publick; and that all who are not enemies to their country, have, for
many years, incessantly struggled to drag him down from the pinnacle of
power, and expose him to that punishment which he has so long deserved,
and so long defied, is evident beyond contradiction.

Let it not, therefore, be urged, my lords, that there is no certainty of
a crime which is proved to the conviction of every honest mind; let it
not be said that it is unreasonable to suspect this man, whom the voice
of the people, a voice always to be reverenced, has so long condemned.

The method of procuring evidence against him by an act of indemnity has
been represented by the noble lord as not agreeable to justice or to
law: in the knowledge of the law I am far from imagining myself able to
contend with him; but I think it may not be improper to observe, that a
person of the highest eminence in that profession, whose long study and
great abilities give his decisions an uncommon claim to authority and
veneration, and who was always considered in this house with the highest
regard, appears to have entertained a very different opinion.

It was declared by him, without the least restriction, that all means
were lawful which tended to the discovery of truth; and, therefore, the
publick may justly expect that extraordinary methods should be used upon
occasions of uncommon importance.

Nor does this expedient appear to me very remote from the daily practice
of promising pardon to thieves, on condition that they will make
discoveries by which their confederates may be brought to justice.

If we examine only the equity of this procedure, without regard to the
examples of former times, it appears to me easily defensible; for what