skilled in the law. 45. Justices, constables, sheriffs, and bailiffs shall only be appointed Judges to be of 'such as know the law and mean duly to observe it.' 54. No one shall be taken or imprisoned on the appeal of a woman Appeal by a woman for except for the death of her husband. death of her husband. In cases of death by murder or manslaughter, an appeal' of felony was allowed to be brought by certain relations only of the deceased; by the widow for the death of her husband, or by the heir male for the death of his ancestor. The word 'appeal' is not used here in the ordinary sense of a complaint to a higher court for injustice done by an inferior one; but signifies an accusation or challenge, an original suit by one subject against another, rather because of his own peculiar damage than for an offence against the public. The origin of this private process for the punishment of public crimes was doubtless derived from the old days when a wergild was payable to the relatives of the slain. The defendant in an appeal had the right of trial by battel. The parties were obliged to fight in their own persons, except the appellant were a woman, a priest, an infant, lame, blind, or sixty years old, in any of which cases he might 'counterplead the battel' and compel the defendant to put himself upon trial by his country. It was perhaps because the appellee lost his right of defending himself by combat when the appellant was a woman that her appeal was limited to the death of her husband. If the appellee were worsted in the combat, or found guilty, he suffered the same judgment as if convicted on an indictment: but the Crown had no power to pardon him, because an 'appeal' was a private suit. (See Glanvill, lib. 4; Bracton, lib. 3; Britton, lib. i.; Hawkins, Pleas of Crown, ii. 392.) From the date of the statute 3 Hen. VII. c. i, an appeal might be brought even after the appellee had been tried and acquitted on an indictment. The 'battel' took place in the presence of the Judges of the Court of entur, et ita fiat de ripariis quae per nos tempore nostro positae sunt in defenso. [48. Omnes malae consuetudines de forestis et warennis, et de forestariis et warennariis, vicecomitibus et eorum ministris, ripariis et earum custodibus, statim inquirantur in quolibet comitatu per duodecim milites juratos de eodem comitatu, qui debent eligi per probos homines ejusdem comitatus, et infra quadraginta dies post inquisitionem factam, penitus, ita quod nunquam revocentur, deleantur per eosdem, ita quod nos hoc sciamus prius, vel justiciarius noster, si in Anglia non fuerimus.] [49. Omnes obsides et cartas statim reddemus quae liberatae fuerunt nobis ab Anglicis in securitatem pacis vel fidelis servitii.] [50. Nos amovebimus penitus de balliis parentes Gerardi de Athyes, quod de cetero nullam habeant balliam in Anglia: Engelardum de Cygoniis, Andream, Petrum, et Gyonem de Cancellis, Gyonem de Cygoniis, Galfridum de Martyni et fratres ejus, Philippum Mark et fratres ejus, et Galfridum nepotem ejus, et totam sequelam eorundem.] [51. Et statim post pacis reformationem amovebimus de regno omnes alienigenas milites, balistarios, servientes, stipendiarios, qui venerint cum equis et armis ad nocumentum regni.] [52. Si quis fuerit disseisitus vel elongatus per nos sine legali judicio parium suorum, de terris, castallis, libertatibus, vel jure suo statim ea ei restituemus; et si contentio super hoc orta fuerit, tunc inde fiat per judicium viginti quinque Common Pleas, attired in their scarlet robes, who sat looking on while the combatants, each armed with a staff an ell long, and a leathern shield, cudgelled each other from sunrise to starrising, or until one of them cried craven.' Though long obsolete, neither appeals nor trials by battle were legally abolished till the early part of the present century. In 1817 a writ of appeal was tried in the Court of King's Bench against Abraham Thornton, for the alleged rape and murder of Mary Ashford. The appellee who had already been tried and acquitted at Warwick Assizes on the same charge, cast down his glove in open court and formally demanded trial by battle against the appellant, the brother of the deceased. baronum, de quibus fit mentio inferius in securitate pacis; de omnibus autem illis de quibus aliquis disseisitus fuerit vel elongatus sine legali judicio parium suorum, per Henricum regem patrem nostrum vel per Ricardum regem fratrem