April 1807

Lawyers judged

J.B. [...?] for [...?] the lawyer [...?] note

My friends I will venture to give /state/ it as a proposition true to its utmost extent - that any appeal to any known law whatsoever in the character of an invisible law - a law of the Medes[?] and Persians - a law incapable of being changed by the superior power in a /the/ state is of the most mischievous /pernicious/ tendency - incompatible with /subversive of/ good government: the result either of /if not of/ wickedness or wickedness in the extreme.

I state it - not with a view to the question alone but to all questions that can ever arise in the subject of any such law or compact: not to the question of this day only but to whatever question of the like kind may ever present itself /come to present themselves/ to the ends of time. I state it with a view not to Scotland only, but to Ireland.