A Discourse Concerning Treasons, and Bills of Attainder


Book Description

Reprint 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.







A Discourse Concerning Treasons and Bills of Attainder


Book Description

Originally published in 1695, this work is a passionate defense of the rights of English citizens against the abuses of state power. Defoe and his collaborator Richard West argue that bills of attainder, which allowed the government to convict people of treason without a trial, violated both the principles of natural justice and the English constitution. Their arguments are as relevant today as they were three centuries ago, making this book an essential read for anyone interested in the intersection of law and politics. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
















A Discourse


Book Description







A Discourse Concerning Treasons, and Bills of Attainder. Explaining the True and Ancient Notion of Treason, and Shewing the Natural Justice of Bills of Attainder. the Second Edition


Book Description

The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars. Delve into what it was like to live during the eighteenth century by reading the first-hand accounts of everyday people, including city dwellers and farmers, businessmen and bankers, artisans and merchants, artists and their patrons, politicians and their constituents. Original texts make the American, French, and Industrial revolutions vividly contemporary. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library T031939 Anonymous. By Richard West. A reissue of the first edition, with a new titlepage. With a half-title. London: printed for J. Roberts, 1717. [6],111, [1]p.; 8°