Pretender from Abroad, and carrying on at Home by a restless Party in his Favour,

Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons,

In thefe Circumftances, I think it proper to ask your Affifance, and make no Doubt but you will fo far confult your own Security, as not to leave the Nation, under a Rebellion actually begun at Home, and threaten'd with an Invasion from Abroad, in a defenceless Condition: And I shall look upon the Provifion you shall make for the Safety of my People, as the best Mark of your Affection to me.

The Commons being return'd to their Houfe, it was refolv'd, Nemine Contradicente, That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to return the most humble and dutiful Thanks of this Houfe to his Majefty, for communicating to his Parliament, the Advices he has receiv'd of an Attempt preparing to be made upon the Nation from Abroad, abetted and encourag'd by treafonable Practices at Home, in Favour of a Popish Pretender; and to afsure his Majesty, that this Houfe will, with their Lives and Fortunes, ftand by and fupport his Majefty against all his open and fecret Enemies; and to defire his Majefty, that he will immediately give Directions for fitting out fuch a Number of Ships as may effectually guard the Coafts, and to iffue out Commiffions for augmenting his Forces by Land; affuring his Majefty, this House will, without Lofs of Time, effectually enable him to raise and maintain fuch a Number of Forces, both by Sea and Land, as fhall be neceffary for the Defence of his facred Perfon, and for the Security of his Kingdoms. After this, Mr. Freeman stood up, and reprefented, That in fo important 1 a Juncture, they ought to lofe no Time in drawing up an Addrefs; and therefore mov'd, That the faid Refolution be forthwith laid before his Majefty by the whole Houfe." He was feconded by the Lord Guernsey, eldest Son to the Earl of Ailesford, who faid, 'It was well ⚫ known he had, on many Occafions, differ'd from fome Members in that Houfe; but being now convinc'd that C our Liberty, Religion, and all that is dear to Englishmen C were aim'd at, he would (laying his Hand on his Swordj rather die with his Sword in his Hand, than furvive the Pretender's coming in, tho' he were to enjoy the greatest Honours and Preferments under him." Mr. Hampden did likewife back Mr. Freeman's Motion, which pafs'd into a Refolution, Nemine Contradicente; and Mr. Controller, who was order'd to wait on the King to know

his Majefty's Pleafure, when he would be attended by the Houfe, having, about fix a-Clock in the Evening, report ed, that his Majefty had been pleas'd to appoint immedi ately at his Palace at St. James's, the Houfe went thither with their Speaker, and laid before his Majefty the faid Refolution, to which the King was pleas'd to return the following Anfwer:

I

Gentlemen,

Thank you heartily for this Addrefs. The Zeal and Vigour which you fhew upon this Occafion, will, I trust in God, enable me to defeat the evil Defigus of our Enemies. I will immediately give Directions for fuch an Increase of our Forces, by Sea and Land, as I fall judge neceffary for your Security; and will order Eftimates of the Charge thereof to be laid before you.

The fame Day, before the Commons waited on the King with the Addrefs before mention'd, they resolv'd, immediately to take into Confideration his Majesty's gracious Speech, that Day made to both Houfes; and the fame being again read by Mr. Speaker, upon a Motion made, That a Supply be granted to his Majefty, it was unani/moufly refolv'd, That the Houfe would the next Morning, refolve itfelf into a Grand Committee to confider of that Motion. Accordingly, on the 21ft of July, it was refolv'd to grant his Majefty a Supply; which Kefolution was, on the 22d, reported by Mr. Farrer, and agreed to by the House,

July 21. The House being mov'd, that the Act of the Sift Year of King Charles the Second, entitled, An Act før the better fecuring the Liberty of the Subject, and for Prevention of Imprisonment beyond the Seas: And also an Act of Parliament of Scotland, of the 31st of January, 1701, entitled, An Act for preventing wrongous Imprisonment, and againft undue Delays in Trials, be read; the fame were read accordingly After which it was order'd, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill to impower his Majefty to fecure and detain fuch Perfons as his Majefty shall fufpect are confpiring against his Perfon and Government. Hereupon Mr. Sollicitor General immediately prefented to the Houfe, a Bill to impower his Majefly to fecure and detain fuch Perfons as his Majefly fhall fufpect are confpiring against his Perfon and Govern ment; and the fame was receiv'd and read the first Time, and order'd to be read a fecond Time. The Bill was. accordingly immediately read a fecond Time, and commit

red

ted to a Committee of the whole House for the next Day. It was obferv'd, that Mr. Shippen only made a flight Objection against the bringing in of the faid Bill; which on the 22d of July, went through the Grand Committee, and was order'd to be ingrofs'd.

The fame Day (July 21) Mr. Farrer reported alfo from the Grand Committee on Ways and Means, the Refolutions they had came to, viz.

ift, That the Propofition prefented by the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, and referr'd by the Houfe to this Committee, for fupplying out of, fuch a Fund as is therein mention'd, the additional yearly Sum of 120000l. during his Majefty's Life, (which God long preferve) for the Service of his Houfhold and Family, and other his neceffary Expences and Occafions; and a fur'ther yearly Sum of 54600l. to be a Fund or Security for raifing a Sum not exceeding 910000l. as Part of the Supply granted for publick Services, upon fuch Terms and Conditions, and in such Manner, as in the said Propofition are express'd, be accepted.

