The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-26
Written for THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER. !
POPULAR TALKS ON LAW,
The Right of Petitioning.
BY WIN. @. sPRAGUE.

called commonweal armies for the pur
pose OF petitioning Congress for the re-
dress of grievances, calls public atten
ton to this subject as it has not been
called since the days before the civil
war.
The right of petitioning the sovereign
Is right that lies deep bedded in Eng
llsh law, and is recognized, among
English speaking peoples. as funda-
mental right, by constitutions, by
statutes, and by courts. Blackstone
names it as one of the subordinate
rights appertaining to every individual.
In England, petitions are extant of the
data Of Edward l., or as far back as
the first regular Parliament, 1865. In
the reign of Henry ~, about the year
14OO, petitions began to be addressed
to the House of Commons in consider
able numbers. In 1887, the year of the
accession of Victoria, there were pre-
sented to Parliament 10, 831 petitions,
signed by 1905, ,9O5 persons. In 1859,
"a. 1856 petitions, signed by 1920, ,679
persons. In 1867, 12744 petitions,
signed by 1, 145, ,216 persons In 1880
the Commons expelled several mem
bers for being Abhorrers "a name given
to the Coz RI party in England, the op
ponents of the Addressers, so called
from their address to the king praying
for the immediate assembling of the
1n1n
count of it's being adverse to the Court
and resolved that it is the undoubted
right of the subject to petition for the
calling of a Parliament, and that to
traduce such petitions as tumultuous
and seditious is to contribute to the
design of altering the Constitution.
In Russia, Blackstone tells us, the
Gear Peter established law that no
subject might petition the Throne until
he had first petitioned two different
Ministers of State. In case he obtained
justice from neither, he might then
present third petition to the prince,
but upon pain of death if found to be
in the wrong; the consequence Of which
was that no one dared to offer such
third petition, and grievances seldom
falling under the notice of the SOW
ereign, he had little opportunity to re
dress them. Continuing, Blackstone
says: Care must be taken lest, under
the pretense of petitioning, the subject
be guilty of any riot and tumult, as
hornopo6 in tho oyo1iror IF tho MON o1..
able Parliament in 1910 and to prevent
this it is provided by the statute passed
in the reign of Charles II. that no peti-
ton to the King or to either House of
Parliament, for any alteration in
Church or State, shall be signed by
above twenty persons, unless the mat
ter thereof be approved by three JUS
tices of the peace or the major part Of
the grand jury in the country; and in
London, by Lord Mayor, aldermen and
Common Council NOR shall lany petition
be presented by more than ten persons
at time. Under these regulations, it
is declared by statute passed in the
reign of William and Mary that the
subject has the right to petition, and
that all commitments and prosecutions
for such petitioning are illegal. The
statute of Charles H. made the punish
ment for an offense against this act a
fine to any amount not exceeding 91On,
and imprisonment for three months.
At the trial of Lord George Gordon
the whole court, including Lord Mans
field, upheld this statute, although it
was generally contended throughout
the country that the article of the bill
of rights which declares that it Is the
right of the subject to petition the king,
and that all commitments and prosecu-
tions for such petitioning are illegal,
had virtually repealed the statute.
The state of disturbance and political
excitement in England after the peace
of 1915 produced further regulations
and restrictions of the right Of petition
ing. The people in the manufacturing
districts having little employment from
the general stagnationo of trade, devoted
themselves with intense ardor to pOliti-
cal discussions, and in some pla ces the
partisans of reform, assuming that
their demands would not be acceded
to, were preparing for the alternative
of open force. Under these circum
stances the legislature thought fit to
forbid all public meetings consisting of
more than fifty persons, unless in sepa
rate townships or parishes, by the in
habitants thereof of which SIX days pre-
vious notice had to be given to a justice
of the peace, signed by seven resident
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