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Show 208 ATROCIOU:-:i .n:n<: ES. (A. D. lu 1. Sir Creswell, having written on a ~beet of paper the formal commencement and conclu. ion of n royal proclamation, car~ ried it to the chief ju tice, ·who fillecl up the Llauk with a r ecital that, "for spuriout; end ~ and purpo.-es relating to the public, p er. on. were going aLout to collect and procure the sub criptions of multitucles of hi ~ majesty's . ubjeds to petitions to his maje ty; which pro~eeding."' were contrary to the 1 nown laws of this realm, ancl ought not to go unpunished.;" ancl n. tnandate to all his 1naje ty's loving suLjcct ', of \\'hat rank or degree soever, ' that th y prestune not to agitate or pr01note any uch subscriptions, nor in any wi e join in any petition in that tnanner to be preferred to his maje~ty, upon pain of the utmost rigor of the la;w, and that all magi trates and other officers should take effectual care that all uch oi~ fenders again t the laws be prosecuted and punished according to their dmnerits." * Parliament at la~t n1et, and strong n1easurcs were taken against the "Abhorrer·," who had ob tructecl the right of petitioning. An inquiry was institutcu r especting the proclamation. Sir Creswell Levinz wa. · placed at the bar, and asked by who e advice or a ·~is tan ce he hacl prcparecl it. lie severaliin1e , r efused to answer; l>ut being hanl pl'c~._cd, and afraicl of commit1nent to the rl'ower, he named the Lonl Chief J ustiee North, against whom there hau been a slrong sut>picion, but no proof. A hot delJate arose, ·which enclctl j.n the r esolution, "That the evidcn"e this day given to tlus house again t Sir Francis North, chief justice of the Com- 1non I~ lea·, is sufficient ground for t 1u ·s 1l OU ~e t o proceed . f lt upon the ·:+:- H ere we have one of many Enrrb;h precedents o assau l:' · pol· right of petition- a thing by no means unknown in our Amcncan itics.-Rd. A. D. 1C81.] FRANCIS NORTII. 20~ upon an impeachtnen t again. t him for high cri1nes and 1111:demeanors." He was a good deal alarmed Ly the vote of impeachment,* but it raised hi1n still h igher in favor at court. Next day, presiding in the Ilou e of Lords a. Rpeakcr, in the ab ence of the lord chancellor, anu eeining very ll1U('h deje ·ted, ICing Charles ( accon1ing to hi::; n1anncr) "came and clapped hin1- sclf down close by hin1 on the wool 'ack, and '11y lord,' ai<l he, 'be of good comfort; I will n cyer forsake my friends, a" my father dicl.' " IIis 1naje ty, without waiting for a r eply, then walked off to another part of the house. A committee was nppointed to draw up the articles of impeachment again t the chief justice; hut Lcforc they made any report, this I)arliatnent too was di:;solvcd. Soon after the sun1moning of Charlc ·'s la t Parliament, North was obliged to set off upon the spring cireuit ; and notwithstandinrr his he:'t c1Iort to 1iuish the Lu:-;ines · rapidly, 0 he could not arrive at. Oxfonl till the two house"' had assembled. lie was one of the s1nall junto to wh01n was intru "'tcd the secret of imn1ediate tlis.'olution. The moment the deed was done, he set off for London, pretenl1 ing to be afraid of what he called "the positive nnnament ngainst the king, which manifestly showed itself at OxforJ." As soon as the Cabinet met nt \Vlti I ehall, N or tlt advised the is. uing of a Declaration to ju~tify the l1 i:::solut1on of tlH~ three last Parlimnents which hall n1et n .\ pcctively at \Vestminster and Oxford, and hin1self drew an elaborate one, which was adopted. rl'his state paper certn,inly puts the * The su.me Pu.rliament h ad already impeached Scroggs. Sec ante, P· l SO. 1 H oi< |