case the case OF Andrew ARTEMONOWITZ MATTUEOF ambassador of Muscovy by the law  of nation neither a ambassador nor any of his train or comites can be  prosecute for any debt or contract in the court of that kingdom wherein he be  send to reside the question be whether a ambassador can by law be arrest for  debt sir James Montague attorneygeneral he can if the privilege of a  ambassador may by law be break in upon and invade for the preservation of the  property of a private subject prince will be cautious of send ambassador to we  we must expect the like treatment and few will be prevail with to take that  character upon they shall a ambassador be liable to the restraint of the law  of the land to which he go how easy will it be upon a emergency to take off  his attendance upon his master business do the law of England privilege the  body of a member of parliament and of a soldier and shall it not that of a  ambassador the person of a ambassador have ever be hold sacred and inviolable  by the law of nation the good of a ambassador be not liable to distress a  strong not his person a ambassador must be entreat and upon refusal send back  to his master if a ambassador commit a crime of a transcendent nature the king  a quo non ad who must punish he Lord coke say legatos bed of violets contra  law a king of Illyria nor do be add as certain he will have he think so that  though this be so in the civil law it be not so in we modern report a  ambassador do by fiction of law represent the person of his master thus coke  upon the statute Edward c affirm that it be high treason at the commonlaw to  kill a ambassador now certain nobody will say the czar himself may have be  arrest the same fiction of law that make he represent the person of his master  make he extraparochial and quasi in the dominion of his master the ill  treatment of ambassador be a thing of dangerous consequence for it may involve  the nation in a war and it will be very inconvenient that this shall be in the  power of any private person whatsoever contra it be say if this be so a  subject may be leave without remedy for the recovery of his debt which will be  a defect in law justice ought always to be reciprocal but a ambassador may  arrest ergo c it be a maxim in law that the royal prerogative do no wrong and  shall the prerogative of a ambassador surmount that of the crown such a law as  this will be a nullity because contrary to great Charta cap no one vendem no  one to say no or to carry apart the whole of the laws well rectum a ambassador  by his contract renounce his privilege as far as to subject himself to the law  in force in that country where the contract be make a the person who be  concern in this arrest be examine before the privycouncil and seventeen be  commit to prison most of who be prosecute by information in the court of queen  bench at the suit of the attorney general and at their trial before Lord chief  justice holt be convict of the fact by the jury reserve the question of law  how far those fact be criminal to be afterward argue before the judge which  question be never determine Bl Com boyer annal of queen whether but to satisfy  the clamour of the foreign minister who make it a common cause as well as to  appease the czar all the proceed c against the say ambassador be by Ann c  declare void and it be enact that all writ and process that shall at any time  afterward be sue forth or prosecute whereby the person of any ambassador or  other public minister of any foreign prince or state authorize and receive as  such by her majesty or the domestic or domestic servant of any such ambassador  or other public minister may be arrest or imprison or his or their good or  chattel may be distrain seize or attach shall be deem null and void but it be  provide that no merchant or other trader whatsoever within the statute of  bankrupt who shall put himself into the service of such ambassador c shall  have any manner of benefit by this Act and also that no person shall be  proceed against for have arrest the servant of any ambassador c unless the  name of such servant be first register in the secretary of state office and  transmit by such secretary to the sheriff of London c who shall hang up the  same in some public place in their office whereto all person may resort and  take copy thereof without fee or reward for judicial decision on this statute  see Barbuits case case t t triquet v bath burr Seacomb v Bowlney will  Heathfield v Chilton burr poitier v Croza black Rep Wedmore v alvares stram ld  ray carolina case will Holmes v Gordon Annallys Rep master v Manby burr  lockwood v coysgarne burr Hopkins v de roebuck term Rep a modern report er p  modern report michaelmas term the eight of queen whether in the queen bench  sir John holt Knt chief justice sir John Powell Knt sir Littleton powys Knt  sir Henry gold Knt justice sir Edward Northey Knt attorneygeneral sir Simon  Harcourt Knt solicitor general