Lastly, what right had the Commons to admit a negative voice, either in
another house or in a single person? Such a voice was destructive of the
sovereignty of the people exercised by their representatives. The people
had sent them to parliament with power to make laws for the national
welfare, but not to annihilate the first and most valuable right of their
constituents. Each day the debate grew more animated and personal; charges
were made and recriminations followed: the republicans enumerated the acts
of misrule and oppression under the government of the late protector; the
courtiers balanced the account with similar instances from the proceedings
of their adversaries during the sway of the long parliament; the orators,
amidst the
[Footnote 1: Thurloe, 559, 609, 615.]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1659. Feb. 1.]
multitude of subjects incidentally introduced, lost sight of the original
question; and the speaker, after a debate of eight days, declared that he
was bewildered in a labyrinth of confusion, out of which he could discover
no issue. Weariness at last induced the combatants to listen to a
compromise,[a] that the recognition of Richard as protector should form
part of a future bill, but that at the same time, his prerogative should be
so limited as to secure the liberties of the people.
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