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by Virtue of a real or Pretended Authority in order to accuse or
prosecute such person, and punish him for the same: And moreover
this Sense is very Plain from the word Impeached which immediately
precedes the Word Questioned, and between which two words there
is a Relation in their Meaning; and I may safely affirm that neither
Your House nor any Person else ever can find an Instance, where
this word Questioning in any Law Expression was at any time used
in any other sense: Besides if you consider some part of the Griev-
ances which gave Rise to this Declaration in that Statute, you must
agree with me that you have mistaken this Part of your Privilege ;
for a little Knowledge in History will Acquaint you, that frequently
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L. H. J.
Liber No. 46
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Members of Parliament were Summoned or obliged to Appear in
other places besides the Courts of Law to answer for the Expressions
in Parliament, and therefore to prevent the same, the word Place is
inserted in that Statute; but by what Right you can Apply the words
Questioning and Place to An Accidental Conversation, I am at a
Loss to know
But really Gentlemen to speak freely, you seem to be afraid that
the Express words of the Statute should be understood in their true
Sense, which would by no means be sufficient for your purpose,
Therefore you have disdained to restrain yourselves to the Claim of
such Privileges as the Parliament of England thought sufficient, and
have added more words of a Very large and extensive signification
for yr Declaration runs thus, " That the Liberty of Speech on every
Debate " and matter in Assembly ought to be free, and that " no mem-
ber ought to be questioned or impeached for any such Freedom of
Speech in right of his Duty " in the House of Delegates by any per-
son whatsoever or any manner or Place but by the House; so that
you have endeavoured to extend your Privileges beyond those of the
British Parliament, by the addition of the Words, by any Person
whatsoever or in any manner: If you should as I am apt to think you
will be drove to say, that you have no such Design, it may be asked,
why then did you put them in ? there can be no other reason assigned
in my opinion, but that you intended by those words to preclude or
rather intimidate your Constituents from ever presuming to ques-
tion Any behaviour of Yours in a Legislative way, not even by the
most humble Enquiries; And it is really a Doubt with me, whether
this Remonstrance of Yours was not calculated more for the sake
of Your Electors than on my Account; Them, you might hope to
teach a blind Obedience, and inspire with a new Reverence for your
sacred Characters as for me, you could not but guess what regard
I should pay to your extravagant Declarations. In short Gentlemen,
take my advice as a Friend to the Rights of your House; what really
are your rights insist on and preserve, so far my wishes shall always
go along with you but do not, like the Vain Frog in the Fable, swell
and puff up Privilege 'til it burst T. Bladen
The House adjourns 'til 2 of the Clock
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p. 616
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