ive my vote in the election of any member or members of Parliament, or
into any office, for or on account of their attachment to any other or
different religious opinions or establishments, or with any hope that
they may promote the same to the prejudice of the Established Church,
but will dutifully and peaceably content myself with my private liberty
of conscience, as the same is allowed by law. So help me God."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Lucan, I. 129 to 135.

SPEECH

ON

THE MOTION MADE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,

FEBRUARY 7, 1771,

RELATIVE TO

THE MIDDLESEX ELECTION.

NOTE.

The motion supported in the following Speech, which was for leave to
bring in a bill to ascertain the rights of the electors in respect to
the eligibility of persons to serve in Parliament, was rejected by a
majority of 167 against 103.

SPEECH.

In every complicated constitution (and every free constitution is
complicated) cases will arise when the several orders of the state will
clash with one another, and disputes will arise about the limits of
their several rights and privileges. It may be almost impossible to
reconcile them....

Carry the principle on by which you expelled Mr. Wilkes, there is not a
man in the House, hardly a man in the nation, who may not be
disqualified. That this House should have no power of expulsion is an
hard saying: that this House should have a general discretionary power
of disqualification is a dangerous saying. That the people should not
choose their own representative is a saying that shakes the
Constitution: that this House should name the representative is a saying
which, followed by practice, subverts the Constitution. They have the
right of electing; you have a right of expelling: they of choosing; you
of judging, and only of judging, of the choice. What bounds shall be set
to the freedom of that choice? Their right is prior to ours: we all
originate there. They are the mortal enemies of the House of Commons who
would persuade them to think or to act as if they were a self-originated
magistracy, independent of the people, and unconnected with their
opinions and feelings. Under a pretence of exalting the dignity, they
undermine the very foundations of this House. When the question is asked
_here_, What disturbs the people? whence all this clamor? we apply to
the Treasury bench, and they tell us it is from the efforts of
libellers, and the wickedness of the people: a worn-out mi