2dly, That for anfwering the Sum of 28000l. per Annum, or thereabouts, mention'd in the faid Propofition, the Duties on Hops, which have Continuance until the ift of August 1715, be further continu'd and made payable to his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, fubject nevertheless to Redemption by Parliament.

3dly, That fuch of the Duties and Revenues for raising the general Fund to be establish'd pursuant to the faid Propofition, as are now temporary, be made perpetual, subject alfo to Redemption by Parliament.

4thly, That if the Revenues fettled by the Act of the ift Year of his Majefty's Reign, (entitled, An Act for the better Support of his Majefty's Houfbold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown of Great Britain) together with the faid additional Revenue of 120000l. per Annum, fhall produce more in clear Money than the yearly Sum of 700000l. to be reckon'd from Michaelmas 1715. Then the Överplus of fuch Produce be made Part of the general Fund to be eftablish'd as aforefaid, and be appropriated, iffu'd, and apply'd accordingly, until all the ExchequerBills fhall be paid off, or the faid general Fund fhall be redeem'd by Parliament; and that afterwards fuch Overplus exceeding 700000l. per Annum, be not iffu'd, granted, difpos'd, or apply'd to any Ufe or Purpofe, or upon any Pretext whatfoever, without Authority of Parliament.

5thly, That any Sum, not exceeding 77694!. 1 s. 7 d. of Publick unappropriated Monies, which came into the Exchequer before the 12th of June 1714, be apply'd to wards defraying his Majefty's extraordinary Expences relating to the Civil Government between the Time of his Acceffion to the Throne and Michaelmas 1715.

6thly, That the faid Sum, of 910,000l. for publick Ufes, be rais'd, by fettling a perpetual Annuity after the Rate of 6 per Cent. per Annum, to be redeemable by Parlia

ment,

7thly, That fo much of the Sum of 180000l. which was borrow'd on the former Act for laying the Duty upon Hops, and the Intereft thereof, as is deficient and remaining unpaid, be fatisfy'd out of the Sum of 910000l. to be rais'd as aforefaid. Thefe Refolutions having been read, and agreed to by the Houfe, it was order'd, That a Bill or Bills be brought in upon the fame..

On the 22d of July the Commons order'd a Bill to be brought in, To, make the Militia of the Kingdom more useful, and read the fecond Time, and committed to a Committee of the whole Houfe, the Bill for the further Security of his Majefty's Perfon and Government, &c. The fame Day alfo Mr. Pulteney, Secretary at War, by his Majefty's Command, prefented to the Houfe an Estimate of the Charge. of 3000 Dragoons and 4000 Foot per Annum, and of Levy-Money for the fame; which Troops the King, with the Advice of his Privy Council, thought fit to raise at the prefent Juncture: And the faid Eftimate being read, was referr'd to a Grand Committee on the Supply. Then the Houfe proceeded to the Hearing the Merits of the Electi on for the Burghs of Aberdeen, Montrose, &c. and resolv'd, That James Erskine, Efq; fitting Member, was not duly elected; and on the contrary, that John Middleton, Efq; was duly elected a Burgefs to ferve in this prefent Parliament for the faid Burghs.

On the 20th of July the Lords refolv'd to present an Addrefs to his Majefty, which was the fame Day drawn up and agreed to, as follows;

Moft gracious Sovereign,

E your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal Subjects, the

W Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament afsem

bled, beg Leave to return your Majefly the most humble Thanks of this House, for your Majefty's most gracious Affurances, that the Prefervation of our excellent Conftitution, and the Security of our Holy Religion, has been, and always shall be,

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your chief Care; and for communicating to your Parliament the Advices from Abroad of an intended Invafion of these Kingdoms, countenanc'd and encourag'd by Infurrections here at Home, fomented and firr'd up by the Abettors and Supporters of the Pretender's Intereft. And we do most humbiy affure your Majefty, that this Houfe will ftand by and affift your Majesty, at the Hazard of our Lives and Fortunes, in Support and Defence of your facred Perfon, and your undoubted Right and Title to the Crown,in Defiance of all your open and fecret Enemies.

This Addrefs being the next Day prefented to the King, his Majefty was pleas'd to make the following most gracious Answer:

I

My LORDS,

Thank you for the zealous Affection you exprefs towards me, and the Affurances which you give me in this Address; and you may depend on my punctually making good all thofe which I have given to my People, either on this or any former Occafion.

On the 23d of July, the Commons read the third Time, pafs'd, and fent up to the Lords by Mr. Hampden, the ingrofs'd Bill to empower his Majefty to fecure and detain fufpected Perfons, &c. After which, Mr. Pulteney, by his Majefty's Command, prefented to the Houfe, an Estimate of the yearly Charge of four Companies, to compleat the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards to two Battalions, and for Levy-Money for the fame; which Eftimate was read, and referr'd to the Grand Committee on the Supply. Then the House refolv'd itself into the faid Committee, and came to these two Resolutions, viz.

ift, That a Sum not exceeding 2657541. 75. 6d. be granted to his Majefty for the Pay of 3000 Dragoons and 4000 Foot, Commiflion Officers and Non-Commiffion Officers included for one Year, and for the Charge of LevyMoney for the fame.

2dly, That a Sum not exceeding 54581. 10s. be granted to his Majefty for the Charge of four Companies, to compleat the Coldftream Regiment of Foot-Guards to two Battalions for one Year, and for Levy-Money for the fame.

After this it was order'd, That the Grand Committee appointed to confider of the Bill for the further Security of his Majesty's Perfon and Government, c. have Power to re

ceive