| ...And whereas the said late King James the second
having abdicated the Government and the Throne being thereby vacant
his highnesse the Prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty
God to make the Glorious Instrument of delivering this Kingdome from
Popery and Arbitrary Power) did (by the Advice of the Lords Spirituall
and Temporall and diverse principall persons of the Commons) cause
Letters to be written to the Lords Spirituall and Temporall being
Protestants and other Letters to the severall Countyes Cityes Universities
Burroughs and Cinque Ports for the chosing of such persons to represent
them as were of right to be sent to Parliament to meet and sitt at
Westminster upon the two and twentieth day of January in this yeare
One thousand six hundred eighty and eight [1689 New Style calendar]
In order to such an Establishment as that their Religion Lawes and
Liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted Upon which
Letters Elections having been accordingly made And thereupon the said
Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons pursuant to their respective
Letters and Elections being now assembled in a full and free Representative
of this Nation taking into their most serious consideration the best
meanes for attaining the Ends aforesaid Doe in the first place (as
their Ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating
and asserting their auntient Rights and Liberties Declare That the
pretended Power of suspending of Lawes or the Execution of Lawes by
Regall Authority without Consent of Parliament is illegall That the
pretended power of dispensing with Lawes or the Execution of Lawes
by Regall Authority as it hath been assumed and exercised of late
is illegall That the Commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners
for Ecclesiasticall Causes and all other Commissions and Courts of
like nature are illegall and pernitious That levying money for or
to the use of the Crowne by pretence of Prerogative without Grant
of Parliament for longer time or in other manner than the same is
or shall be granted is illegall That it is the right of the Subjects
to petition the King and all Commitments and prosecutions for such
petitioning are illegall That the raising or keeping a Standing Army
within the Kingdome in time of Peace unlesse it be with Consent of
Parliament is against Law That the Subjects which are Protestants
may have Armes for their defence suitable to their Conditions and
as allowed by Law That Election of Members of Parliament ought to
be free That the Freedome of Speech and Debates or Proceedings in
Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any Court or
Place out of Parliament That excessive Bayle ought not to be required
nor excessive Fines imposed nor cruell and unusuall Punishments inflicted
That Jurors ought to be duely impannelled and returned and Jurors
which passe upon men in Tryalls for high Treason ought to be Freeholders
That all Grants and Promises of Fines and Forfeitures of particular
persons before Conviction are illegall and void And that for Redresse
of all Greivances and for the amending strengthening and preserving
of the Lawes Parliaments ought to be held frequently And they doe
claim demand and insist upon all and singular the premisses as their
undoubted Rights and Liberties And that noe Declarations Judgments
Doings or Proceedings to the prejudice of the People in any of the
said premisses ought in any wise to be drawn hereafter into Consequence
or Example To which Demand of their Rights they are particularly encouraged
by the Declaration of his Highnesse the Prince of Orange as being
the only meanes for obteyning a full Redress and Remedy therein Having
therefore an entire Confidence that his said highnesse the Prince
of Orange will perfect the Deliverance soe farr advanced by him and
will still preserve them from the violation of their Rights which
they have here asserted and from all other Attempts upon their Religion
Rights and Liberties The said Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons
assembled at Westminster Doe Resolve That William and Mary Prince
and Princesse of Orange be and be declared King and Queen of England
France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging To hold the
Crown and Royall Dignity of the said Kingdomes and Dominions to them
the said Prince and Princesse during their lives and the life of the
Survivor of them And that the sole and full Exercise of the Regall
Power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the
names of the said prince and princesse [during their joint lives.....] |
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