[094-314v]

16 Jan 1803

Expiries

' [...?] in the case of Expiries

Exemplification of illegal legislation and other illegal acts exercised on Expiries.

' Ordinances and proceedings, having for their object the delineation of expiries.

In the case of expiries, the non-existence of all power of legislation, so far as they would be the parties bound by any [...?] made in the exercise of such powers has already been displayed. /Letter 3. to Lord [...?]/

On the other hand, the need there has all along been, and could not but be, for power of legislation, competent to the regulation of their conduct in all cases, is manifest enough. It would be so in the bare number of it: and the demand, that in part of expediency and indeed necessity could not but exist for coercive powers applicable to this description of inhabitants in particular, can not but have been made already sufficiently apparent, by particular incidents and situations that have been brought to view in the course of the preceding pages.

In speaking of persons of this description and the conduct that has been observed towards them, to give a full display of it for the purpose of holding it up in a moral point of view would be collateral to the main object of the present essay. In a [...?] point of view, and that alone, it may here be [...?] /proper/ to the design to exhibit /give a reference/ a few incidents whereby the repugnancy of the treatment given to them, to the law, under colour of which they were thus dealt with, may stand to[?] the time distinctly brought to view.

The power thus illegally assumed was employed as it had been assumed for oppressive as well as anti-constitutional purposes - Britons, to whom their country with the whole world [...?] was open by law, have[?] been kept in confinement in that land of [...?]. Britons, free by law as Britons can be, have been kept in that land of exile in a club of bondage.