REBELLION (Lat. rebettio, from helium, war, a revolt by nations subdued in war), an openly avowed renunciation of the authority of the government to which one owes alle giance, or a levying of war to resist the authority of government. Unlike insurrec tion, which may be merely an opposition to a particular law, rebellion involves a design to renounce all subjcotion to the state. A commission rebellion is a commission awarded against a person who treats the sovereign's authority with contempt,-by not obeying his prochunation according to his allegiance, and refusing to attend his sovereign when required. It consists of four commissioners, who are ordered to attack the rebel wherever found. In Scotland, by a legal fiction, a debtor disobeying a charge on letters of horning to pay or perform in terms of his obligation, was ac•inted a rebel, as being disobedient to the sovereign's command contained in the writ. This disobedience was called civil rebellion, and the penal consequences of actual rebellion followed it. until they were abolished by 20 Geo. H. c. 50. By the old form of diligence (which is still competent), it has therefore been said that debtors were imprisoned not for debt but for rebellion. This fiction was discarded in the provisions of the statute 1 and 2 Viet. c.
114, simplifying the form of diligence and the steps by which imprisoment for debt is effected.
The expression "the great rebellion," is generally applied in England to the revolt of the Long parliament against the authority of Charles I. It began with the votes of the two houses regarding the militia in 1642, by which they endeavored to seize the military power of the country, and the departure of the king for York, which was immediately followed by the breaking out of hostilities. The civil war was, properly speaking, terminated by the submission of Charles to the Scots, in April, 1646; but period of the rebellion is usually held to include the commonwealth or protectorate, and and to extend to the restoration of Charles II. in May, 1660.
The revolts in behalf of the house of Stuart in 1715 and 1745 arc often, particularly in Scotland, spoken of emphatically as "the rebellion." The former rising in favor of 'the chevalier de St. George, son of James II. of England, called the old pretender, wits headed by the earl of Mar, and put down in 1716: the latter was led by prince Charles Edward, known as the young pretender, who, landing in the Hebrides, was joined hr the highland chieftains and numerous followers, and after taking possession of Edin burgh, and marching to Derby, retreated into Scotland, and was defeated with great :slaughter by the duke of Cumberland at Culloden, April 10, 1740.