A treaty between Russia and Persia, signed in 1813, by which Persia, after a two years’ war of disastrous defeats, surrendered all her possessions north of Armenia, together with the right of navigating the Caspian Sea.
Gunpowder Act.
An Act passed by the Irish Parliament in 1793, forbidding the importation of arms and gunpowder into Ireland, and rendering their possession without a license illegal.
Gunpowder Plot.
A plot to blow up the Parliament House during a sitting of Parliament, the leaders in which were Catesby, Winter and Fawkes, and which was connived at by the Jesuits. It was hoped thereby to bring about a Catholic rising in England. The plot was betrayed by Tresham, one of the conspirators, to Lord Monteagle, his brother-in-law, and the conspirators were either arrested or killed during their flight.
H
Habeas Corpus Act.
An Act of Parliament passed in 1679. Since Magna Charta every Englishman had theoretically the right to trial, and could demand a writ of Habeas Corpus, under which the duly constituted courts were bound to take cognisance of his case. In practice, however, various obstacles were from time to time opposed to the obtaining of this writ. The Act of 1679 ordered that a judge should at any time grant such a writ on application, and inflicted severe penalties on the gaoler who failed to obey it.
Habitans.
The name given to the Canadian farmers of French descent in the province of Quebec.