Anno 10. Geo, "jefty to be here this Day in his Royal Perfon, he has 11.1736-7. "been pleafed by Letter-patent under the great Seal, to "Authorife his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and "feveral Lords therein mentioned, to do every thing in "the Name of his Majefty, which ought to be done on the Part of his Majesty in this Parliament, as may more fully appear by the Letter-patent."

The Letter-patent being read, my Lord Chancellor then, as one of the Commiflioners, read the following Speech to both Houses:

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I

N Pursuance of the Authority given us by His Majefty's Commiffion, under the great Seal, amongst other Things, to declare the Caufes of his holding this Parliament, we are, by His Majelly's Command, in the firft Place, to obferve to you, That His Majefty acquaint· ed you laft Year, that he had, in Conjunction with the 'States General, given His Approbation of certain Preliminary Articles, concerted and agreed upon between the Emperor and France, for reftoring the Peace of Europe; and that a further Convention, concerning the Execution of them, had been communicated to Him by both those Courts; and that Negotiations were carrying on by the feveral Powers engaged in the late War, in order to fettle the general Pacification.

6

We are now commanded by His Majefty to inform you, that the refpective Acts of Ceffion being exchanged, and Orders given for the Evacuation and Poffeflion of the feveral Countries and Places, by the Powers concerned, according to the Allotment and Difpofition of the Preliminary Articles, the great Work of re-establishing the general Tranquillity is far advanced; however, it is His Majefty's Opinion, that common Prudence calls upon us to be very attentive to, and obferve the final Conclufion of this new Settlement of fuch confiderable Parts of Europe. It is to be hoped, that a general lafting Tranquillity will follow this Reftitution of Peace, and that the Renewal of Friendship and Alliances, for the Preservation of it, among the feveral Princes and < Powers of Europe, will remove all Dangers and Apprehenfions of any new Troubles and Disorders; but His Majetty apprehends, that an indolent Security, and too great a Ditregard to fature Events, may occafion Mifchiefs more eafy to be prevented, than to be remedied; and that it would be very unadviseable to leave ourselves

in

⚫ in fo defenceless a Condition, as to encourage any Enter- Auno 10. Geo

prizes, which the Enemies to the Public Peace may have ÍI. 1736.7. vainly fuggefted and flattered themselves with the Hopes

· of.'

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

His Majefty has ordered the proper Officers to lay before you the Eftimates for the Service of the cur6 rent Year; as foon as the Circumftances of the Times would permit, His Majefty was pleased to make fuch a • Reduction of fome Part of the Public Expences for the Ease of his People, as was confiftent with the Peace and Safety of his Kingdoms, the Security of our Commerce, and the Honour and Intereft of the Nation.'

My Lords and Gentlemen,

His Majefty has been graciously pleased to direct us to acquaint you, that He hath feen with the greatest Satisfaction the unwearied Application of this Parliament, in framing good Laws for advancing the Profperity, and fecuring the Welfare of His loving Subjects; and that it hath been one of His Majefty's principal Cares to enforce them by a due Execution, with the strictest Regard to the Rights and Properties of his People, no Invafion whereof can with any Colour be fuggefted by the most • malicious Enemies of the prefent Eftablishment. Whilft this hath been our Condition, His Majefty cannot but ⚫ obferve, that it must be matter of the utmost Surprise and Concern to every true Lover of his Country, to fee the many Contrivances and Attempts carried on in various Shapes, and in different Parts of the Nation, tumultuously to refift and obftruct the Execution of the Laws, and to 'violate the Peace of the Kingdom. These Disturbers of the public Repofe, confcious that the Intereft of His Majefty and His People are the fame, and of the good Har< mony, which happily fubfifts between Him and His Parliament, have levelled their Sedition against both; and in their late Outrages have either directly oppofed, or at leaft endeavoured to render ineffectual fome Acts of the whole Legislature. His Majefty in His great Wisdom thinks it affords a melancholy Profpect to confider to what Height these audacious Practices may rife, if not timely fuppreffed, and that it deferves no fmall Attention, that they may go on to affect private Perfons in the quiet Enjoyment of their Property, as well as the general Peace, and good Order of the whole. His Majesty apprehends it to be unneceffary to enlarge upon a Subje& Ff2

: of

Anno 10. Geo.
I.1736 7.

of this Naturo, and therefore hath commanded us barely ⚫ to mention it to you, who, by the conftant Tenor of your Conduct, have fhewn, that you confider the Support of his Government, as infeparable from the Preservation of 'the Public Tranquillity and your own Safety.

The Members being returned to the Houfe, Mr. Speaker reported the Speech from the Lord Chancellor, and upon a Motion for an Addrefs of Thanks, the fame was agreed to, and is as follows.

The bumble Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to the King.
Moft Gracious Sovereign,

Wh

E your Majefty's moft Dutiful and Loyal Subjects, the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament affembled, return your Majefty our most humble Thanks for the Speech delivered by your Majefty's Command to • both Houses of Parliament.

We fee with great Satisfaction, the happy Profpect of the final Conclufion of the general Pacification of Europe, and when we remember your Majefty's unwearied Endeavours to prevent this Nation from being involved in the Calamities of a deftructive War, and your conftant Application in contributing to the utmost of your Power towards the great Work of reftoring Peace, from the tender Care and Concern which your Majelly has always 'fhewn for the future Peace and Profperity of your People, as well as for the common Welfare of Mankind, we make no doubt, but that your Majefty will continue to co-operate with your good Allies, that the Conclufion of the Peace may be attended with a general and lafting 'Tranquillity.

Duty and Gratitude to your Majefty, and a due Regard to our own Interefts and Security will engage us not to neglect any neceffary Precautions, which may best conduce to enable your Majefty to disappoint and defeat all groundless Hopes and Expectations, which the deluded Enemies of the public Peace may have vainly fuggefted and flattered themfelves with.

