The speeches of ... Richard Brinsley Sheridan, with a sketch of his life, ed. by a constitutional friend, Volume 2

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Page 447 - ... confinement of the person, by secretly hurrying him to jail, where his sufferings are unknown, or forgotten, is a less public, a less striking, and therefore a more dangerous engine of arbitrary government.
Page 321 - That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, praying that he will be graciously pleased to issue a Commission for inquiring into the defects, occasioned by time and otherwise, in the Laws of this realm, and into the measures necessary for removing the same.
Page 148 - His Majesty thinks proper to acquaint the House of Commons, that the assembly now exercising the powers of government in France, have, without previous notice, directed acts of hostility to be committed against the persons and property of his majesty's subjects, in breach of the law of nations, and of the most positive stipulations of treaty, and have since, on the most groundless pretences, actually declared war against his majesty and the United Provinces.
Page 447 - Of great importance to the public is the preservation of this personal liberty: for if once it were left in the power of any, the highest, magistrate to imprison arbitrarily whomever he or his officers thought proper, as in France it is daily practised by the Crown, there would soon be an end of all other rights and immunities...
Page 270 - Marquis within me," exclaims the Earl, "and the Peerage never turned forth a more undaunted champion in its cause than I shall prove!" "Stain my green ribbon blue," cries out the illustrious Knight, "and the fountain of honor will have a fast and faithful servant!
Page 374 - Saint," or how were the camels, which formed part of the treasure to be " placed upon the altar ?" Sheridan, in reply, said, " It was the first time in his life he had ever heard of special pleading on a metaphor, or a bill of indictment against a trope. But such was the turn of the Learned Counsel's mind, that, when he attempted to be humorous, no jest could be found, and, when serious, no fact was visible.
Page 7 - Parliament their famous motion, that an humble address be presented to his Majesty that he would be graciously pleased to remove the Right Honourable Sir Robert Walpole...
Page 148 - That in a cause of such general concern, it must afford us great satisfaction to learn that his Majesty has every reason to hope for the cordial co-operation of those powers who are united with his Majesty by the ties of alliance, or who feel an interest in preventing the extension of anarchy and confusion, and in contributing to the security and tranquillity of Europe.
Page 268 - I think the sincerity of your attachment to me needs no such test, I will make your interest co-operate with your principle : I will quarter many of you on the public supply, instead of calling on you to contribute to it; and, while their whole thoughts are absorbed in patriotic apprehensions for their country, I will dexterously force upon others the favourite objects of the vanity or ambition of their lives.
Page 392 - I find no appearance of a line remains ; and from the manner in which the people of the United States rush on, and act, and talk on this side ; and from what I learn of their conduct toward the sea, I shall not be surprised if we are at war with them in the course of the present year ; and if so, a line must then be drawn by the warriors.

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