or rapidly passing over such points of constitutional law and history as are not essential to the explanation of proceedings in Parliament; and by preferring brief statements of the general result of precedents to a lengthened enumeration of the precedents themselves. Copious references are given, throughout the work, to the Journals of both houses, and to other original sources of information but quotations have been restricted to resolutions and standing orders, to pointed authorities, and to precedents which serve to elucidate any principle or rule of practice better than a more general statement in the text. The arrangement of the work has been designed with a view to advance from the more general to the particular and distinct proceedings of Parliament, to avoid repetition, and to prevent any confusion of separate classes of proceedings: and each subject has been treated, by itself, so as to present, first, the rules or principles; secondly, the authorities, if any be applicable; and, thirdly, the particular precedents in illustration of the practice. As the last edition of Mr. Hatsell's work was published in 1818, the precedents of proceedings in the House of Commons have generally been selected from the Journals of the last five and twenty years, except where those of an earlier date were obviously more appropriate. But as the precedents of the House of Lords had not been collected in any previous work, no limitation has been observed in their selection. It only remains to acknowledge the kind assistance which has been rendered by many gentlemen, who have communicated their knowledge of the practice of Parliament, in their several official departments, with the utmost courtesy: while the Author is under peculiar obligations to Mr. Speaker, with whose encouragement the work was undertaken, and by whose valuable suggestions it has been incalculably improved. House of Commons, [ix] Preliminary view of the constituent parts of Parliament : The Crown, The Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and General view of the Privileges of Parliament: Power of commitment by both Houses for Breaches of Privilege. Causes of commitment cannot be inquired into by Courts of Law; nor the prisoners admitted to bail. Acts con- Freedom from Arrest or Molestation: its antiquity; limits, and mode of enforcement. Privilege of not being im- pleaded in civil actions: of not being liable to be sum- moned by subpoena or to serve on juries. Commitment |