The King being withdrawn, the Lords refolv'd to prefent an Addrefs of Thanks to his Majefty, which being drawn up, and agreed to, was the next Day prefented by the House to his Majefty, as follows: Moft Gracious Sovereign, WE E your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament affembled, humbly return your Majesty the Thanks of this Houfe for your Majefty's most Gracious Speech from the Throne, and for your gracious Acceptance of our fincere Endeavours for your Service during the laft Seffion. We cannot in Juftice, but acknowledge, that the profperous and flourishing Condition, and the prefent Tranquillity of the Kingdom, are the natural Effects of your Majefty's wife and fteady Government. Your Majefty's powerful Influence on all your foreign Negotiations, towards the Prefervation of the general Peace, gives us very great Satisfaction. We befeech your Majefty to believe nothing can be dearer to us, than your Honour; and that we cannot think any thing of greater Importance, than the enabling your Majefty to maintain the Tranquillity of Eu rope. We humbly beg Leave, with Hearts full of Duty and Gratitude, to acknowledge your Majefty's paternal Care and Tenderness, in defiring the Eafe of your People from all unneceffary Burthens, and your inexpreffible Goodnefs, in declaring from the Throne, your full Satisfaction, that the Trade and Wealth of your People are the happy Effects of the Liberties they enjoy; and that the Grandeur of your Crown confists in the Profperity of your Subjects. We beg your Majefty to believe, that nothing fhall be ever wanting on our Part, that can tend to the Increase of your Majesty's Happiness and Glory; and that we are firmly and unanimously refolv'd, with our Lives and Fortunes, to maintain our prefent happy Eftablishment, as the only folid Foundation, upon which we can hope for the quiet Enjoyment of our Religion, Laws, and Liberties. His His Majefty's most Gracious Anfwer, was lows: My Lords, as fol I Having prefented this Addrefs, the Lords adjourn'd 'till Wednesday the 15th of January. The Commons being return'd to their Houfe, and their Speaker having reported to them his Majesty's Speech from the Throne, the Lord Finch mov'd, and being feconded, it was refolv'd, Nemine contradicente, That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majesty, to congratulate his fafe and happy Return, and to return his Majesty the most humble Thanks of this Houfe, for his moft gracious Speech from the Throne, &c. A Committee being immediately appointed to draw up the faid Addrefs, of which the Lord Finch was chofen Chairman, his Lordship, the next Day reported the faid Addrefs, which was unanimoufly agreed to, and on Saturday the 11th, prefented by the whole House, to his Majefty, as follows: Y Moft Gracious Sovereign, OUR Majefty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled, beg Leave to congratulate your Majefty upon your fafe and happy Return into thefe Kingdoms; and most humbly defire your Majefty to accept the unfeigned Thanks of this Houfe, for your Majefty's most gracious Speech from the Throne. As your Majefty is pleas'd to found the Grandeur of your Crown in the Security of the Liberties of your People, and your Glory in promoting their Profperity; fo they, in Return, muft be excited, by all the Ties of Duty and Gratitude, to build their Happiness upon the firm and unfhaken Principles of Loyalty and Affection to your Majesty's moft Sacred Perfon and Government. It is the greatest Satisfaction to your Majefty's faithful Commons, to find, that the Loyalty of their Refolutions, and the Justice of their Proceedings in the laft Seffion Seffion of Parliament have been attended with all the happy Confequences they expected from them have been rewarded with your Majefty's Royal Ap probation. ; and now We beg Leave to affure your Majefty, that we shall readily and chearfully raise all fuch Supplies as fhall be neceffary to fupport the Honour of your Majesty's Government, and fecure the Tranquillity of these Kingdoms. We are highly fenfible of your Majefty's Goodness to all your People, in recommending, particularly at this Time, to our Confideration the publick Debts of the Kingdom; which are fo heavy a Load, and fo much a National Concern, that we should be wanting to ourfelves, if we did not affure your Majefty, that we will ufe our utmoft Endeavours to improve and augment the Sinking Fund, and thereby put the National Debt into a Method of being gradually reduc'd, and paid, without any Violation of publick Faith, or Infringement of private Property: And as your Majefty is pleas'd to encourage our attempting fo great and noble a Defign; fo we are fully perfwaded, that the Wisdom and Steadinefs of your Majefty's Government, will enable us to perfect this great Undertaking. We affure your Majesty, that we know of no other Safety, under God, for our Trade and Wealth, Liberty and