D156 
to take away the laa from him, he is then -faid to be 
difpaupered. See Cos 
DISPENSARY, an eee for the relief of the — 
poor with medical advice and neceflary drugs, &c.; abou 
twenty of which are eftablifhed in London, and nese 
by voluntary contribution ne or hyfictans and 
furgeons attend daily each difpenfa = a prefcribe for 
the medicines, which are diftributed gratuito and after- 
wards, thofe patie ho c meet the medical attend- 
ants at the oo are vifited by them at ee own habita- 
tions. Inthe latter refpect, it is obvious, that a well con- 
du&ted difpenfary has the advantage over an hofpital of 
adminiftering comfort and relief to poor families, without 
mingling them with difeafed and dying ftrangers, or fepa- 
rating them from their neareft relatives. But, as there are 
Tn fome difpenfaries three thoufand patients are religved an- 
nually ; fo that, probably, not fewer than 49 ooo poor perfons 
receive the a of thofe humane eltabiifhments every year 
in a es 
aifpe enenee have ale eae by the college of 
, the firft of them in 1696, for the purpofe of 
vending at prime coft che cnet: which were prefcribed 
h ; but they have been long fince abolithed, 
€ not now. wanted, as medicines are furnifhed 
gratis at other aifpertties more recently eftablifhed. When 
we recolle&, that, befides thefe charitable inftitutions, there 
the reception of the fick and maimed, which 
iupported by voluntary fubfcriptions ; cannot contem 
plate fo much beneficence and fellow- feeling, without admir- 
t 
ing the noble effe&is produced by the Proftefant religion, and 
hich are not found to the fame extent in any othe 
DISPENSATION, Law, &c. a permiffion to do 
{-mething contrary to the ftanding laws3 ora relaxation, 
or fufpenfion of alaw, on fome juft occafion 
Some’ confound difpenfation with equity 3 but they are 
very different things; for equity is only the correétion, 
or modification, of a law whic general; but a 
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is contrary to pofitive laws, as to things relating to fatts, 
marriages, holding feveral benefices, &c. And even in thefe 
: thus, fay they, a difpenfation in 
and nie 
18 Cer= 
tain the papal fee does not apprehend itfelf under ~ fuch 
fevere reftri€tions, 
e right of giving see nett we ae aa 
certain the chur make 
Iti is 
Pp 
Q 
5‘) 
233 
Ss 
more, can he difpenfe with 
it in certain cafes : ‘the church, then,-may difpenfe with the 
DIS5 
laws os has made, and we find it to have doneaccordingly: 
in alla See PRAMUNIRE. 
The" ines of Canterbury has a power, by flat. 25 
Hen. VIII. c. 24. of difpenfing in any cafe, a the 
realm, wherein difpenfations, not yee to the lawo 
God, were formerly granted by the fee of Rome, as well to 
the king as to his fubjeCts: but in extraordinary eagani 
or in acafe that is ue the oe and peers are to be co 
tmed under the 
broad feal : at ie besa 8 fees 
the guardian of the orate. i grant difpenfations. 
Every bifhop, of common right, has the pa of difpenfing 
in common cafes. 
oe So 
Pruraui 
dap eee of the king, makes a thing Sheri law- 
done by the perfon Sg ny it, t pee evil 
n offence 
pluralities. See Cuapzain and 
was formerly held, that the king might in many cafes dif- 
penfe with penal ftatutes, and the exercife of this difpenting. 
power was one of the moft ignominious badges of flavery 
and engines of tyranny, which ever difgraced and harafled 
ifpenfing with penal 
much aah that parliament itfelf had 
more than once ackno this pte do ive of the 
crown ; particularly ae the reign of Hen when 
they enadted the law againft aoe and alfo when ‘ae paffed 
the flatute cf provifors. (Rot. Parl. 1 Hen. V. wever, 
in the reign of Richard II., ae parliament granted the: 
king only a temporary power of |r mne with the ftatute 
of provifors (Rot. Parl. 15 Rich. II.) ; a plain implication, 
fays Mr. Hume, that he se not of himiclf fuch a prero- 
gative. In the 23d of Henry V1. a claufe was inferted in 
aes ma whie i 
0 overpow 
n. In th 
reign of geal VII. the alee was fae to a trial before 
all the judges in the exchequer-chamber; and it was decreed 
that, notwithitanding the ttriG claufe above-mentioned, the 
king might difpenfe with the ftatute. Many oth a 
{ations of a like nature may be produced; not sae fuch a 
took place by ae vals, but fuch as were usiformly conte 
nued. In th ames I., a new confultation of all the 
oo 
again m 
Rep. 7. d it became an eftablifhed principle in Eng- 
lifh jiprudence, = though the king could not allow of 
w ora 
ney, Hol- 
borne, the popular lawyer, had freely, and in the mof ex- 
plicit terms, made the fame conceflion. Sir Edward Coke, 
the great oracle of Englifh law, had not only concurred 
with. 
