The Editor's Bag apply to the King, his father, for a par don. In a still greater fury, Henry endeavored to take the prisoner from the hands of the court officers by force, but stopped short at sight of the stern face of the Chief Justice, who, rising, addressed him coldly. "Sir," he said, "remember yourself! I keep here the peace of the King, your sovereign lord and father, to whom you owe double allegiance In his name, therefore, I charge you to desist from your disobedience and unlawful enterprize and henceforth give a better example to those who shall hereafter be your subjects. And now, for the con tempt and disobedience you have shown, I commit you to the prison of the King's Bench, there to remain until the pleas ure of the King, your father, be known." Henry, by this time sensible of the insult he had offered the laws of his country, suffered himself to be con ducted to gaol by the officers. His father, Henry IV, upon hearing of the incident, exclaimed joyously: "Happy is the King who has a magistrate possessed of cour age to execute the laws; and still more happy in having a son who will submit to the punishment inflicted for offending them." The Prince himself, when he became King, in speaking of Sir William Gascoigne, said : — "I shall ever hold him worthy of his place, and of my favor; and I wish that all my judges may possess the like un daunted courage to punish offenders, of what rank soever." This is the only incident in history where a Crown Prince was committed to prison for contempt of court. Lord Chief Justice Holt was particu larly watchful that the courts should not be intimidated by Parliament. In 1704, several persons who claimed to be freemen of the Borough of Aylesbury
were refused the privilege of voting at an election for member of parliament, and brought an action against the re turning officer for the penalties which the law imposed in such cases. The House of Commons, conceiving this appeal to the courts to be an evasion of their privileges, passed an order declaring it to be penal in either judge, counsel, or attorney to assist at the trial. The Lord Chief Justice and several law yers, however, proceeded with the case in regular course. The House, highly indignant, sent their sergeant-at-arms to command the judge to appear before them, but the command was ignored. A second order was sent by the Speaker, attended by a number of members. The Speaker's summons was retorted to as follows: — "Go back to your chair, Mr. Speaker, within these five minutes, or you may depend on it I'll send you to Newgate. You speak of your authority! But I tell you I sit here as an interpreter of the laws, and as a distributor of justice; and were the whole House of Commons in your belly, I would not stir one foot!" The Speaker was prudent to withdraw, and the House, with equal prudence, let the matter drop. DEFENDANT RESTS
- ~ f^HE soldier was up on a summary
•*• court-martial before the Colonel on a charge of neglect of duty. When the prosecution was in, the Colonel turned to the accused and growled at him: "Have you any witnesses?" "No, n-o," muttered the accused. "You rest then, do you — you want to rest then do you — you want to rest?" yelled the Colonel. "Yes — yes — I would like to, Colo nel," he replied, glancing around behind