Property, Religious and Civil Rights, but the Security of your Majefty's moft Sacred Perfon and Government, and the Succeffion in your Royal Houfe; which we will always fupport and maintain against any traiterous Attempt whatfoever; being truly fenfible of the Bleflings we enjoy under your Majesty's moft gracious and happy Government, which has hitherto preferv'd us from all thofe Miferies, Experience has taught us, are infeparable from Popery and Arbi'trary Power. To which Addrefs his Majefty return'd the following moft gracious Answer: I Gentlemen, Return you my hearty Thanks for this dutiful and loyal Addrefs; the Wisdom and Refolution of this Parliament have principally contributed to our prefent happy Situation, and the Perfeverance of my faithful Commons, with the fame Zeal and Unanimity, in the T Dispatch Difpatch of the publick Bufinefs; will be the fureft Means of improving this favourable Opportunity to the beft Advantage, for the Honour and Intereft of the Kingdom. The first Thing the Commons did, on the Ninth of January, after having voted the Addrefs abovemention'd, fettled the Grand Committees, and.made the other ufual Regulations, was to order new Writs to be Tu'd out for electing Members in this prefent Parliament for the following Places, viz. 1. For the City of Chichester, in the Room of the Right Honourable Charles Lenos, Efq; (commonly call'd Earl of March) now Duke of Richmond, call'd up to the Houfe of Peers. 2. For the County of Southampton, in the Room of the Lord Naffau Paulet, who, fince his Election for the faid County, had accepted the Office of Auditor of his Maefty's Exchequer in Ireland. 3. For the Town of Kingston upon Hull, in the Room of Sir William St. Quintin, Bart. deceas'd 4. For the Borough of Taunton in Somerfetfhire, in the Room of John Trenchard, Efq; deceas'd. 5. For the Borough of Eaftlow in Cornwall, in the Room of the Right Honourable John Smith, Efq; deceas'd. 6. For the Borough of Southwark in the County of Surry, in the Room of George Meggot, Efq; de teas'd. 7. For the City of Rochester in Kent, in the Room of Sir Thomas Palmer, Bart. deceas'd. 8. For the Borough of Higham Ferrers in Northamptonhire, in the Roon of the Honourable Thomas Wentworth, Efq; deceas'd. 9. For the Borough of Portpigham, alias Weftlow in Cornwall, in the Room of George Delaval, Efq; decas'd. 10. For the Borough of Caftle-Rifing in Norfolk, in the Room of the Honourable William Fielding, Efq; dereas'd. The A&t paffed the laft Seffion of Parliament, to oblige All Perfons therein mention'd, to take the Oaths to the Government, or to regifter their Eftates, &c. having ocrafion'd great Murmurings and Clamour throughout the Kindom, a Motion was made by Mr. Yonge, and an Order Order thereupon made, that a Bill be brought in to explain and amend the faid A&. The next Day, (January 10) 21 Petitions about undue Elections, were prefented to the Houfe, read, and referr'd to the Committee of Privileges of Elections, as were also many other Petitions of the fame Nature which in the fubfequent Sittings, during this Month, were prefented to the Houfe, On Monday the 13th, two other new Writs were or der'd to be iffu'd out, for the electing, ft, a Burges for New Sarum in Withhire, in the Room of George-Murton Pitt, Efq; who had accepted the Office of Register of his Majefty's Revenue of Excife; 2dly, a Knight of the Shire for the County of Lincoln, in the Room of Şir William Maffingberd, Bart. deceas'd. The fame Day, after Mr. Speaker had reported his Majesty's Answer t the Addrefs of this Houfe, a Motion was made, that Supply be granted his Majesty, the Confideration of which was put off 'till the next Day, in a grand Committee. Accordingly, on Tuesday the 14th, the Commons in « Committee of the whole Houfe, confider'd of the fas Motion, and refolv'd, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty which Refolution being the next Day re ported to the Houfe, was unanimously agreed to; ami thereupon it was refolv'd to addrefs his Majefty for E mates of the Ordinary of the Navy; of the Char for Guards, Garrifons, and Land-Forces; of the Char of the Office of Ordnance for Land-Service; as alfo or a Lift of the Regimental and Warrant Officers in Hali Pay; and for feveral Accounts relating to the Nav -Surplufs of the South-Sea Fund, &c. Which, the fub.c quent Days, were accordingly laid before the Houfc. On Thursday the 16th, the Commiflioners of the C Roms were order'd to lay before the Houfe an Accou of the grofs and Neat Produce of the Duties on Cof Tea, Chocolate, Cocoa-Nuts, and Cocoa-Pafte, for feve Years laft paft. The next Day (January 17) the Houfe was order to be call'd over on Tuesday Fortnight, being the Day of February next; and on Monday the 20th, Commons, in a grand Committee, began to confideri the Supply, and came to fome Refolutions, which bein, the next Day reported, were agreed to, as follows, viz. |