A Political Account of the Island of Trinidad, from Its Conquest by Sir Ralph Abercrombie, in the Year 1797, to the Present Time, in a Letter to His Grace the Duke of Portland |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
affairs Alcaldes Alguazil allowed Anthony Moore appears appointed Assessor Beggorat British constitution Cabildo causes ceded cession Chief Judge civil Colonel Picton colony Commandant commerce conduct conquest conse consequence Consulado continued contrary corruption court crime criminal cultivation decision disputes duty England English Council English laws equally Escribano established estates evil exercise expected expence favor French give Governor Picton Grace Granada granted guilty Indies influence inhabitants Jamaica James James Rigby JOHN NIHELL jurisprudence justice land laws of England lawyer legislative council liberty Majesty Majesty's pleasure Majesty's subjects measure ment merchants mode mother-country necessary negroes occasion opinion parties peace persons petition plantations planters political population Port of Spain possession proceedings produce proper punishment Quebec Robert Bond Roman-Catholics settlers sion Sir RALPH ABERCROMBIE situation slaves Spaniards Spanish language Spanish law sugar Thomas tion torture tribunals Trinidad vernment vernor West-India William
Popular passages
Page 182 - Taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power. The taxes are a voluntary gift and grant of the Commons alone. In legislation the three estates of the realm are alike concerned ; but the concurrence of the peers and the Crown to a tax is only necessary to clothe it with the form of a law. The gift and grant is of the Commons alone.
Page 130 - Were it joined with the legislative, the life, liberty, and property of the subject would be in the hands of arbitrary judges, whose decisions would be then regulated only by their own opinions, and not by any fundamental principles of law, which, though legislators may depart from, yet judges are bound to observe.
Page 138 - The pure and impartial administration of justice is, perhaps the firmest bond to secure a cheerful submission of the people, and to engage their affections to Government. It is not sufficient that questions of private right or wrong are justly decided, nor that judges are superior to the vileness of pecuniary corruption.
Page 130 - IN this distinct and separate existence of the judicial power in a peculiar body of men, nominated indeed, but not removable at pleasure, by the crown, consists one main preservative of the public liberty ; which cannot subsist long in any state, unless the administration of common justice be in some degree separated both from the legislative and also from the executive power.
Page 183 - Great Britain, give and grant to your Majesty — what? Our own property? No! We give and grant to your Majesty the property of your Majesty's Commons of America. It is an absurdity in terms.
Page 180 - For no subject of England can be constrained to pay any aids or taxes, even for the defence of the realm or the support of government, but such as are imposed by his own consent, or that of his representatives in parliament.
Page 159 - In all tyrannical governments, the supreme magistracy, or the right both of making and of enforcing the laws, is vested in one and the same man, or one and the same body of men ; and wherever these two powers are united together, there can be no public liberty.
Page 159 - In a free state, every man, who is supposed a free agent, ought to be in some measure his own governor ; and, therefore, a branch at least of the legislative power should reside in the whole body of the people.
Page 183 - In ancient days, the Crown, the barons, and the clergy possessed the lands. In those days, the barons and the clergy gave and granted to the Crown.
Page 131 - Starchamber, effectual care is taken to remove all judicial power out of the hands of the king's privy council; who, as then was evident from recent instances, might soon be inclined to pronounce that for law which was most agreeable to the prince or his officers.
Bibliographic information
| Title | A Political Account of the Island of Trinidad, from Its Conquest by Sir Ralph Abercrombie, in the Year 1797, to the Present Time, in a Letter to His Grace the Duke of Portland |
| Author | Trinidad. [Appendix.] |
| Publisher | Cadell and Davies, 1807 |
| Original from | the New York Public Library |
| Digitized | 13 Jan 2006 |
| Length | 207 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |