3 26 Mr. NE A L's IId Vol. of the that arrefts me, efcapes Punifhment till the next ` Parliament ; the Judge having no more Power to commit the Man, that feed and arrefied me, than he bath to imprifon a Man for bringing an Ac- ' tion at Law, when he bath no good Title, nei- ther is he Judge of the Contempt. Again, if a Man brings an Information, or an Adtion of the Cafe, for Words fpoken by me ; 6. and I plead, that the Words were fpoken by me in Parliament, when I was a Member there, and 6 that it is againff the Privilege of Parliament, that I should be in:pleaded in any other Place, for 6 Words I fpoke there ; I ought to be difcharged from this Action, or Information, becaufe this Privilege is known and pleadable at Law: but that Judge can neither punifh nor examine the Breach of Privilege, nor cenfure the Con- 6 tempt. And this is the trueand proper meaning of the old receiv'd llxiom, That they are Judges only ' of their own Privileges. And indeed thefe two, of Freedom from Ar- refis for their Perfons, (which originally bath not been of that Latitude, to make a Parliament a S^nluary for Bankrupts, where any Perfon out - lawed bath been declared incapable of being re- ' turri'd thither a Member) and of Liberty of Speech, were accounted their chiefeíl Privileges of r'arltament. For their other, ofAccefs to the King, and Correfpondence by Conference with the Lords, are rather of the Effence of their Councils, than Privileges belonging to them. But that their being judges of their Privileges, fliould ` qualify them to make new Privileges, or that their Judgment Should create them fuch, as it was a Dodrine never before now heard of, fo it could not but produce all thefe monftrous Effeas we have Peen; when they have affumed to fwal, low all the Rights, and Prerogatives of the Crown, $ 4 the
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