The barons of England, sustained by the common people, having their king in their power, compelled him, as the price of his throne, to pledge himself that he would punish no freeman for a violation of any of his laws, unless with the consent of the peers that is, the equals of the accused.
Spooner describes the historical context in which the barons forced the king to respect the rights of freemen, emphasizing the importance of peer consent in law enforcement.
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