Page:Prerogatives of the Crown.djvu/407

 eh. XVI. Sec. L] Crown Grants. S87 ^ The King's power to grant letters of marque and repri^ sals (a), courts and offices (6), franchises {c patents for inven- tions {d). Crown lands and possessions (^), the sole liberty of printing certain works (y), protections (^), and lands seized under offices (/i), have been already considered at large, and various other rights of the King, as to grants, have also been incidentally noticed. . Grants of the Revenue were formerly unlimited (z), but are now very properly restrained. Formerly, every branch of the revenue was in the disposal of the Crown, and might be grant- ed; but since the Revolution, and the introduction of the fund- ing system, this has been altered, and a particular portion only of the public revenue, viz. the civil list, is the property of the King, and vested in him for the maintenance of his dignity {k). Still, however, the power of the Crown over such civil list re^- jnained without limits ; and, therefore, as well to secure the Crown as the subject, the legislature introduced several provi" sions, restraining and regulating the grants of pensions out of the civil list {l And Parliament had long before confined and regulated the alienation of Crown lands {m). Still, how*- ever, the right of the King to transfer to a subject franchises, which are termed flowers of the Crown, and formerly consti^ tuted an important part of the revenue ; and forfeitures ; fines for offences, &c. {n), remains unchanged. Between subject and subject, choses in action, or rights of action, are not assignable, so as to vest in the assignee the pow- der of suing at law in his own name against the debtor (o) : but this doctrine does not extend to the King, who, by virtue of his prerogative, may effectually take by assignment, or, by ex- press and special words {p transfer to another, a right of, or, (a) Ante, 40. (/) 22 G. 3. c. 82. s. 17. 25 G. 3. (6) Ante, 75, &c. > c. Gl. Pension list rated to Land Tax, (c) Ante' 118 to 155. 29 G. 3. c. 6. s. 78. 35 G. 3. c. 9. (rf) Ante, 176 to 193. s. 71. Pensions to persons who h^ve (e) Ante, 203, &c. served abroad. 50 G. 3. c. 117. s. 13, (/) Ante, 238 to 241. 14^- Accumulation of arrears prevented. (^) Ante, 282 to 284. 44 G. 3. c. 80. s. 2. h) Ante, 253, &c. (»») Ante, 203, &c. (i) Plowd. 236. Vaugh. 62. Co. («) Ld. Raym.213, 14. lit. 19. 7 Co. 12. See the banker's (o) Co. Lit. 214, a. Chitty on P, case, 5 Mod. 46. Comb. 270. Skin. 5th ed. 7, 8. 60 1., pi. 11, 11 St. Tr. 1 36. ip) 3 Lev. 1 35. 12 Rep. 2. (k) Ante, 201,2. C c 2 chose