And we beg Leave to affure your Majefty, that we will chearfully and effectually raife the Supplies neceflary for the Service of the Current Year, and fupport your • Majefty in all fuch Measures as fhall be found requifite to preferve the Peace and Safety of the Kingdom, the Security of our Commerce, and the Honour and Intereft of your Majefty and your Dominions."

Meft

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

Anno 10.

Your faithful Commons cannot without a juft Indignation Geo. II. • obferve the Spirit of Faction and Sedition, which has lately ma- 1736-7. feited itself in traducing and mifreprefenting the Legislature, in

contemning all Authority, and in open Defiance of the Laws of < the Land.

It is with the highest Senfe of Duty and Gratitude, we ac knowledge your Majefty's Goodness, not only in your ready 'Concurrence to all fuch wholesome Laws as have been from Time to Time prepared by your Parliament, but in your con⚫ftant Care to enfore them by a due Execution, with the ftricteft Regard to the Rights and Properties of your People, and without the leaft Colour or Shadow of any Defign or Attempt to 'ftretch or violate the known Laws of this Realm.

We cannot fufficiently exprefs our Abhorrence of the many ' wicked and deteftable Practices, which the Disturbers of the public Repose have fecretly fomented and openly carry'd on in tumultuously refifting and obftructing the Execution of the Laws, ' and violating the Peace of the Kingdom.

And we your faithful Commons do affure your Majesty, that being fully perfuaded that the Prefervation of the public Tranquility, and our own Safety, are infeparable from the Security of your Government, we will fupport your Royal Authority in fuppreffing and fubduing all feditious and riotous Attempts that ⚫ threaten the very Being of our happy Conftitution, and the utter 'Subverfion of those Liberties, which have been made the fpecious Pretence for committing thofe outrageous Disorders.'

To this the King return'd the following Answer:

IS Majefty returns this Houfe his Thanks for their moft Du- The King's

drefs.

and Affection for his Perfon and Government, as the best and moft the Comacceptable Return for his conftant Endeavour to render this Nation mons Adhappy and flourishing both at Home and Abroad. His Majefty relies upon the Wisdom of his Parliament, to frame fuch Laws as fhall be neceffary to strengthen and support the Authority of his Government, in preferving the public Tranquility, and fecuring the Rights and Properties of his People; and his faithful Commons may depend upon him for a juft and due Execution of them.

Election for

Feb. 2. A Petition of the Freeholders of the County of Nor- A Petition, folk, complaining of an undue Election and Return for the faid complaining County, being prefented to the House, and read, it was ordered of an undue to be heard at the Bar of the Houfe on the Third of March; and that Lifts, with Refpect to the faid Election, be delivered on the of Norfolk 23d of February. prefented.

the County

March 2. A Motion was made, that the Petitioners might be at Liberty to withdraw their Petition; which was grant- But is dropt ed; and Mr Speaker was ordered to iffue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for the faid County,

Anno 10. County, in the Room of William Wodehoufe, Efq; who had died Geo. II. after his Election, and against which the faid Petition was pre1736-7. fented.

Refolution

of the Houfe

Electors

that are to

to.

r

'Tho' this Election was thus given up, yet there was one Thing relating to it worth Obfervation.

The Refolution of the House relating to the delivering of Lifts of controverted Voters, in Purfuance of which the Lifts, with refpect to this controverted Election, had been ordered to be delivered, is as follows, viz That in all Cafes of controverted

Elections for Counties in England and Wales, to be heard at the upon Lifts of Bar of that House, or before the Committee of Privileges and Elections, the Petitioners fhould by themselves, or by their Agents, within a convenient Time, to be appointed either by the be objected Houfe or the Committee of Privileges and Elections, as the Matter to be heard fhall be before the Houfe, or the faid Committee, deliver to the fitting Members, or their Agents, Lifts of the Perfons intended by the Petitioners to be objected to, who voted for the fitting Members; giving, in the faid Lifts, the feveral Heads of Objection, and diftinguishing the fame against the Names of the Voters excepted to; and that the fitting Members fhould, by themfelves, or by their Agents, within the fame Time, deliver the like Lifts on their Part, to the Petitioners or ⚫ their Agents.

Lifts deliver'd in

In Pursuance of this Refolution, the Petitioners for the County of Norfolk, and the fitting Member Sir Edmond Bacon, who fupConfequence ported the Election of himself and the other Member deceas'd, deof the fame. liver'd Lifts to each other respectively, but in the Lifts deliver'd by the Petitioners to the fitting Member, all the material Heads of Objection that could be made against any Voter for a County, were fet against the Name of almoft every Voter they excepted to; which the fitting Member thought contrary to the Refolution, and therefore reprefented, That the Refolution had been agreed to, in Complaint order to fave Trouble and Expence; and prevent either Party's relating examining Witneffes to an Objection he could not fully prove, and thereto. then flying from that to another, and thence to a Third, &c. That if either Party thought he had several Objections to any one Voter, each of which would be of itself fufficient, he ought, by the Refolution, to fix upon that Objection which he thought he could molt clearly prove, and diftinguifh that Head of Objection only against the Name of that Voter; by which Means the other Party might prepare proper Proofs or Materials for fupporting the Right of his Voter against that Objection: But in the Manner the Lifts had been deliver'd to him, it would be vaftly troublesome and expenfive to prepare proper Proofs for fupporting the Right of a Voter against every Objection that could be made; and if he prepared to anfwer one Objection only, he might at laft find himself obliged to anfwer another, for which he could not then poffibly have an Opportunity to prepare: That if the Method in which the Pe

titioners