第38章

　　&sect；1335。InEnglandthisisahighprerogativewrit，issuingoutoftheCourtofKing’sBench，notonlyintermtime，butinvacation，andrunningintoallpartsoftheking’sdominions；foritissaid，thatthekingisentitled，atalltimes，tohaveanaccount，whythelibertyofanyofhissubjectsisrestrained。Itisgrantable，however，asamatterofright，exmeritojustiti&aelig；，upontheapplicationofthesubject。16InEngland，however，thebenefitofitwasofteneludedpriortothereignofCharlestheSecond；andespeciallyduringthereignofCharlestheFirst。

　　ThesepitifulevasionsgaverisetothefamousHabeasCorpusActof31

　　Car。2，c。2，whichhasbeenfrequentlyconsidered，asanothermagnachartainthatkingdom；andhasreducedthegeneralmethodofproceedingsonthesewritstothetruestandardoflawandliberty。17Thatstatutehasbeen，insubstance，incorporatedintothejurisprudenceofeverystateintheUnion；andtherighttoithasbeensecuredinmost，ifnotinall，ofthestateconstitutionsbyaprovision，similartothatexistingintheconstitutionoftheUnitedStates。18Itisnotwithoutreason，therefore，thatthecommonlawwasdeemedbyourancestorsapartofthelawoftheland，broughtwiththemupontheiremigration，sofar，asitwassuitedtotheircircumstances；sinceitaffordstheamplestprotectionfortheirrightsandpersonalliberty。CongresshavevestedinthecourtsoftheUnitedStatesfullauthoritytoissuethisgreatwrit，incasesfallingproperlywithinthejurisdictionofthenationalgovernment。19

　　&sect；1336。Itisobvious，thatcasesofapeculiaremergencymayarise，whichmayjustify，nayevenrequire，thetemporarysuspensionofanyrighttothewrit。Butasithasfrequentlyhappenedinforeigncountries，andeveninEngland，thatthewrithas，uponvariouspretextsandoccasions，beensuspended，wherebypersonsapprehendeduponsuspicionhavesufferedalongimprisonment，sometimesfromdesign，andsometimes，becausetheywereforgotten，20therighttosuspenditisexpresslyconfinedtocasesofrebellionorinvasion，wherethepublicsafetymayrequireit。Averyjustandwholesomerestraint，whichcutsdownatablowafruitfulmeansofoppression，capableofbeingabusedinbadtimestotheworstofpurposes。Hithertonosuspensionofthewrithaseverbeenauthorizedbycongresssincetheestablishmentoftheconstitution。21Itwouldseem，asthepowerisgiventocongresstosuspendthewritofhabeascorpusincasesofrebellionorinvasion，thattherighttojudge，whetherexigencyhadarisen，mustexclusivelybelongtothatbody。22

　　&sect；1337。Thenextclauseis，\"Nobillofattainderorexpostfactolawshallbepassed。\"