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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Bill_of_Rights
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1992-09-03
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In the USA, the first ten amendments to the
US Constitution: 1. guarantees freedom of
worship, of speech, of the press, of
assembly, and to petition the government;
2. grants the right to keep and bear arms
(which has hindered recent attempts to
control illicit use of arms); 3. prohibits
billeting of soldiers in private homes in
peacetime;
4. forbids unreasonable search and seizure;
5. guarantees none be `deprived of life,
liberty or property without due process of
law' or be compelled in any criminal case to
be a witness against oneself; 6. grants the
right to speedy trial, to call witnesses, and
to have defence counsel;
7. grants the right to trial by jury;
8. prevents the infliction of excessive bail
or fines, or `cruel and unusual punishment';
9. 10. provide a safeguard to the states and
people for all rights not specifically
delegated to the central government. Not
originally part of the draft of the
Constitution, the need for a Bill of Rights
emerged during the period of ratification.
Twelve amendments were proposed by Congress
in 1789; the ten now called the bill of
Rights were ratified 1791. In Britain, an act
of Parliament 1689. It made provisions
limiting royal perogative with respect to
legislation, executive power, money levies,
courts, and the army; required Parliament's
consent to many government functions; and
established rights of Parliament. The act
embodied the Declaration of Rights presented
by the House of Commons to William and Mary
before they replaced James II on the throne.
It made illegal the suspension of laws by
royal authority without Parliament's consent;
the power to dispense with laws; the
establishment of special courts of law;
levying money by royal prerogative without
Parliament's consent; and the maintenance of
a standing army in peacetime without
Parliament's consent. It also asserted a
right to petition the sovereign, freedom of
parliamentary elections, freedom of speech in
parliamentary debates, and the necessity of
frequent parliaments.