Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/125

§. 4. effect. And, becaue everal of the colonies had claimed the ole and excluive right of impoing taxes upon themelves, the tatute 6 Geo. III. c. 12. exprely declares, that all his majety’s colonies and plantations in America have been, are, and of right ought to be, ubordinate to and dependent upon the imperial crown and parliament of Great Britain; who have full power and authority to make laws and tatutes of ufficient validity to bind the colonies and people of America, ubjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all caes whatoever.

are the everal parts of the dominions of the crown of Great Britain, in which the municipal laws of England are not of force or authority, merely as the municipal laws of England. Mot of them have probably copied the pirit of their own law from this original; but then it receives it’s obligation, and authoritative force, from being the law of the country.

As to any foreign dominions which may belong to the peron of the king by hereditary decent, by purchae, or other acquiition, as the territory of Hanover, and his majety’s other property in Germany; as thee do not in any wie appertain to the crown of thee kingdoms, they are entirely unconnected with the laws of England, and do not communicate with this nation in any repect whatoever. The Englih legilature had wiely remarked the inconveniences that had formerly reulted from dominions on the continent of Europe; from the Norman territory which William the conqueror brought with him, and held in conjunction with the Englih throne; and from Anjou, and it’s appendages, which fell to Henry the econd by hereditary decent. They had een the nation engaged for near four hundred years together in ruinous wars for defence of thee foreign dominions; till, happily for this country, they were lot under the reign of Henry the ixth. They oberved that, from that time, the maritime interets of England were better undertood and more cloely purued: that, in conequence of this attention, the nation, as oon as he had reted from her civil wars, began at this period