I could show your Lordships that they are so sensible of honor, that fines are levied and punishment inflicted according to the rank of the culprit, and that the very authority of the magistrate is dependent on their rank.  That the learned counsel should be ignorant of these things is natural enough.  They are concerned in the gainful part of their profession.  If they know the laws of their own country, which I dare say they do, it is not to be expected that they should know the laws of any other.  But, my Lords, it is to be expected that the prisoner should know the Gentoo laws:  for he not only cheated Nobkissin of his money to get these laws translated, but he took credit for the publication of the work as an act of public spirit, after shifting the payment from himself by fraud and peculation.  All this has been proved by the testimonies of Mr. Auriol and Mr. Halhed before your Lordships.

We do not bring forward this book as evidence of guilt or innocence, but to show the laws and usages of the country, and to prove the prisoner’s knowledge of them.

From the Gentoo we will proceed to the Tartarian government of India, a government established by conquest, and therefore not likely to be distinguished by any marks of extraordinary mildness towards the conquered.  The book before me will prove to your Lordships that the head of this government (who is falsely supposed to have a despotic authority) is absolutely elected to his office.  Tamerlane was elected; and Genghis Khan particularly valued himself on improving the laws and institutions of his own country.  These laws we only have imperfectly in this book; but we are told in it, and I believe the fact, that he forbade, under pain of death, any prince or other person to presume to cause himself to be proclaimed Great Khan or Emperor, without being first duly elected by the princes lawfully assembled in general diet.  He then established the privileges and immunities granted to the Tunkawns,—­that is, to the nobility and gentry of the country,—­and afterwards published most severe ordinances against governors who failed in doing their duty, but principally against those who commanded in far distant provinces.  This prince was in this case, what I hope your Lordships will be, a very severe judge of the governors of countries remote from the seat of the government.

My Lords, we have in this book sufficient proof that a Tartarian sovereign could not obtain the recognition of ancient laws, or establish new ones, without the consent of his parliament; that he could not ascend the throne without being duly elected; and that, when so elected, he was bound to preserve the great in all their immunities, and the people in all their rights, liberties, privileges, and properties.  We find these great princes restrained by laws, and even making wise and salutary regulations for the countries which they conquered.  We find Genghis Khan establishing one of his sons in a particular