Marbury v. Madison · ¶69

Whatever the practice on particular occasions may be, the theory of this principle will certainly never be maintained. No act of the legislature confers so extraordinary a privilege, nor can it derive countenance from the doctrines of the common law. After stating that personal injury from the king to a subject is presumed to be impossible, Blackstone, vol. 3. p. 255, says, “but injuries “to the rights of property can scarcely be committed by “the crown without the intervention of its officers; for "whom, the law, in matters of right, entertains no re-“spect or delicacy; but furnishes various methods of de-"tecting the errors and misconduct of those agents, by "whom the king has been deceived and induced to do a “temporary injustice.”

U. S. Reports, bound volume
U. S. Reports, volume 5, at 137 (Library of Congress) · transcription: Caselaw Access Project
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