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English Bill of RightsDecember 16, 1689Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of diers eilco!nsellors, "!dges, and ministers em#loyed by him, did endeao!r to s!bertand e$tir#ate the #rotestant religion, and the la%s and liberties of this&ingdom'

1' By ass!ming and e$ercising a #o%er of dis#ensing %ith and s!s#ending ofla%s, and the e$ec!tion of la%s, %itho!t consent of #arliament'(' By committing and #rosec!ting diers %orthy #relates, for h!mbly#etitioning to be e$c!sed from conc!rring to the said ass!med #o%er')' By iss!ing and ca!sing to be e$ec!ted a commission !nder the great sealfor erecting a co!rt called, *he co!rt of commissioners for ecclesiasticalca!ses'+' By leying money for and to the !se of the cro%n, by #retence of#rerogatie, for other time, and in other manner, than the same %as grantedby #arliament'' By raising and &ee#ing a standing army %ithin this &ingdom in time of#eace, %itho!t consent of #arliament, and -!artering soldiers contrary tola%'6' By ca!sing seeral good s!b"ects, being #rotestants, to be disarmed, atthe same time %hen #a#ists %ere both armed and em#loyed, contrary to la%'.' By iolating the freedom of election of members to sere in #arliament'8' By #rosec!tions in the co!rt of King/s bench, for matters and ca!sescogni0able only in #arliament and by diers other arbitrary and illegalco!rses'9' 2nd %hereas of late years, #artial, corr!#t, and !n-!alified #ersons haebeen ret!rned and sered on "!ries in trials, and #artic!larly diers "!rorsin trials for high treason, %hich %ere not freeholders'13' 2nd e$cessie bail hath been re-!ired of #ersons committed in criminalcases, to el!de the benefit of the la%s made for the liberty of thes!b"ects'

11' 2nd e$cessie fines hae been im#osed and illegal and cr!el #!nishmentshae been inflicted'1(' 2nd seeral grants and #romises made of fines and forfeit!res, beforeany coniction or "!dgment against the #ersons, !#on %hom the same %ere tobe leied'

2ll %hich are !tterly and directly contrary to the &no%n la%s and stat!tes,and freedom of this realm'

2nd %hereas the said late &ing James the Second haing abdicated thegoernment, and the throne being thereby acant ''' the said lords s#irit!aland tem#oral, and commons ''' do in the first #lace 4as their ancestors inli&e case hae !s!ally done5 for the indicating and asserting their ancientrights and liberties, declare1' *hat the #retended #o%er of s!s#ending of la%s, or the e$ec!tion of la%s,

by regal a!thority, %itho!t consent of #arliament, is illegal'(' *hat the #retended #o%er of dis#ensing %ith la%s, or the e$ec!tion ofla%s, by regal a!thority, as it hath been ass!med and e$ercised of late, isillegal')' *hat the commission for erecting the late co!rt of commissioners forecclesiastical ca!ses, and all other commissions and co!rts of li&e nat!reare illegal and #ernicio!s'+' *hat leying money for or to the !se of the cro%n, by #retence of#rerogatie, %itho!t grant of #arliament, for longer time, or in other

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manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal'' *hat it is the right of the s!b"ects to #etition the King, and allcommittments sic7 and #rosec!tions for s!ch #etitioning are illegal'6' *hat the raising or &ee#ing a standing army %ithin the &ingdom in time of#eace, !nless it be %ith consent of #arliament, is against la%'.' *hat the s!b"ects %hich are #rotestants, may hae arms for their defence

s!itable to their conditions, and as allo%ed by la%'8' *hat election of members of #arliament o!ght to be free'9' *hat the freedom of s#eech, and debates or #roceedings in #arliament,o!ght not to be im#eached or -!estioned in any co!rt or #lace o!t of#arliament'13' *hat e$cessie bail o!ght not to be re-!ired, nor e$cessie finesim#osed nor cr!el and !n!s!al #!nishments inflicted'11' *hat "!rors o!ght to be d!ly im#anelled and ret!rned, and "!rors %hich#ass !#on men in trials for high treason o!ght to be freeholders'1(' *hat all grants and #romises of fines and forfeit!res of #artic!lar#ersons before coniction, are illegal and oid'1)' 2nd that for redress of all grieances, and for the amending,strengthening, and #resering of the la%s, #arliaments o!ght to be held

fre-!ently'2nd they do claim, demand, and insist !#on all and sing!lar the #remisses,as their !ndo!bted rights and liberties and that no declarations,

"!dgments, doings or #roceedings, to the #re"!dice of the #eo#le in any ofthe said #remisses, o!ght in any %ise to be dra%n hereafter into conse-!enceor e$am#le' ' ' '' :o% in #!rs!ance of the #remisses, the said lords s#irit!al andtem#oral, and commons, in #arliament assembled, for the ratifying,confirming and establishing the said declaration, and the articles, cla!ses,matters, and things therein contained, by the force of a la% made in d!eform by a!thority of #arliament, do #ray that it may be declared andenacted, *hat all and sing!lar the rights and liberties asserted and claimedin the said declaration, are the tr!e, ancient, and ind!bitable rights andliberties of the #eo#le of this &ingdom, and so shall be esteemed, allo%ed,ad"!dged, deemed, and ta&en to be, and that all and eery the #artic!larsaforesaid shall be firmly and strictly holden and obsered, as they aree$#ressed in the said declaration and all officers and ministers %hatsoeershall sere their ;a"esties and their s!ccessors according to the same inall times to come' ' ' '