nostrum, quae in manu nostra habemus, vel quae alii tenent, quae nos oporteat warantizare, respectum habebimus usque ad communem terminum crucesignatorum; exceptis illis de quibus placitum motum fuit vel inquisitio facta per praeceptum nostrum, ante susceptionem crucis nostrae : cum autem redierimus de peregrinatione nostra, vel si forte remanserimus a peregrinatione nostra, statim inde plenam justiciam exhibebimus.] [53. Eundem autem respectum habebimus, et eodem modo, de justicia exhibenda de forestis deafforest andis vel remansuris forestis, quas Henricus pater noster vel Ricardus frater noster afforestaverunt, et de custodiis terrarum quae sunt de alieno feodo cujusmodi custodias hucusque habuimus occasione feodi quod aliquis de nobis tenuit per servitium militare, et de abbatiis quae fundatae fuerint in feodo alterius quam nostro, in quibus dominus feodi dixerit se jus habere; et cum redierimus, vel si remanserimus a peregrinatione nostra, super hiis conquerentibus plenam justiciam statim exhibebimus.] 54. Nullus capiatur nec imprisonetur propter appellum foeminae de morte alterius quam viri sui. [55. Omnes fines qui injuste et contra legem terrae facti sunt nobiscum, et omnia amerciamenta facta injuste et contra legem terrae, omnino condonentur, vel fiat inde per judicium viginti quinque baronum de quibus fit mentio inferius in securitate pacis, vel per judicium majoris partis eorundem, una cum praedicto Stephano Cantuariensi archiepiscopo, si interesse poterit, et aliis quos secum ad hoc vocare voluerit; et si interesse non poterit, nihilominus procedat negotium sine eo, ita quod, si aliquis vel aliqui de praedictis viginti quinque baronibus fuerint in simili querela, amoveantur quantum ad hoc judicium, et alii loco illorum per residuous de eisdem viginti quinque, tantum ad hoc faciendum electi et jurati substituantur.] [56. Si nos dissaisivimus vel elongavimus Walenses de terris vel libertatibus vel rebus aliis, sine legali judicio parium suorum, in Anglia vel in Wallia, eis [It may be well to add that trial by battle appears to have been of Norman introduction, and that it probably descended to the Normans from the Scandinavian Holmgang. Bigelow, Hist. of Procedure in Eng., pp. 326-7, says that the duel became a feature of judicial procedure in England, if the absence of mention of it previously is conclusive, only upon the advent of the Normans. It was, he notes, as common in Normandy before the Conquest as was the ordeal in England.' A case given in the same author's Placita Anglo-Normannica, 16, Wulfstan, Bp. of Worcester, v. Abbot Walter, probably circa 1077, shews the men of the Bishop ready to prove his case by oath and by battle, and seems conclusive as to the early establishment of this Norman innovation, if such it was.-C.] The Court having allowed the demand, time was given for due consideration of the novel circumstances of the case; ultimately the appellant declined to accept the challenge, and the defendant was discharged without bail on Oct. 20, 1818. (See Ashford v. Thornton, 1 Barn. & Ald. 405-461.) This led to the passing (22nd June, 1819) of the statute 59 George III. c. 46, intituled An Act to abolish appeals of Murder, Treason, Felony, or other offences, and wager of Battel, or joining issue and trial by Battel in Writs of Right.' III.—Fundamental Principles of the Constitution. or extraor 12. No scutage or aid shall be imposed unless per commune No scutage concilium regni, except in the three cases of ransoming the King's dinary aid person, making his eldest son a knight, and once for marrying his to be imposed except by the eldest daughter; and for these the aids shall be reasonable. In like Common manner it shall be concerning the aids of the city of London. Council of the Nation. the National 14. In order to take the common counsel of the Nation in the Method of imposition of aids (other than the three regular feudal aids) and of summons to scutage, the King shall cause to be summoned the archbishops, Council. bishops, earls, and greater barons, by writ directed to each severally, statim reddantur; et si contentio super hoc orta fuerit, tunc inde fiat in marchia per judicium parium suorum, de tenementis Angliae secundum legem Angliae, de tenementis Walliae secundum legem Walliae, de tenementis marchiae secundum legem marchiae. Idem facient Walenses nobis et nostris.] [57. De omnibus autem illis de quibus aliquis