English Bill of Rights
81
time of peace, without consent of Parliament, and quartering soldiers
contrary to law.
(6.) By causing several good subjects, being Protestants, to be disarmed, at the same time when Papists were both armed and employed
contrary to law.
(7.) By violating the freedom of election of members to serve in Parliament.
(8.) By prosecutions in the Court of King’s Bench for matters and
causes cognizable only in Parliament; and by divers other arbitrary and
illegal causes.
(9.) And whereas of late years, partial, corrupt, and unqualified persons have been returned, and served on juries in trials, and particularly
diverse jurors in trials for high treason, which were not freeholders.
(10.) And excessive bail hath been required of persons committed in
criminal cases, to elude the benefit of the laws made for the liberty of the
subjects.
(11.) And excessive fines have been imposed; and illegal and cruel
punishments inflicted.
(12.) And several grants and promises made of fines and forfeitures,
before any conviction or judgment against the persons upon whom the
same were to be levied.
All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known laws and statutes, and freedom of this realm.
And whereas the said late King James II, having abdicated the government, and the throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the Prince of
Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from Popery and arbitrary power)
did (by the advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and diverse principal persons of the Commons) cause letters to be written to the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, being Protestants, and other letters to the several
counties, cities, universities, boroughs, and cinque ports, for the choosing
of such persons to represent them, as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and sit at Westminster upon the two-and-twentieth day of
January, in this year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight, in order
to such an establishment, as that their religion, laws, and liberties might