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Publick Credit of the Nation, will greatly contribute. haftening to you according to your earnest Defire, and the juft Expectations of my People.

Mr. Speaker having read this Anfwer to the Houfe, it was refolv'd, Nemine Contradicente, That the humble Thanks of this House be return'd to his Majesty, for his moft gracious Meffage, in Anfwer to their Addrefs; and order'd, That the faid Return of Thanks to his Majefty, be prefented to the Lords Juftices, with the Defire of this Houfe, that they will tranfmit the fame to his Majefty.

On the 6th of Auguft, a Motion was made in the Houfe of Commons, That a Supply be granted to his Majefty, for the better Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown; the Confideration of which was referr'd to the Committee of the whole House the next Day, when the faid Motion was unanimoufly agreed to, and framed into a Refolution, which was reported, and agreed to on the 9th of Auguft. The next Day, the Commons, in a grand, Committee, confider'd farther of the Supply granted to his Majefty, and after fome Debate, came to two Refolutions, which, on the 11th, were reported by Mr. Conyers, the Chairman of that Committee, and agreed to by the House, as follows:

1. That towards the Supply granted to his Majefty, for the Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Ho nour and Dignity of the Crown, the fame Revenues which were payable to her late Majesty Queen Anne, of bleffed Memory, during her Life, and had Continuance till the Time of her Demife, be granted and continu'd in like Manner to his Majefty, during his Life, except the Revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall, which is by Law vefted in his Royal Highness the Prince, as Duke of Cornwall.

2. That the faid Revenues be continu'd from the Death of 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 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 fudden 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 Auguft, 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 Houfe, 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 feveral Members, particularly by Mr. Robert Walpole, who mov'd, that they should give the King Affurances of their making good all Parliamentary Funds. Thomas Orflow, Efq; Son to Sir Richard Onflow, faid thereupon, That the principal Strefs of the Addrefs ought not to lie upon condoling, but upon congratulating, and giving the King • Affurances of their Readiness 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.

Auguft 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, c. that is about 300000l. more than the late Queen enjoy'd; but tho' no direct Oppofition was then made against that Motion, yet the fame was afterwards dropt; the wifeft in both Parties being of Opinion, that the only Way to preferve our excellent Conftitution, is to keep the Crown ftill dependent for extraordinary Subfidies on the Houfe of Commons; and that none but flavish Time-Servers, and Enemies to their King and Country, will ever be for putting the Sovereign in fuch a Condition, as that he may live without Parliaments.

On the 12th of Auguft, Mr. Conyers prefented to the Houfe the Bill for the better Support of his Majesty's Houfbold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown of Great Britain, which was read the first 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 Majefly, to be rais'd by a Land Tax in Great Britain for the Year 1714: Which was read the firft, 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 Seflion. 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 Claufes,

1. One to impower the Lord High Treasurer, or Com miflioners of the Treafury, for the Time being, to issue the Sum of 650221. 8 s. 8 d. (being the Arrear due to the Troops of Hanover, for their Service in the Lowb Countries in the Year 1712,) out of the 300000l. granted in the last Seffion of Parliament to her late Majesty, cowards fatisfying the Debt due on Account to the Land Forces.

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

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

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 Juncture, 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 Houfe, that thofe Troops were Deferters; 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 6 fighting; and if when they came in Sight of the Enemy, they who had hir'd them, would not fuffer them to fight, he did not fee the Reason why they should be call'd Deferters. As to the other Claufe, for giving a Reward of 100000 /. to fuch as should apprehend the Perfon of the Pretender, M. C-n faid, the next Day, (August 14.) in the grand Committee, That he was not

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the Day before in the Houfe when that Claufe was 'mov'd; but if he had been prefent, he would have oppos'd it, becaufe, in his Opinion, the Proteftant Succeffion was no longer in Danger, fince his Majesty's peaceable Acceffion 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 Succeffion was in Danger, as long as there was a Popith Pretender, who had many Friends both at Home and Abroad: That the late Queen was fen⚫ fible of that Danger, when the iffu'd out her Proclamation against him; and that the Cafe was not alter'd by her Majefty's Demife: That the Nation would be at no Charge, if the Pretender did not attempt to land; and if he did, 100000% would be well beftow'd to apprehend him.” To which Mr. C n made no Reply.

Not above 60 or 70000l. having been fubfcrib'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 Adminiftra

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tion, partly by the low Intereft allow'd by the Parliament for the Blank-Tickets, the Lords of the Regency, and Privy Council, refolv'd to fhew their Zeal for the Reftoration of Publick Credit: In order to that, they went in a Body to the Bank of England, fubfcrib'd great Sums themselves; and to encourage others to follow their Example, by keeping up the Value of the Tickets, the Lord High Treasurer declar'd in an Advertisement in the Gazette, That in Cafe the whole Sum of 1,400 000%. fhould not be advanc'd upon the Lottery Act lately pass'd in Parliament, fo that there fhould be a Remainder of Tickets to be brought as Money into the Exchequer; a Refolution was taken, that fuch remaining Tickets should not be issu'd from thence, till the said Lottery should have been fully drawn.

By thefe Means, above one Half of the whole Sum was fubfcrib'd in two Days Time; but however, the Lords Juftices being apprehenfive, that the remaining Part would not come in fo faft, their Excellencies refolv'd to take the first Opportunity to lay the whole Matter before the Parliament, in order to procure from the Commons a farther Encouragement for the Subfcribers. According to this Refolution, Mr. Craggs, who on the 31st of July, was difpatch'd to Hanover, being, after a difficult and ftormy Paffage, return'd on Friday the 13th of Auguß, about Seven a-Clock in the Morning, with Letters from the King to the Lords Juftices, their Excellencies went, that very Afternoon, to the House of Peers, and the Commons being fent for up, and attending, the Lord Chancellor, in the Name of their Excellencies, made the following Speech to both Houses.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

IT

Tis with great Satisfaction we can now tell you, that we have this Morning receiv'd a Letter from the King, wherein his Majefty is graciously pleas'd to acquaint us, that his Majefty is haftening hither, to employ his utmoft Care for putting thefe Kingdoms into a happy and flourishing Condition.

He has commanded us, in the mean Time, to continue our Care of every Thing that may conduce to the Peace and Safety of his Dominions: And we are affur'd, that if this had requir'd his more immediate Prefence, he would, without the leaft Delay, have repair'd hither, for the Support of fo dutiful and faithful Subjects; for his Majefty does very particularly exprefs his great Satis

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faction