crave Leave to condole with your Majesty on Occafion.

It would but aggravate our Sorrow, particul enumerate the Virtues of that pious and most Princefs: The Duty we owe to your Majefty, our Country, oblige us to moderate our Grief, a tily to congratulate your Majesty's Acceffion to the whofe princely Virtues give us a certain Profpect ture Happiness, in the Security of our Religion, and Liberties, and engage us to affure your Majefty we will, to our utmoft, fupport your undoubted R the Imperial Crown of this Realm, against the Pre and all other Perfons whatsoever.

Your faithful Commons cannot but exprefs thei tient Defire for your Majefty's fafe Arrival and P in Great Britain.

In the mean time, we humbly lay before your Ma the unanimous Refolution of this Houfe, to maintai Publick Credit of the Nation, and effectually to good all Funds which have been granted by Parliam for the Security of any Money which has been, or be advanc'd for the publick Service, and to endeavour every Thing in our Power, to make your Majesty's Re happy and glorious.

After this, the Members of the Houfe, who were the Privy-Council, were order'd to prefent the faid drefs to the Lords Juftices, with the Defire of the Hou that they would tranfmit the fame to his Majefty, wi all convenient Speed. This their Excellencies did accom ingly, and on the 25th of Auguft, Mr. Secretary Bromh acquainted the Houfe, that the Lords Juftices had receiv his Majefty's Answer to the humble Addrefs of this Houfe as follows:

GEORGE R.

Y

OUR dutiful and loyal Addrefs is very acceptable to me. The Unanimity and Affection my Commons have shewn upon my Acceffion to the Crown, are most agreeable Inftances and Pledges of their Fidelity to me. your inexpreffible Lofs, by the Death of your late Sovereign.. I have a juft Sense of You may be affur'd of my conftant Endeavours to fecure to you the full Enjoyment of your Religion, Laws, and Liberties, and that it will always be my Aim, to make you an happy and flourishing People; to which your Refolution to maintain the

Publick

Credit of the Nation, will greatly contribute. I am to you according to your earnest Defire, and the just ions of my People.

Speaker having read this Answer to the Houfe, it folv'd, Nemine Contradicente, That the humble of this House be return'd to his Majefty, for his acious Meffage, in Answer to their Addrefs; and That the faid Return of Thanks to his Majefty, ented to the Lords Juftices, with the Defire of this that they will tranfmit the fame to his Majefty.

e 6th of August, a Motion was made in the House mmons, That a Supply be granted to his Majefty, berter Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of onour and Dignity of the Crown; the Confideraof which was referr'd to the Committee of the House the next Day, when the faid Motion was imoufly agreed to, and framed into a Refolution, h was reported, and agreed to on the 9th of Auguft. next Day, the Commons, in a grand Committee, idei'd farther of the Supply granted to his Majefty, after fome Debate, came to two Refolutions, which, he 11th, were reported by Mr. Conyers, the Chair1 of that Committee, and agreed to by the House, as

ws:

That towards the Supply granted to his Majefty, for Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Hoir and Dignity of the Crown, the fame Revenues ich were payable to her late Majefty Queen Anne, of ffed Memory, during her Life, and had Continuance the Time of her Demife, be granted and continu'd in e Manner to his Majefty, during his Life, except the evenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall, which is by Law efted in his Royal Highness the Prince, as Duke of Cornwall.

2. That the faid Revenues be continu'd from the Death f her late Majefty.

And then order'd a Bill to be brought in upon the faid Refolutions. Hereupon John Wykes, Efq; Member for the Town of Northampton, propos'd the tacking to it the Bill, which had fo often mifcarry'd, for limiting the Number of Officers in the House of Commons; but no body feconded that Motion.

Before we proceed, we must take Notice of fome other private Tranfactions in the House of Commons. According to the Refolution taken in Council, the Parliament

met the very Sunday the Queen expir'd; but the Speaker of the Commons being in the Country, Mr. Bromley, Secretary of State, mov'd to adjourn to the Wednesday following, and was feconded by Mr. C. Sir Richard Onflow reprefented thereupon, that Time was too precious at that nice Juncture, to trifle away the leaft Part of it; and therefore he mov'd, that the Houfe fhould adjourn to the next Day, which was carry'd.

A great many Perfons, particularly the leading Men among the Tories, whofe Hopes and Defigns were dash'd by the Queen's sudden Death, were extream angry with Doctor Ratcliffe, for not attending her Majefty, when fent for by the Duke of Ormond; upon a fond Belief, that he might have preferv'd her Majefty's Life. Their Refentment went fo far, that on the 5th of August, Sir John Packington made a Complaint against Dr. Ratcliffe for not attending the Queen, when fent for by the Duke of Ormond; [See the Introduction, Page xvii.] but it being reprefented, that the Doctor, who had the Honour to be a Member of the House, was then abfent, that Matter dropt. The fame Day, Mr. Bromley, Secretary of State, mov'd for an Addrefs of Condolence and Congratulation; dwelt much on the great Lofs the Nation has fuftain'd by the Death of the late Queen; and was back'd by several Members, particularly by Mr. Robert Walpole, who mov'd, that they should give the King Affurances of their making good all Parliamentary Funds. Thomas Onflow, Efq; Son to Sir Richard Onflow, faid thereupon, That the " principal Stress of the Addrefs ought not to lie upon • condoling, but upon congratulating, and giving the King Affurances of their Readinefs to maintain both his Majefty's undoubted Title to the Crown, and Publick Credit.” When the Addrefs had, the next Day, been reported and agreed to, a Motion was made, that two Members of the Houfe fhould be appointed to carry it over, and prefent it to his Majefty; but no body feconding that Motion, it was refolv'd, that the Lords Juftices fhould be defir'd to tranfmit it to the King.

