BOOK the affemhly. That every member of a numerous fociety
. *’ , fliould be invefted with fueh a dangerous privilege, in the
midft of the moft important national tranfacftions, is a cit-
cumftance in itfelf fo ;incredible, as to defevve a minute enquiry,
into the caufes which introduced a cuftom fo pregnant
with anarchy, and fo detrimental to public welfare.
The privilege in queftion is not to be found in any period
of the Polilh hiftory antecedent to the reign of John Cafimir.
It was under his adminiftration, that in.the year 1652, when
the diet of Warfaw was debating upon, tranfa&ions of
the utmoft importance which required a fpeedy. deter-,
mination, that Sicinfki %■_ nuntio of Upita in Lithuania,
cried out, “ I ftop the proceedings.” Having uttered thefe.
words, he quitted the affembly, and,., repairing ' immediately
to the chancellor, prptefted; that as many adts had
been propofed and carried contrary to the conftitution of the
republic, if the diet.continued to fit, he ihpuld confider it as
an infringement of, the laws. - The members were thun-
derftruck at a proteft of this nature, hitherto unknown..
Warm debates took place about the propriety - of continuing
or diffolving the diet: a(? length,,however, the venal
and difcontented faction, who .fuppcrted the proteft, obtained
the majority;. and. the affembly broke up in great,
cpnfufion.
This tranfaftion changed entirely the cpnftitution of Poland,
and, gave an unlimited fcope to mi.frule and faction..
The caufes. which induced the Poles to acq-uiefce in efta-
blifiling the Liberum,Veto, thus, cafually introduced, were
probably the following.
1. It was the intereft of the great officers of ftate, particularly,
the great general, the great treafurer, and great marffial,,
* Leng. Jqs Pub. v, II* p 215»-
0. . ip.
in w-hofe hands were vefted the adminiftration of the c^ p‘
army, the finances, and the police, to abridge the fitting of ■ . --
the diet. Thefe great officers of ftate, being once nominated
by the king, enjoyed* their appointments for life,,
totally independent of his authority, and liable to no-con-
troul during the intervals of the diets, to which alone they
were refponfible. This powerful body accordingly ftrongly
efpoufed the Liberum Veto, confcious they could eafily, and
at all times, fecure a nuntio to proteft:.; and by that means-
elude all enquiry into their adminiftration».
2. By a fundamental law of the republic, alb nobles ac— .
Gufed of capital crimes can only be brought to trial before
the diet; and as,.at the period juft mentioned, many, per-
fons flood under that- defcription, all thefe and their adherents
naturally favoured an expedient tending to difiolve the
only tribunal, by which they could be convifted and punifhed.:
3. The exigences of the ftate, occalioned by the continual-
wars in which,Roland..had been engaged, demanded, at this
particular crifis, an impolition of feveral heavy taxes.: as
the foie power of levying all pecuniary aids refided iivthe-
diet; all the nuntios, therefore, who oppofed the railing of
additional fubfidies, feconded the propofalfor, fhortening the ■
duration of that afiembly..
4. But the principal realon, which carried through, and*;
afterwards fuppoi;teci.the power of difiolving diets, is to be
dirived from the influence of fome of .the great neighbouring,;
powers, inferefted to- foment'anarchy and coafufion in the
Polilh counlel's. Before this, period, if they wifhed to form,
a-cabal, and to carry any point in the national-afiembly, they
were obliged to fecure a majority of votes-; under the new
ayra.ngera.ent they were able to attain their end on much eafier.
terras,