i 98 HISTORY OF THE {book vj. 
preme within their own jurisdiction; unobstructed 
by, and independent of all control from without; 
for nothing can be more absurd than to suppose. 
“ majesty’s commission or instructions to his excellency as governor 
“ of this island, or by any other means whatsoever, that the commit - 
“ ment of the said Pierce Cooke into the custody of the said Edward 
“ Bolt is legal; and his excellency the chancellor was therefore plea- 
“ sed to order, adjudge, and decree, and it is hereby ordered, ad- 
“ judged, and decreed, That the said Pierce Cooke be, by the autho- 
“ rity of this court, released and discharged from the custody of the 
“ said Edward Bolt; and did also make the same declaration and 
** order as to the said Lachlan M’Neil,” which orders and declarations 
1 of his, he did most irregularly call decrees, and order them to be 
{ enrolled among the records of the court of Chancery. 
* It is evident from the opinions of the ablest lawyers in England, 
‘ ever since the passing of that statute, from the opinions and decla- 
* rations of judges, the uniform determinations of all the courts in 
‘ England, and the constant declarations and practice of the house of 
* commons, that the said statute was not, nor could be, intended to 
‘ extend to commitments by either house of parliament, and that the 
* house of commons is the only proper judge of its own privileges and 
* commitments ; this determination of Mr. Lyttleton’s tends therefore 
* manifestly to degrade the representatives of the people, in the system 
‘ of our constitution, from that rank and authority which is held by 
‘ the like body in our mother-country, and if suffered to remain, 
< would subvert the fundamentals of that system, by giving the court 
1 of chancery a power to control the proceedings of the assembly, 
* and by reducing them to a dangerous and unconstitutional depen- 
‘ dance upon governors, would leave the people without that protec- 
‘ tion against arbitrary power, which nothing but a free and indepen- 
* dent assembly can give them. 
‘ E«ery court of justice, from the meanest quarter session up to the 
‘ two houses of parliament, has a power of committing for contempt.. 
