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saying, " This we conceive to be a Right which we ought to exercise
without any previous Application to your Excellency.
I will not suppose you intended to draw any Inference or Argu-
ment from your describing the Person, against whom your Serjeant
was sent, by the Name of Mr. John Ridout, in your Address, when
I had in my Message called him my Secretary, as if your Serjeant
might have taken Mr. Ridout into Custody without depriving me
of the Service of my Secretary; because, tho' you had not at the
Time you issued your Warrant, known that Mr. Ridout was my
Secretary, yet, when I had by my Message informing you of this
Matter, called him by that Title, you could no longer remain ignorant
that I was speaking of the same Person against whom you had
sent your Serjeant; tho' at this Time, that no Interruption might
be given to the Public Business, ever carried on, even in the most
quiet Time, at a very great Expence to the People, I might readily
have admitted such Doubt as an Excuse.
But altho' it must be understood that you did know Mr. Ridout
was my Secretary, you nevertheless insist that you have a Right to
send your Serjeant to take him into Custody, whenever you shall
be pleased to think him " Guilty of a Contempt of the Authority, or a
Breach of the Rights and Privileges of your House, without any
previous Application to me."
I do not propose to enter into any Debate with you upon this
Point, because, as I have hitherto avoided making any Incroachments
on the just and constitutional Rights and Privileges of your House,
as one of the Branches of the Legislature, so am I determined not
to suffer mine, while I consider myself as the Chief Branch of that
Body, to be brought into Dispute, lest you should construe such a
Condescension in me into a vesting you with a Right to dispute them
whenever you shall think fit.
However, I would just observe to you, by Way of Information,
with Regard to your Rights, that as you are one of the Branches of
the Legislature, you, as well as the other Branches, have certain
Rights and Privileges constitutionally annexed to you while together,
which the other Branches may not interfere with, and you, as well
as they, have likewise certain Servants to attend you in the Discharge
of your Duty, tho' if the Matter was to be disputed, your Right
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p. 35
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to cloath that Servant, which you are pleased to call a Serjeant, with
such great Authority, would not, I am apt to think, be easily made
appear.
The Gentlemen of the Upper House have likewise their Rights
and Privileges; and I hope you'll be pleased to remember, that I, as
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p. 36
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