Brandy for the fame Time; and alfo an Account of all Woollen Manufactures exported from England, from Chriftmas 1697 to Christmas 1699.

3. That the Propofitions of France, to exclude themfelves from all Trade of their Subjects and Ships to the Spanish West Indies with a Refervation of the Affiento Contract and licens'd Ships granted to Great Britain, be laid before this Houfe.

4. That an Account of the Fishing Ships and Saicks employ'd at Newfoundland from Chriftmas 1708 to Christmas 1714, and alfo a State of the Trade there for the fame Time, with all Memorials and Reprefentations relating thereto, and to the Ceffion of Cape Breton to France; and alfo a Reprefentation of the Fishery and Trade of the Ifland of St. Peters, yielded on the Peace from France to Great Britain, be laid before this House.

5. All Reprefentations and Memorials prefented in the four laft Years by the Swedish Minister refiding here, relating to the Navigation and Trade of the Baltick; and alfo all Reprefentations and Memorials prefented by him, relating to fitting out Ships of War here for the Service of the Czar of Muscovy.

6. An Account of what Logwood, Fuftick, Indigo, and other Materials or Drugs for dying, have been sent to France fince the late Peace concluded at Utrecht.

7. An Account of the grofs and neat Produce of the Excife and Cuftoms in that Part of Great Britain call'd Scotland, fince the Union of the Kingdoms, and to what Ufes the faid Revenues have been apply'd.

April 2. Mr. Secretary Stanhope reported to the House, that their feveral Addreffes of the 31st of March, and of Yesterday, having been prefented to the King, his Majesty had been pleas'd to give Directions for the laying before this Houfe the Accounts and Matters therein mention'd.

On the 4th of April the Commons in a grand Committee on Ways and Means to raife the Supply, came to a Refolution, which was order'd to be reported the next Day. Then upon a Complaint made to the House, that Mr. Charles Chambers, Mayor of the Town of Cambridge, being ferv'd with an Order of the Committee of Privileges and Elections, for permitting Mr. Shepheard and Mr. Fenyns, or their Agents, to inspect the Records, Char ters, and publick Books and Writings of the faid Town, and having refus'd to obey the faid Order it was refolv'd, that the faid Mr. Charles Chambers be, for the fid Contempt, taken into the Cuftody of the Serjeant

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at Arms attending this Houfe. It was alfo refolv❜d, upon another Complaint, that Thomas Crosby, Under-Sheriff of the County of Cumberland, having neglected to return the Writ for electing the Members of the faid County by the 17th of March last, being the Day appointed for the Return thereof, was guilty of a Breach of the Privilege of this House, and order'd, that he be, for the faid Breach of Privilege, taken into Cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms.

April 5. The Commons refolv'd to address his Majesty, that all Powers, Inftructions, Memorials, Letters, and Papers relating to the Negociations of Peace at the Hague in 1709, and the Preliminaries negociated at Gertruydenberg, together with the faid Preliminaries, and the Ratification of them, be laid before this Houfe; After which, Mr. Farrer, Chairman of the grand Committee of the Supply, reported the Refolution which they came to the Day before, and which the Houfe agreed to, being as follows, viz. That towards raising the Supply granted to his Majefty, the Sum of 25. in the Pound, and no more, be rais'd in the Year 1715, upon all Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, Penfions, Offices, and perfonal Estates, in that Part of Great Britain, call'd England, Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed; and that a proportionable Cefs, according to the ninth Article of the Treaty of Union, be laid upon that Part of Great Britain call'd Scotland. And a Bill was order'd to be brought in upon the faid Refolution.

This done, upon a Motion made, that the House would appoint a Day to take into Confideration his Majesty's Proclamation of the 15th of January last for calling a new Parliament, the fame was read accordingly. Sir William Whitlock, Member of Parliament for the Univerfity of Oxford, having made fome Exceptions to the faid Proclamation as unprecedented and unwarrantable, he was call'd upon by fome Members of the Court Party to explain himself; upon which he made a Kind of Excufe for what he had faid, The Thing would have been drop'd, had not Sir William Wyndham took up the Cudgels, and even carry'd the Matter further, by advancing, that the faid Proclamation was not only unprecedented and unwarrantable, but even of dangerous Confequence to the very Being of Parliaments. The Courtiers could not bur take Notice of fo home a Reflection, and thereupon call'd upon Sir William Wyndham to juftify his Charge; but Sir William, who rightly judg'd he could not defcend to Par

