Proceedings in an action for debt, between the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, plaintiff, and John Horne Tooke, Esq. defendant / published by the defendant.

  • Tooke, John Horne, 1736-1812.
Date:
1792
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Proceedings in an action for debt, between the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, plaintiff, and John Horne Tooke, Esq. defendant / published by the defendant. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    [ *8 ] the Gounfel behind faid—It is Lord Sidney.]—Well, then, I am right. I fee a noble Lord by the fide of the Judge, who is himfelf a Proprietor of two boroughs, and fends in- to the Houfe of Commons any four perfons he pleafes, and then they are called the Reprefentatives of the People. d his gentleman formerly, not many years ago, indeed he was not then a Lord, profeffed the fame principles and opi- nions which I hold; and co-operated flrenuoufly with mo and many other gentlemen for a reform in the reprefenta- tion of the People. I hope he is dill governed by thofe fame principles: for nothing ever gave me more heartfelt fatis- faClion than his virtuous conduCb at that time; when he declared himfelf ready and willing to forego his own private and perfonal property and intered in thofe boroughs, in order to do right and juftice to his countrymen, and to fe- cure the peace and happinefs and blefling of his fellow- creatures. Gentlemen, When my Petition, fuch as you have heard it, was prefented to the Houfe of Commons; although the Add of parliament * exprefsly commands, that no quedion fliall be put or debate take place on the prefenting any fuch pe- tition; the Speaker of the Iloufe of Commons, who but a few weeks before had inclofed me in his arms to prevent the wind of the paflage from giving me cold whilft my car- riage was drawing up to his door, this very Speaker took the' firft opportunity he could find againd me, to violate his own duty and to contradict the Act of Parliament; him- felf inviting and encouraging the Houfe to a debate: and a debate took place accordingly on my petition. The- Iioufe feemed at fird to be unanimous that the Petition flioulcl be rejeCted. All the Lawyers in the houfe were clear that it fhould be rejeCted ; every one of them. One gentleman (who has lately purchafed the property and per- petual right of nominating four members in that houfe for ever hereafter) propofed that the houfe diould rejeCt my petition, and leave me at liberty to prefent fome other; * 10 Geo 5. “ Whenever a Petition, complaining of an undue olefiion or return of a member or members to ferve in parliament, fhall be prefent- ed .to the Houfe of Commons, a day and hour shall by the laid houfe be appointed for taking the lame into confideration. Resolution of the Houfe of Commons, 6 December, 1774. “ Refolded, “ That according to the true conflrtnflion of the afl of the icth year ot the reigi of his prelent majefly, whenever a petition complaining ot an un- due flexion or return of a member to ferve in parliament, (ball be offered to b<; prefented to the houfe, within the time limited by the order of the houfe or queftioning the returns of members to ferve in parliament, the faid petition (hall be delivered in at the table and read, without a quejhcn being put thereupon.”