The Triennial Act Impartially Stated, Shewing, I That the Law was...
"The Law Was Made for Securing the Liberties of the People" [Defoe, Daniel (c.1660-1731), Attributed]. The Triennial Act Impartially Stated; Shewing, I. That the Law was Made for Securing the Liberties of the People, By the Frequent Calling of Parliaments Chosen by Them; And is Now Become a Fundamental Part of Our Constitution Not to be Violated on Slight Pretences II. That the Many Plausible Arguments Insinuated for Repealing this Act, Are Fallacious and Inconclusive, And the Consequences Thereof May be Fatal to the Publick. London: Printed for J. Grantham, 1716. [iv], 30 pp. With a half-title. Octavo (6-1/2" x 4"). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning, minor worming to spine ends, rust stain from paperclip, with a bit of burn-through, to heads of first three and final three leaves, some discoloration to half-title and final leaf. "8" in early hand to foot of half-title, tiny library stamp to verso of title page. $750. * Only edition, the second of two issues from 1716. The Triennial Act of 1714 was one of the reforms that followed the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It established that monarchs would never again attempt to rule without Parliament and that Parliaments must meet at least once every three years. It also ensured that new elections would occur within periods of no more than three years. The Septennial Act of 1716, which was enacted, expanded the terms of Parliaments to seven years. This pamphlet was written while this act was under debate. (The Parliament Act of 1911 reduced the term lengths to five years.) This work is usually attributed to Defoe, but he denied authorship in Mercurius Politicus (July 1717). In this issue there is no final errata leaf; the errors from the first have been corrected. Including both issues, OCLC locates 3 copies in North American law libraries (Harvard, Library of Congress, University of Minnesota). English Short-Title Catalogue N14301.
Price: $750.00
Book number 73175