Walensium dissaisitus fuerit vel elongatus sine legali judicio parium suorum, per Henricum regem patrem nostrum vel Ricardum regem fratrem nostrum, quae nos in manu nostra habemus, vel quae alii tenent quae nos oporteat warantizare, respectum habebimus usque ad communem terminum crucesignatorum, illis exceptis de quibus placitum motum fuit vel inquisitio facta per praeceptum nostrum ante susceptionem crucis nostrae : cum autem redierimus, vel si forte remanserimus a peregrinatione nostra, statim eis inde plenam justiciam exhibebimus, secundum leges Walensium et partes praedictas.] [58. Nos reddemus filium Lewelini statim, et omnes obsides de Wallia, et cartas quae nobis liberatae fuerunt in securitatem pacis.] [59. Nos faciemus Allexandro regi Scottorum de sororibus suis, et obsidibus reddendis, et libertatibus suis, et jure suo secundum formam in qua faciemus aliis baronibus nostris Angliae, nisi aliter esse debeat per cartas quas habemus de Willelmo patre ipsius, quondam rege Scottorum; et hoc erit per judicium parium suorum in curia nostra.] 60. Omnes autem istas consuetudines praedictas et libertates quas nos concessimus in regno nostro tenendas quantum ad nos pertinet erga nostros; omnes de regno nostro, tam clerici quam laici, observent quantum ad se pertinet erga suos. [61. Cum autem pro Deo, et ad emendationem regni nostri, et ad melius sopiendum discordiam inter nos et barones nostros ortam, haec omnia praedicta concesserimus, volentes ea integra et firma stabilitate gaudere in perpetuum, facimus et concedimus eis securitatem subscriptam; videlicet quod barones eligant viginti quinque barones de regno quos voluerint, qui debeant pro totis and all other tenants in capite by a general writ addressed to the sheriff of each shire; a certain day and place shall be named for their meeting, of which forty days' notice shall be given; in all letters of summons the cause of summons shall be specified; and the consent of those present on the appointed day shall bind those who, though summoned, shall not have attended. These two clauses (12, 14) surrender the Royal claim to arbitrary taxation, and lay down the principle that the Nation ought not to be taxed except by consent of the National Council. Talliages upon towns are not indeed included. The towns were still to a great extent in the position of demesne lands of the King or other lord, and their inhabitants in a state of quasi-villeinage. They had yet to work their way into acknowledged participation in the rights here admitted to belong to all the free landholders of the kingdom. It is noticeable that in the Capitula quae Barones petunt et Dominus Rex concedit' (the rough draft of the barons' demands, subsequently embodied in the Charter), after the provisions against levying scutage or aids except by consent of the national council, occur the words: Simili modo fiat de tallagiis et auxiliis de civitate Londoniarum et de aliis civitatibus quae inde habent libertates.' The barons evidently intended to make the prohibition of arbitrary taxa viribus suis observare, tenere, et facere observari, pacem et libertates quas eis concessimus, et hac praesenti carta nostra confirmavimus, ita scilicet quod, si nos, vel justiciarius noster, vel ballivi nostri, vel aliquis de ministris nostris, in aliquo erga aliquem deliquerimus, vel aliquem articulorum pacis aut securitatis transgressi fuerimus, et delictum ostensum fuerit quatuor baronibus de praedictis viginti quinque baronibus, illi quatuor barones accedant ad nos vel ad justiciarium nostrum, si fuerimus extra regnum, proponentes nobis excessum ; petent ut excessum illum sine dilatione faciamus emendari. Et si nos excessum non emendaverimus, vel, si fuerimus extra regnum, justiciarius noster non emendaverit, infra tempus quadraginta dierum computandum a tempore quo monstratum fuerit nobis vel justiciario nostro si extra regnum fuerimus, praedicti quatuor barones referant causam illam ad residuos de viginti quinque baronibus, et illi viginti quinque barones cum communa totius terra destringent et gravabunt nos modis omnibus quibus poterunt, scilicet per captionem castrorum, terrarum, possessionum, et aliis modis quibus poterunt, donec fuerit emendatum secundum arbitrium eorum, salva persona nostra et reginae nostrae et liberorum nostroruin; et cum fuerit emendatum intendent nobis sicut prius fecerunt. Et quicumque voluerit de terra juret quod ad praedicta