Question

Select the text in the excerpt from the English Bill of Rights that states that those elected to office can speak freely while conducting government business.

And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, pursuant to their respective letters and elections, being now assembled in a full and free representative of this nation, taking into their most serious consideration the best means for attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties declare; That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal; That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal; That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal; That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law; That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law; That election of members of Parliament ought to be free; That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament; That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted; That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders.

Answer 1

The excerpt provided in the question is from the English Bill of Rights. The text from that excerpt that states that those elected to office can speak freely while conducting government business is the following:

";That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;"

This part of the Bill of Rights makes reference to the freedom of speech of those who are members of Parliament. The Bill of rights is stating that all members of Parliament are free to profess their own opinions and believes when working, and that they can not be impeached by their opinions in any court or place outside of Parliament either.

The English Bill of rights is an act that the Parliament of England pass on December 16th, 1689, to create the separation of powers within the government, to limit the power of the King/Queen and to reaffirm the importance of freedom of speech.

Answer 2

"That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament".

The Bill of Rights (1869) was a document that sought to curb absolutist power and was imposed upon King William III of England who accepted. It is one of the most important documents in history that influenced the constitution of several countries, including the USA.

The Bill of Rights launched the first institutional guarantees of what would become fundamental rights. The statement endorsed the freedom of British throne subjects and important transformations in governing, setting limits to real power and recognizing the rights of Parliament, including freedom of expression in Parliament.