New York weekly journal; Zenger, John Peter, 1697-1746
As this was ten times more than was in my power to countersecure any
person in giving bail for me, I conceived that I could not ask any to
become my bail on these terms; and therefore I returned to the jail,
where I lay until Tuesday, January 28, 1735, the last day of the court
term. Then, the grand jury having found nothing against me, I expected
to be discharged from my imprisonment. But my hopes proved vain, for the
attorney general then charged me by “information” for printing and
publishing parts of my _Journals_ Nos. 13 and 23 as being “false,
scandalous, malicious and seditious.”
[_When the Court reconvened, Alexander and Smith impugned the right of
the Chief Justice, James Delancey, and his colleague, Frederick
Philipse, to preside over the case. The lawyers took the position that
the commissions of Delancey and Philipse were defective because, among
other things, Governor Cosby had appointed the two judges without the
consent of his Council, and “at pleasure” instead of “during good
behavior.”_]
Mr. Alexander offered the above “exceptions” to the Court and prayed
that they might be filed. Upon this the Chief Justice said to Mr.
Alexander and Mr. Smith that they ought well to consider the
consequences of what they offered. To which both answered that they had
well considered what they offered, and all the consequences. Mr. Smith
added that he was so well satisfied of the right of the subject to take
an exception to the commission of a judge, if he thought such commission
illegal, that he durst venture his life upon that point. As to the
validity of the exceptions then offered, he said he took that to be a
second point, but was ready to argue them both, if Their Honors were
pleased to hear him. To which the Chief Justice replied that he would
consider the exceptions in the morning, and ordered the clerk to bring
them to him.
On Wednesday, April 16, 1735, the Chief Justice delivered one of the
exceptions to the clerk, and to Justice Philipse the other, upon which
Mr. Smith arose and asked the judges whether Their Honors would hear
him.
To which the Chief Justice said that they would neither hear nor allow
the exceptions. “For,” said he, “you thought to have gained a great deal
of applause and popularity by opposing this Court; but you have brought
it to that point that either we must go from the bench or you from the
bar. Therefore we exclude you and Mr. Alexander from the bar.” He
delivered a paper to the clerk and ordered it to be entered, which the
clerk entered accordingly, and returned the paper to the Chief Justice.
After which the Chief Justice ordered the clerk to read publicly what he
had written, an attested copy whereof follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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