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Show I 6 l [ 7‘ ] never done without dangeroufly difordering the whole frame ofjurifprudence. Though piracy piracy, thofe men, whom an aét of parliament had previoufly put out of the protection of the may be, in the eye of the law, a [:j/J' oflence law. than treafon; yet as both are, in effect, punithed with the fame death, the fame forfei- had ordered all their (hips and goods, for the ture, and the fame corruption of blood, Inever would take from any fellow~creature whatever, any fort of advantage, which he may de~ rive to his lafety from the pity of mankind, or to his reputation from their gene'al feelings, by degrading his offence, when I cannot {often When the legiflature of this kingdom mere new-created offence of exercifing trade, to be divided as a fpoil among the feamen of the navy,---for the fame legiflature afterwards to treat the neceflhry reprifal of an unhappy, kind tells me, that thofe olllinces, which may profcribed, interdié'ted people, as the crime of piracy, feems harfh and incongruous. Such a procedure would have appeared (in any other legiflature than ours a 11min of the molt int'ulting and molt unnatural cruelty and injui'tice. pofiihly arili: "from miitaken virtue, are. not in the clali; of infamous actions. Lord Coke, the I aflure you, I do not remember to have heard of any thing like it in any time or country. oracle of the Englilh law, conforms to that general fenfe, where he fays, that " (hole " things which are of the higheft criminality } " may be of the leaf'r difgrace." The act pre- The fecond profefled purpofe of the aét is to detain in England for trial, tl ofe who lhall commit high treafon in America. his punilhment. The general fenfe of man- IIH'I 3g pares a fort of mafqued proceeding, not hono means necellary for its Eatery. I cannot enter into it. If lord Balmerino, in the laft rebellion, had driven or}~ the cattle of twent clans, I {hould have thought it a lcandalous and low juggle, utterly unworthy of the man~ linefs of an Englilh iuo‘icature, to have tried him for felony, as a dealer of cows. true fpirit of the prefent law, it is necei'iiiry, gentlemen, to apprile you, that there is an aft, made {0 long ago as the reign of "entry the eighth, before the exifience or Chic/15?, Englifh colonies in Amm'it'a, for :1:« this kingdom of trealbns committed or realm. Befides, I muf‘t honefily tell you, that I could not vote for, or countenance in an That you may be enabled to enter into the way, a itatute, which {ligmatizes with the crime of piracy, In the year 7769, parliamsi t ._ proper to acquaint the crown with thei‘" function of that act, in a formal ad _ wherein they intreatcd his I‘vilajefty, to cap. perfons, charged with high treaion in fictional, to be brought into this kingdom for rv ‘ T) b a,2 " ‘. inn-:wqmwsmnr way: r: gr: nourable to tlcjullice of the kingdom, and by |