A Discourse Concerning Treasons, and Bills of AttainderReprint of the first edition. One of the most controversial and feared powers of parliament, attainder was the extinction of the civil rights and powers of people convicted of treason or other grave felony. Its principal consequences were the forfeiture and escheat of lands and disqualification from holding, inheriting or transmitting land, either directly or through descent. Especially popular during the Reign of Henry VIII, bills of attainder were usually employed to punish persons who had displeased the king. (Essentially abolished in 1870, they were applied to outlaws until 1932, when they were abolished altogether.) As one would expect, their use as a tool of reprisal caused widespread resentment. West [d. 1726] appreciates this resentment, but argues that bills of attainder are justifiable in certain situations and defends their use. |
Contents
| 4 | |
The true and antient Notion of Treaſon | 14 |
The Cafe of Peter de Gaveſton | 20 |
The Cafe of the Two Spenſers | 30 |
The Statute of the 25 Ed 3 againſt Treaſon | 71 |
The Cafe of Sir Thomas Talbot | 79 |
The Cafe of Archbishop Arundel | 86 |
The Original of Bills of Attainder | 92 |
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Common terms and phrases
Act of Parliament adjudged affigned againſt Alfo the faid almoſt altres Anfwer Anno Articles Barons becauſe Bill of Attainder Cafe caufed Cauſe Claufe Clauſe committed common Affent Common Law concern'd Confent Confequence confiderable cou'd Criminal Crown cuftodiam Death Declaration Deftruction Difpute Duke of Hereford Earl Earl of Lancaster Enfy faid Roger fait Father feems felf feveral fhall fhould fift fince fome fufficient fuift fuppofed Gavefton Gentz grant High Treafon himſelf Intereft ipfe ipfius Judges Judgment juft Juftice juſtifiable King's Kingdom Land le dit Roger le Roy Letters Patents Lord the King ment Minifters Miſchief moſt muft Murther muſt Nature neceffarily neceffary obferved Ordinance Peers Perfons prefent Publick Puniſhment quòd Realm Regis Reſervation Royal Power Saxons ſeems Seigneur Senfe Senſe ſeveral ſpecified Statute 25 terre thefe themſelves ther theſe thofe Thomas thoſe Traytors Treforer uſed whatſoever wou'd