Volume 1

Travels into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark. Interspersed with historical relations and political inquiries / Illustrated with charts and engravings. In two volumes.

  • William Coxe
Date:
1784
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels into Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark. Interspersed with historical relations and political inquiries / Illustrated with charts and engravings. In two volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/636 (page 12)
    BodK chofen at each diet, to attend the king, and to give their opi^ — J . nion in all matters of importance, fo that he could not ifflie any decree without their confent*. Another fatal blow was alfo given to his prerogative in 15 7 8, by taking from him the fupfeme jurifdidlion, or the power of judging in the laft refort the caufes of the nobles,.excepting fuch as arife within a fmall diftance t of the fovereign’s place of relidence : it was enacted, that without the concurrence of the king each pa- latinate or province fhould eledt in their dietines their own judges, who fliould form fupreme courts of juftice^ called I’ribunalia Regni t; and that in thefe courts the caufes of the nobles lliould be decided finally and without appeal; a mode of judicature which prevails to this day. The turbulent reign of John Cafimir was marked by the introdudtion of the Liberum Veto j], or the power which each nuntio claims and exercifes of interpofing a negative, and in confequence of that interpolition of breaking up the diet; a privilege which the fovereign himfelf does not pofFefs, and which has contributed more than any other innovation to deflroy the due balance of the Polifli conflitution. But the king was dill the fountain of honour: he con- ferred the principal dignities and great oflices of the repub- lic ; and beftowed the Starofties, or Royal fiefs, which are held during the life-time of the pofTeffor. Hence he ftill maintained great influence in the councils of the nation ; but this laft folitary branch of royal prerogative was wrefted * This appointment was made, in 1573, pcrfon, but this ceafcd to be the ciiftom under Henry, but did not abfolutely take from the time of Augiiftus II. and the Great place till the reign of Stephen. Lengnich, Chancellor now exercifes, in his Majetly’s Jus Pub. V. I p. 344. n. 44. name, that branch of royal property. I 'J'he courts exercifing juftice in tlie t Lengnich, Jus Pub. v. 11. p. 536. king’s name within this diftriifl are called 1| For an account of the Liberum Veto, Aflefforia Regni. Until the death of John fee chap. VI. Sobiefki, the kings judged frequently in 7 from