Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book the FirstBlackstone, William, Sir
History
Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book the First
Blackstone, William, Sir
Law -- England; Law -- England -- History
shall be disabled from bearing any office, shall incur the penalty of
a praemunire, and be incapable of receiving the king's pardon: and
the party suffering shall also have his private action against the
person committing, and all his aiders, advisers and abettors, and
shall recover treble costs; besides his damages, which no jury shall
assess at less than five hundred pounds.
[Footnote m: F.N.B. 85.]
[Footnote n: cap. 29.]
THE law is in this respect so benignly and liberally construed for the
benefit of the subject, that, though _within_ the realm the king may
command the attendance and service of all his liege-men, yet he cannot
send any man _out of_ the realm, even upon the public service: he
cannot even constitute a man lord deputy or lieutenant of Ireland
against his will, nor make him a foreign embassador[o]. For this might
in reality be no more than an honorable exile.
[Footnote o: 2 Inst. 47.]
III. THE third absolute right, inherent in every Englishman, is that
of property; which consists in the free use, enjoyment, and disposal
of all his acquisitions, without any control or diminution, save only
by the laws of the land. The original of private property is probably
founded in nature, as will be more fully explained in the second book
of the ensuing commentaries: but certainly the modifications under
which we at present find it, the method of conserving it in the
present owner, and of translating it from man to man, are entirely
derived from society; and are some of those civil advantages, in
exchange for which every individual has resigned a part of his natural
liberty. The laws of England are therefore, in point of honor and
justice, extremely watchful in ascertaining and protecting this right.
Upon this principle the great charter[p] has declared that no freeman
shall be disseised, or divested, of his freehold, or of his liberties,
or free customs, but by the judgment of his peers, or by the law of
the land. And by a variety of antient statutes[q] it is enacted, that
no man's lands or goods shall be seised into the king's hands, against
the great charter, and the law of the land; and that no man shall be
disinherited, nor put out of his franchises or freehold, unless he be
duly brought to answer, and be forejudged by course of law; and if any
thing be done to the contrary, it shall be redressed, and holden for
none.
[Footnote p: c. 29.]
[Footnote q: 5 Edw. III. c. 9. 25 Edw. III. st. 5. c. 4. 28 Edw. III.
c. 3.]
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