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ticulars without giving farther Offence, declin'd explaining himself; tho' at the fame Time, he refolutely maintain'd his first Affertion, faying, That as he thought fome Expreffions in the faid Proclamation of dangerous Confequence, fo he believ'd every Member was free to fpeak his Thoughts." He was anfwer'd, 'No doubt but every Member has that Liberry, Freedom of Speech being one of the effential Privileges of that House; but that the Houfe has, at the fame Time, both the Liberty and Power to cenfure and punish such Members as tranfgrefs the Rules of Decency, trefpafs upon the Refpect due to the Crown, and fo abuse the Privilege of the House within Doors, as to render it contemptible without." Sir William being again call'd upon to explain himself, and ftill perfifting in his Refufal, fome Members cry'd the Tower, the Tower; but Robert Walpole, Efq; warded off the Blow by Words to the following Purpose ; Mr. Speaker, Lam not for gratifying the Defire which the Member, who occafions this great Debate, fhews of being fent to the Tower; 'twould make him too confiderable: But as he is a young Man of good Parts, who fets up for a warm Champion of the late Ministry, and one who was in all their Secrets, I would have him be in the House when we come to enquire into the Conduct of his Friends, both that he may have an Opportunity to defend them, and be a Witness of the Fairness with which we shall proceed against thofe Gentlemen; and that it may not be faid, that we take any Advantage against them." After feveral other Speeches, which prolong'd this Debate from One till half an Hour paft Five in the Afternoon, a Motion was made, and the Queftion put, that the Houfe do now adjourn, which being carry'd in the Negative by a Majority of 212 Voices against 134, a Motion was made, and the Question propos'd, That Sir William Wyndham having reflected upon his Majefty's Proclamation of the 15th of January last for calling a new Parliament, and having refus'd to justify his Charge, although often call'd upon fo to do, is guilty of a great Indignity to his Majefty, and of a Breach of the Privilege of this Houfe." This Motion occafion'd a fresh Debate, that lafted till feven of the Clock ; the Courtiers ftill infifting, that Sir William Wyndham should juftify his Charge, and Sir William as obftinately declining to do it, faying, He was ready to undergo whatever a Majority might inflict upon him. At last the Question being

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put that Sir William Wyndham should withdraw, the fame was carry'd in the Affirmative by 208 Voices against 129, whereupon Sir William withdrew accordingly; and with him, to a Man, all the 129 Members who had been for the Negative. Their Antagonists being thus entire Mafters of the Field, the Question was put, and unanimoufly refolv'd, That Sir William Wyndham, having reflected upon his Majefty's Proclamation of the 15th of January last for calling a new Parliament, and having refus'd to justify his Charge, although often call'd upon fo to do, is guilty of a great Indignity to his Majefty, and of a Breach of the Privilege of this Houfe: After which, it was order'd, That Sir William Wyndham be (for the faid Offence) reprimanded in his Place by Mr. Speaker: And that Sir William Wyndham do attend this Houfe in his Place to Morrow Morning. [The Proclamation is inferted above, Page 881

Sir William Wyndham attending the next Day in his Place, Mr. Speaker addrefs'd himself to him in this Manner.

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Sir William Wyndham,

Am to acquaint you that the Houfe has come to this Refolution, that you be reprimanded in your Place by me. You have prefum'd to reflect on his Majefty's Proclamation, and made an unwarrantable Ufe of the Freedom of Speech granted by his Majefty.

This Houfe has made their Moderation appear, and shewn their Lenity, by laying the mildeft Cenfure your Offence was capable of ; I am order'd to reprimand you, and do reprimand you accordingly..

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SIR,

To which Sir William Wyndham reply'd:

Return you my Thanks for what you have done by the Duty of your Office, in fo candid and fo gentleman-like a Manner: As I am a Member of this House, I very well know I must acquiefce in the Determination of this House.

But I am not confcious of any Indignity to his Majefty, or any Breach of the Privilege of this House; and therefore I have no Thanks to give thofe Gentlemen, who, under Pretence of Lenity, have brought this Cenfure upon me.

On the 6th of April, Mr. Farrer prefented to the House a Bill for granting an Aid to his Majesty, to be rais'd by a Land-Tax in Great Britain, which was receiv'd, read the

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first Time, and order'd to be read a fecond Time. It was alfo order'd, That the Agent for Taxes do lay before the Houfe, an Account of what Money has been paid in for the first half Year of the Land Tax and Window Tax for the Year 1714, and what remains in Arrear of former Years, diftinguifh'd under proper Heads, &c. Then the Houfe having refolv'd itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe on the Supply, and confider'd of several Eftimates, made fome Progrefs in that Matter, and afterwards adjourn'd the further Confideration of the Supply to the 8th.

April 7. After the fecond Reading of the Land-Tax Bill, and committing the fame to a Committee of the whole House, the Commons refolv'd to addrefs his Majesty, for an Account of the Deficiency at Michaelmas 1714, of the yearly Fund of 186670l. of the Claffis Lottery of Two Millions in the Year 1711; as also for an Account of the Deficiency at Michaelmas 1714, of the yearly Fund of 1680031. for the Claffis Lottery of 1800000l. in the Year 1712. Then the Clerk of the Crown attending, according to Order, with, the Return for the Burghs of Elgine, Bamf, Cullen, Kintore, and Inverurie, the fame was read; and the Minutes of the Sederunt, taken at Kintore the 16th Day of February laft, at the electing a Burgess to ferve in this prefent Parliament for the faid Burghs, having been left with the Clerk, and afterwards read, the Queftion was put, whether the Honourable James Murray, Efq; was duly return'd a Burgefs for the faid Burghs, which being carry'd in the Negative, it was refolv❜d, that John Campbell of Mamore, Efq; ought to have been return'd a Burgefs for the faid District of Burghs. Then it was order'd, that the Clerk of the Crown fliould amend with the faid Return, which he did immediately; and that the Honourable James Murray, Efq; have Liberty to petition the Houfe within fourteen Days next, if he thought fit, in Relation to the Election for the faid District of Burghs.

On the 8th of April, the Commons, in a grand Committee on the Supply, refolv'd,

if, That there be allow'd 9956 Men (Commiffion and Non-Commiffion Officers included) for Guards and Garri Fons in Great Britain, Jersey, and Guernsey, and for his Majefty's Plantations in America, for the Year 1715, over and above the twelve Companies of Invalids, and three independent Companies in North Britain.

adly, That