The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-05-23

u Jaii, When you 60 rot G-I case them. MI
Yorkc did not move for the sending of MI
Jones to jai, until Mr.. Jones displeased hin
but, IL is not a very great compliment to pa
TO any Constitution, to say, that il does III
permit man to be Imprisoned, unles he ha
done something TO dispiease persons in power
1t would be difficult, should suppose, TO I'm
any man upon earth, however despotick IN
disposition, who would mol be contente ed wat
the power of sending 10 prison, during u;
pleasure, every one who should dare 10 d'
any thing 10 displease him. Besides, when
am told that there is little danger that tht
Gentlemen in the House of Commons vii
oj1en exercise this power, cannot help oh
serving, that, though the examples may be
few, their effect will, naturally, be great and
general. At this moment, II is true, we see
but one man actually in Jail for having dlsple-
sed these Gentlemen ; but, the tate oil this
man Gas is the effects of all punishments,) )wiii
deter others from expressing their opinions
of the conduct OF those who had the power
10 punish him. And, moreover, 1t is In the
nature Of all power and especially ot assum-
ed, and undersigned power, to increase as 1t
advances in age and, as Magma Charta and
the Law OF the Land have not been suthcient
TO protect Mr. Jones as we have seen him
sent To Jail for having described the conduct
ot one uf the members as an outrage upon
hnbhck Ieehng, what security have We, unless
this power OF Imprisonment be given up,that
we shall not see esh~~ ->'~n sent tO ialls fnr
stating their opinion respecting Rotten Bur-
rougbs, respecting Placemen and Pensioners
sitting in House CT, in short, for making
any declaration, giving amy opinion, stating
any fact, betraying any feeling, whether 10y
writing, by word of mouth, or by gesture,
whict displease any of the Geptemen assem-
bled at st. Stephens Chapel
Then again, as TO the kipd of punishment
why should they stop at sending persons to
Idil If tney Can send y!om they please to
Jail if they can keepthe persons, so sent,in
Jail as long as they please If they can set
their prisoners iree at the end of the first
hour, or keep thVm confined for seven years
it, in short, theif absolute Will is to have the
force of Law, what security can you have
that they viii stop at Imhrisonment If they
have the absolute power of nprIsoning ant
releasing, why may they not send their prG-
oners to- ork Jail, as well as To Jail in Lon
don Why not canine men in solitary ce lis
or load them with chains and with bolts
They have not gone these lengths yet but,
whai is there to restrain them, if they are to
be sole judges OF the extent of their own
powers, and 1T they are to exercise those
powers without any control, and leaving the
parties whom theychoose to punish any mode
ot appeal, any means of redress
That a Power such as this should exist in
any country, it is lamentabe to be obliged to
kn hat lNa
and that its existence should be openly and
even boastfully avowed, in country, whose
chief glory has been It's free constitution Of
government, is something too monstrous TO
he believed, If the proof were not tefore our
eyes. Had the least doub, hung upon my
mind of the illegality of the proceedings in
the present case, il would have been alogeth-
er removed by the answers given To the re-
ferences made by me to the Great Lumin-
ries of our Law, and to the Laws themselves
The Arg1ment, by which l endSavoured to
convince the Gentlemen of the House of
Commons, that their acts, in the case of MIR.
Jones, were illegal, l shall now lay before
you, in more full and connected way than it
could possibly be done by the Parliamentary
Reporters and, in doing this, shall do all
thatnow remains in my power towards the
correction of this, as deem it, most enorm-
Gus Abuse OF Power, and most dangerous OF
all encroachments upon the Rights and Lib
cries OF Cnglishmen.
remain, Gentlemen,
Your most obedient humble servant,
FRANCIS BURDITT.
Piccadily, March 80, 1910.
The above letter was viewed by the Min.
sterial party in Parliament, as breach of
heir high privileges; and two Resolutions
we're brought forward by Mr.. Lethbridge on
he 27th OF March, to inpeach Sir Francis
3urdet. OF a gross breach of the privileges
4 that House." The Statsman of the 27th
9Th and ssth' is almost exclusively flied
nth the debates upon this subject