Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/248

232 of England, unles born of Englih parents, even though naturalized by parliament, hall be capable of being of the privy council.

privileges of privy counellors, as uch, conit principally in the ecurity which the law has given them againt attempts and conpiracies to detroy their lives. For, by tatute 3 Hen. VII. c. 14. if any of the king’s ervants, of his houhold, conpire or imagine to take away the life of a privy counellor, it is felony, though nothing be done upon it. And the reaon of making this tatute, ir Edward Coke tells us, was becaue uch ervants have greater and readier means, either by night or by day, to detroy uch as be of great authority, and near about the king: and uch a conpiracy was, jut before this parliament, made by ome of king Henry the eventh’s houhold ervants, and great michief was like to have enued thereupon. This extends only to the king’s menial ervants. But the tatute 9 Ann. c. 16. goes farther, and enacts, that any perons that hall unlawfully attempt to kill, or hall unlawfully aault, and trike, or wound, any privy counellor in the execution of his office, hall be felons, and uffer death as uch. This tatute was made upon the daring attempt of the ieur Guicard, who tabbed Mr Harley, afterwards earl of Oxford, with a penknife, when under examination for high crimes in a committee of the privy council. diolution of the privy council depends upon the king’s pleaure; and he may, whenever he thinks proper, dicharge any particular member, or the whole of it, and appoint another. By the common law alo it was diolved  by the king’s demie; as deriving all it’s authority from him. But now, to prevent the inconveniences of having no council in being at the acceion of a new prince, it is enacted by tatute 6 Ann. c. 7. that the privy council hall continue for ix months after the demie of the crown, unles ooner determined by the ucceor.