The freedom of speech and writing upon public affairs considered : with an historical view of the Roman imperial laws against libels ..., the nature and use of torture ..., the bringing of the rack into the Tower ..., the different treatment of libels …
The author of this work served as the London representative of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, acting as an intermediary between the increasingly independent colonial government and the British government to which it was supposed to be subordinate. While Bollan supported British control over the American colonies, he was sympathetic to the colonies’ concerns around taxation and speech. In this work, Bollan grounds modern British laws in Roman history, a popular point of reference during the Enlightenment era. Bollan’s view of freedom of speech was quite liberal for his age, supporting the right to criticize the government without fear of prosecution. To Bollan, the suppression of free speech was indicative of a tyranny, which aligns closely with the opinions later enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the U.S. Constitution.
William Bollan (d. 1776).
The Freedom of Speech and Writing upon Public Affairs Considered: with an Historical View of the Roman Imperial Laws against Libels. London: Printed, and sold by S. Baker..., 1766.
Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/347375
A version of this text has been digitized and is available through the Internet Archive.