omnia exsequenda parebit mandatis praedictorum viginti quinque baronum, et quod gravabit nos pro posse suo cum ipsis, et nos publice et libere damus licentiam jurandi cuilibet qui jurare voluerit, et nulli unquam jurare prohibebimus. Omnes autem illos de terra qui per se et sponte sua noluerint jurare viginti quinque baronibus, de distringendo et gravando nos cum eis, faciemus jurare eosdem de mandato nostro, sicut praedictum est. Et si aliquis de viginti quinque baronibus decesserit, vel a terra recesserit, vel aliquo alio modo impeditus fuerit, quo minus ista praedicta possent exsequi, qui residui fuerint de praedictis viginti quinque baronibus eligant alium loco ipsius, pro arbitrio suo, qui simili modo erit juratus quo et ceteri. In omnibus autem quae istis viginti quinque baronibus committuntur exsequenda, si forte ipsi viginti quinque praesentes fuerint, et inter se super re aliqua discordaverint, vel aliqui ex eis summoniti nolint vel tion general, and to protect the citizens and burgesses equally with the landholders; but for some unexplained reason, these words were omitted in the Charter itself. The City of London can never have been regarded as a demesne of the Crown, and it is accordingly here ranked with the free tenants in capite. The word 'baron' was of wide signification, including, if not all freeholders, all free tenants in chief. It had not yet become a title in its modern acceptation. The citizens of London and of the Cinque Ports were sometimes designated 'barons.' While the 'greater barons' developed into the House of Lords, the 'lesser barons' became absorbed in the mass of the commonalty, and were represented, with the towns, in the House of Commons. The significance of the 14th clause, as defining the method of summoning the National Council, will be discussed later on in the chapter on the Origin of Parliament.' Although the 12th and 14th clauses were omitted in Henry III.'s renewals of the Charter, the form of a grant appears to have been generally observed throughout his reign.' 39. NO FREE MAN SHALL BE TAKEN OR IMPRISONED OR DIS- Judicium SEISED, OR OUTLAWED, OR EXILED, OR ANYWAYS DESTROYED; parium. NOR WILL WE GO UPON HIM, NOR WILL WE SEND UPON HIM, UNLESS BY THE LAWFUL JUDGMENT OF HIS PEERS, OR BY THE LAW OF THE nequeant interesse, ratum habeatur et firmum quod major pars eorum qui praesentes fuerint providerit, vel praeceperit, ac si omnes viginti quinque in hoc consensissent; et praedicti viginti quinque jurent quod omnia antedicta fideliter observabunt, et pro toto posse suo facient observari. Et nos nihil impetrabimus ab aliquo, per nos nec alium, per quod aliqua istarum concessionum et libertatum revocetur vel minuatur; et, si aliquid tale impetratum fuerit, irritum sit et inane et nunquam eo utemur per nos nec per alium.] [62. Et omnes malas voluntates, indignationes, et rancores, ortos inter nos et homines nostros, clericos et laicos, a tempore discordiae, plene omnibus remisimus et condonavimus. Praeterea omnes transgressiones factas occasione ejusdem discordiae, a Pascha anno regni nostri sextodecimo usque ad pacem reformatam plene remisimus omnibus, clericis et laicis, et quantum ad nos pertinet plene condonavimus. Et insuper fecimus eis fieri litteras testimoniales patentes domini Stephani Cantuariensis archiepiscopi, domini Henrici Dublinensis archiepiscopi, et episcoporum praedictorum, et magistri Pandulfi, super securitate ista et concessionibus praefatis.] [63. Quare volumus et firmiter praecipimus quod Anglicana ecclesia libera sit et quod homines in regno nostro habeant et teneant omnes praefatas libertates, jura, et concessiones, bene et in pace, libere et quiete plene et integre, sibi et haeredibus suis, de nobis et haeredibus nostris, in omnibus rebus et locis, in perpetuum, sicut praedictum est. Juratum est autem tam ex parte nostra quam ex parte baronum, quod haec omnia supradicta bona fide et sine malo ingenio observabuntur. Testibus supradictis et multis aliis. Data per manum nostram in prato quod vocatur Runingmede, inter Windelesorum et Stanes, quinto decimo die Junii, anno regni nostri septimo decimo.] 1 Scias quod comites et barones et omnes alii de toto regno nostro Angliae spontanea voluntate sua et sine consuetudine concesserunt nobis efficax auxilium ad magna negotia nostra expedienda. -Writ for collection of scutage, A.D. 1235, Brady, Introduct, Hist, Eng., App. 43, and Select Chart, 355, |