PREFACE
TO THE
FIRST EDITION.
THE following Cases are part of a larger Collection, extracted from the Journals of the House of Commons, and other Parliamentary Records.
The Compiler of this Work has always been of opinion, that the easiest method of conveying to the Public the very useful information contained in those voluminous Collections, is, to select particular Heads or Titles; and, having brought together every thing that has any reference to any of these heads, to digest the whole in a chronological order, and to publish it in a separate volume. He has, upon this principle, ventured to send forth this Work, relating to the Privilege of Members of the House of Commons, only by way of specimen, and as an example for those who may adopt this idea, and who may have more leisure to pursue so laborious an undertaking.
The Reader will not suppose, that the Observations upon the several Cases, are made with a view of declaring what the Law of Privilege is, in the instances to which those Observations refer: they are designed merely to draw the