August 7. There was a fmall Debate about the Choice of the Chairman of the grand Committee of the Subfidy; fome of the Members having mov'd, and infifting on the placing Sir William Wyndham in the Chair; bnt Robert Walpole, Efq; reprefented, That Mr. Conyers had, for fo many Years, fo well discharg'd that Office, that it were inconfiftent with Gratitude, Good-Manners, and Prudence, to chufe another." Upon which Mr. Conyers

was

was plac'd in the Chair. Then it was propos'd to give the King One Million Sterling, for the Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown, t. that is about 300000l. more than the late Queen enjoy'd; but tho' no direct Oppofition was then made against that Motion, yet the fanie was afterwards dropt; the wifeft in both Parties being of Opinion, that the only Way to preserve our excellent Conftitution; is to keep the Crown ftill dependent for extraordinary Subfidies on the House of Commons; and that none but fla vish Time-Servers, and Enemies to their King and Country, will ever be for putting the Sovereign in such a Condition, as that he may live without Parliaments.

On the 12th of August, Mr. Conyers prefented to the Houfe the Bill for the better Support of his Majesty's Houfhold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown of Great Britain, which was read the firft Time, and unanimously order'd to be read a fecond. After this, Mr. Pugh prefented to the House another Bill for rectifying Mistakes in the Commiffioners Names, for putting in Execution the Act pass'd the laft Seffion of Parliament, entitled, An Act for granting an Aid to her Majefty, to be rais'd by a Land Tax in Great Britain for the Year 1714: Which was read the first, and order'd to be read a fecond Time. This was done accordingly the next Day; and the faid Bill committed to the Committee of the whole Houfe, who were directed to receive a Claufe, for the continuing, until the End of the next Seffion of Parliament, all fuch Laws, as would otherwife expire at the End of this Seffion. The fame Day, the Bill for the Support of the King's Houfhold, was read the fecond Time, and committed, for the next Day, to the Committee of the whole Houfe: After which, Mr. Horatio Walpole mov'd, That it be an Inftruction to the faid Committee, that they should have Power to receive two Clauses,

1. One to impower the Lord High Treafurer, or Com mifioners of the Treafury, for the Time being, to iffue the Sum of 650221. 88. 8 d. (being the Arrear due to the Troops of Hanover, for their Service in the Low . Countries in the Year 1912,) our of the goooool. grant ed in the laft Seffion of Parliament to her late Majesty, towards fatisfying the Debt due on Account to the LandForces.

2. The other Claufe, to enable and require the Lord High Treasurer, or Commiffioners of the Treafury, for the Time being, to iffue out of any Money granted by Parliament,

Parliament, the Sum of 100000l. to be paid to any Perfon or Perfons, who shall apprehend the Perfon of the Pretender, if ever he should land, or attempt to land in any of his Majesty's Dominions.

دو

Sir William Wyndham feconded Mr. Walpole as to the first Claufe; and Mr. Shippen very ingenuously own'd he had oppos'd that Payment in the late Reign, but that he was for it now. Charles Aldworth, Efq; Member of Parliament for New Windfor, back'd likewife the Motion; but as if he defign'd to expofe the Member, who, at this JunEture, appear'd fo forward to pay thofe very Troops, which, a few Months before, he had treated as Runaways, he faid,That for his Part he had formerly been against that Payment, because he had been given to understand, in that very House, that thofe Troops were Deserters; but that he had fince been inform'd, that they were hir'd to fight, and had ferv'd well as long as there was 'fighting; and if when they came in Sight of the Enemy, they who had hir'd them, would not suffer them to fight, he did not fee the Reason why they fhould be call'd Deferters. As to the other Claufe, for giving a Reward of 100000l. to fuch as fhould apprehend the Perfon of the Pretender, M. C-n faid, the next Day, (August 14.) in the grand Committee, That he was not the Day before in the House when that Claufe was 'mov'd; but if he had been prefent, he would have op. pos'd it, because, in his Opinion, the Proteftant Succeffion was no longer in Danger, fince his Majesty's peaceable Acceflion to the Throne." And he was fo pofitive in this Affertion, that he defy'd all the House to prove the contrary. He was feconded by Mr. Shippen : But Mr. Poulteney, and, after him, the Lord Lumley, argu'd, That the Proteftant Succeflion was in Danger, as long as there was a Popish Pretender, who had many Friends both at Home and Abroad: That the late Queen was fenfible of that Danger, when the iffu'd out her Proclamation against him; and that the Cafe was not alter'd by her Majesty's Demife: That the Nation would be at no Charge, it the Pretender did not attempt to land; and if he did, 100000% would be well beftow'd to appre hend him." To which Mr. C u made no Reply. Not above 60 or 70000l. having been subscrib❜d to the Royal, or Parliamentary Lottery, before the late Queen's Death, which was occafion'd partly by the Diffidence of the Generality of money'd-Men in the late Administra