Geo. I. clude them; the motion for the claufe was rejected, and a 1716. feparate bill againft penfioners fitting in the house was ordered to be brought in, which, having paffed both houses, received the royal affent. When the feptennial bill had gone through the committee of the whole houfe, it was read the third time, and, the queftion for paffing it being put, a debate of two hours enfued. Thofe, who fpoke againft the bill, were Mr. Freeman, Mr. Hungerford, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Wykes, the lord Finch, eldeft fon to the earl of Nottingham, and fame others. They were feverally answered by Sir Richard Steele, Mr. comptroller, Sir William Thompson, captain Earle, Mr. Tufnel, Mr. Morris, and Sir John Brownlow (b). After which, the bill paffed by a majority (b) Mr. Hampden fpoke for the bill, part of whole fpeech was as follows: By looking over the journals, we find the prorogations and diffolutions of parliaments. To come down to the time of Henry VIII. few of his partiaments far more than twenty days, though there was not a parliament met every year; and from the th to the 25th of Henry VII, there are no jourmais, and consequently we cannot yell in what manner parlia ments were held. Afterwards, there were several partaments, but not every year, the end of his rega • A principal argument for continuing the trienniel bill, is, that it is agreeable to the ancient laws of this nation, that there should be frequent parliaments. I and, by the laws I have looked over, that parlaments ought to be frequency heid: But I found it to where had down as a fundamental pencica of the nature of this contusion, that there should be frequent elections. E gentlemen will look to the beginning of parlia ments, they will find, in de ach, sh, and gen of Edward 11, that, or redress of • äivers michiers and grievan ces which taly haven, a parjament ha ze hen every • year, or oitener, free . Lee & nen de comidered, in what mauer me partments were bord. When à ung net his parament ner ved it za weny days, uni ne sa kay he or une were mangueirou, our vers uter, van de and there were Terent mer ka a Sonu o ne sa of laments, e Marea lowing ini, a git me seven rous A parliament was culed the irt tear of Edward VI, smi, in five years, fc but four meaths. In Philip and Mary there were inur pariaments, but the ins extremer hur From me si a ne sa, mi Tom nehne is queen Lizabeth, au partiament net, and, fom hen a ne zon of queen Sizwen, me parlament at my com of majority of two hundred and fixty-four, against one hundred Geo. I. and twenty-one; and being fent back to the lords, received, 1716. foon after, the royal affent. inefs, but were then diffolved. There were fix other parliaments called in queen Elizabeth's time; but never fat long, unlefs that in the 39th of her reign, which fat four months. The parliament, the firft of James I, fat about four months, and, in three years after, fat about eight days. The parliament was not diffolved till the 9th of James, but fat twice or thrice only. There were three other parliaments in his reign, but they met very feldom. The feffions in king Charles I. were much fhorter than of late days, and very frequent prorogations; and, in the 16th of his reign, an act was paffed, for preventing inconveniencies by long intermiffion of parliaments; by which it was provided, that a parliament fhould meet every three years; which law we find repealed in the 16th of Charles II. by reafon that the provifions in the former law were looked upon as a derogation to his majefty's juft and undoubted prerogative for calling and affembling parliaments, and 'might be an occafion of manifold mifchiefs, and might endanger the peace of his 'people.' This faid act is repealed, and a provifion made therein, that, because, by the 'ancient laws of this realm, in the reign of Edward III. parliaments are to be held very often, the fitting and holding ' of parliaments fhall not be in On termitted above three years.' In this king's reign, the long parliament was held; and, whatever corruptions they were tainted with, they could never be accused of favouring the caufe of France, or attempting to enflave their own country. In king James II, that unfortunate prince, a parliament was held in May, 1685, and fat about two months, and was, at feveral times prorogued to November 1687. Then the happy revolution took place; and, in the Bill of Rights, 1 Gul. & Mar. it is declared and enacted, that all the rights and li⚫berties, afferted and claimed in the faid declaration, are the true, ancient, and indubitable rights and liberties of the people of this kingdom, and ought to be firmly and ftrictly holden and obferved." And, in the fame bill, among this long catalogue of grievances, which precedes the faid declaration, there is not the leaft mention made of want of frequent elections, but only that parliaments ought to be free.'" In the fixth of king William, this now-favoured bill for triennial parliaments was paffed; and upon this occafion, I cannot help obferving, that it is fome fatis faction, that the people abroad, who look upon the reign of that prince as a ufurpation, fhould be fond of any one aft that was paffed in that time; and, I hope from hence, they may, in time, be more reconciled to Geo. I. On the 26th of April died that great man, and great pa 1716. triot, the lord Sommers, whofe character is drawn with Death of mers. lord Som- the Proteftant fucceffion, which is in confequence of that happy revolution. If gentlemen will look over the writs of fummons, and the returns to those writs, they will find no mention how long any parliament is to laft; but the return makes mention of the perfons who are to ferve in the parliament that is to meet and be held at fuch a time at Weftminfter. But it must be allowed, that the parliament is fubject to the triennial act while it fubfifts; and therefore the advantages or inconveniencies of that law ought chiefly to be confidered in the matter now before us; And, in cafe an act be found prejudicial, if fuch a veneration is to be paid to a law, as not to alter it, from any conviction of its being infufficient, or attend. ed with ill confequences, I think the legislature will become, in a manner, ufelefs. I take the principal matter to be, to examine what benefit has accrued to the ration by virtue of this bill, and if the inconveniencies do not outweigh all the advantages? It is pretended, that by triennial elections the people have an opportunity of laying ande thofe perions with whote behaviour, in parliament, they are dilatisfied, or fach, whom they apprehend to be under court-influences: I defire it may be confidered, how very few examples there are of perions, who havang accepted places, have not been re-elected. The resion is great very obvious; because the people who love expences, judge, that a man who has a place of profit, is much more capable of making an expence, than he that has none. But, fuppofing any gentleman fo wickedly dif pofed, as to facrifice his opinion to the lucre of a place, does not fuch a perion, who has spent five or fix hundred pounds at his election, and his circumftances not very able to bear it, come more prepared for a courttemptation, than if he had enjoyed his feat in parliament, and been free from the trouble and expence of frequent elections? I appeal to gentlemen, if expences are not increased? And, if any inftance can be produced, where they are abated, many more may be where they are increafed; fo that the end of the bill, in this respect, is no way anfwered. It is faid, that expences being voluntary, it is the fault only of those who make them; but, when we observe the contagion of expences to be univerfally fpread in the kingdom at the time of elections, and a diffolation of manners, occafioned by foch expences, it is time for the legislature to interpofe, and prevent the dangerous coniequences of fuch an evil. Do, gentlemen, confider the diftractions occasioned by elections, and the impoffibility, confidering the imal interval of elections, to heal up thofe wounds, which the animalities of parties have occalionea; to that it is |