kotou

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CHAPTER VI.

The Convention used their spiriting gently'-Instances-Con-
trasted with the Long Parliament and its wild excesses of
tyranny Vindictive privileges of the House over stran-
gers considered-Their right of commitment for contempt
unquestionable Of witnesses-Returning officers and all

concerned in the election of Members-Of petitioners-

Their mode of dealing with election petitions capricious

and unjust-Examples-Rigour of their conduct to

petitioners in general-The abhorrers-Kentish petitioners

in 1701-Hardships of Mr. Colepepper-Right to petition.

not conceded by their representatives to the people till

the middle of the 18th century-Harsh and hasty in their

punishments for slander or libels on Members-Morbidly

sensitive to reports and all aspersions on their dignity-

Regardless of the lessons taught by history and phi-

losophy .

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CHAPTER VII.

The vindictive privileges necessarily unpopular that were

founded on usurpation-Libels on Religion or the State

punished by the House at pleasure as constructive libels.

on themselves-Specimens of the pestilent books burnt

by order of the House-Notice of several libels committed

to the flames by their order-Bishop Burnet's pamphlet,

"King William and Queen Mary Conquerers "-De Foe's

"Shortest Way with Dissenters "-Tutchin's "Obser-

vator"-Rev. R. Steevens' "Memorial of the Church of

England"-Dr. Binckes' 30th of January "Sermon "-

Dr. Coward's "Second Thoughts"-The Bishop of St.

Asaph's "Preface to Four Sermons "The House drew

all into their drag-net by constructive contempt, votes of

censure, and criminatory resolutions-Addresses for pro-

secutions by Attorney-General-Offenders included often

not amenable to the jurisdiction of Parliament-Prosecu-

tions directed by the House abortive to a proverb-Ex-

amples-Extraordinary penal legislation-Acts of Attain-

der condemned, from the first precedent of Cromwell Earl

of Essex to the attainder of Sir John Fenwicke-Debate

on his condemnation-Gallant stand made by the Tories

-Bills of Pains and Penalties equally unjust-That for

prolonging the imprisonment of Major Bernardi forty

years without trial denounced-Not less flagrant the

banishment inflicted by an ex post facto law on the plotting

Dr. Atterbury-Summary acts of penal justice too great

and dangerous a power for man to exercise over man

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