shall be as much at liberty, after we have passed it, as we are before, to choose that method of proceeding, which shall be thought most proper, when we are sufficiently prepared for a final decision. their directors, as far as lies within the reach of this part of the legislature. I hope too we shall not only concur with the honourable gentlemen of the Committee in their proposition, but give them the thanks of the House for the honour and integrity, with which they have acquitted themselves in the public service. What has been said, concerning the difference betwixt Impeachments and Bills of Attainder, is foreign to our present point, and might have been spared in an audience, where that argument hath been so fully and frequently discussed, at the end of almost every adminis-be tration. We all know, that Impeachments are the ancient parliamentary method of bringing public criminals to public justice, and it is the method we ought to pursue on common and ordinary occasions. Not but that it is liable to many difficulties, to the tediousness and perplexity of forms, to the caprice of the House of Lords, by which means justice hath very often been delayed, and sometimes entirely defeated. We all know too, that Bills of Attainder are the utmost stretch, and the terrible part of parliamentary power, which ought never to be exerted, but in the most heinous and most flagrant instances. I have always considered them as such my aversion is sufficiently known by my constant opposition to them; and I envy no man the glory of having carried Bills of Pains and Penalties through this House, by being prosecutor, judge, juryman, and even evi dence in the same cause. As to After this the motion as above passed into & Resolution: Then it was ordered, That leave given to bring in a Bill, to restrain all the said persons, (except William Squire, George Robinson, and John Thomson, who were ab sconded) from going out of the kingdom for one year, and till the end of the then next session of parliament; and for discovering their estate and effects; and for preventing the transporting or alienating the same. William Squire, the members, appointed to Prepare and bring in the said Bill, were ordered to insert a clause, for obliging him to surrender himself at a time and place to be mentioned in the Bill; to give security for his not going out of the kingdom for one year for discovering his estate; and for preventing the transporting or alienating the same. It was also ordered, That leave be given to bring in a Bill, for the relief of the Sufferers in the Charitable Corporation. Two Bills were accordingly brought in, and passed both Houses, but the Lords struck the name of George Jackson and Benjamin Robinson out of the Bill. But should it happen in our day, that an overgrown unwieldy minister of state should' tumble from the height of his power, and fall under the censure of this House, for protecting fraud, and patronizing corruption: a minister, Sir, who may have made such Bills as are now dreaded, the instruments of his personal vengeance, and the support of his cruel administration; perhaps the voice of an injured and oppressed nation, crying aloud for justice, and demanding speedy and exemplary punishment, may then prevail over gentlemen's natural inclinations, and force them to comply with what they would otherwise decline and disapprove; nor could the criminal himself, with any appearance of modesty, or colour of reason, complain; for lex talionis' would at least be argumentum ad hominem, and the world would universally allow, that it would be a righteous judgment, fornecis artifices arte pe'rire suâ But we shall have a better oppor-mittee was ordered to be revived. tunity of explaining ourselves, and delivering our sentiments at large, if the case which I here only suppose, should ever come actually before us, and undergo a parliamentary examination. Mr. Sandys reports from the Committee on the Charitable Corporation, that Signor Belloni had written to them from Rome, that Thomson was detained Prisoner there.] May 16. Mr. Sandys acquainted the House, that sir Robert Sutton had come to him that morn ing, and told him, that he had received a letter from a correspondent of his at Paris, in which was inclosed a Letter from Signor Belloni, a banker at Rome, directed to the Committee to whom the Petition of the proprietors of the Charitable Corporation was referred, or in case the said Committee did not subsist, to sir Robert Sutton and others, acquainting them, that the said Belloni had procured John Thomson, late warehouse-keeper to the said Corporation, to be secured a prisoner in the castle of St. Angelo at Rome. Hereupon the said com I should apologise for this digression, had not the course of the debate led me into it, and made it necessary to say something on these beads but I shall conclude with returning to the question, and humbly offering my opinion, that we ought to assure the proprietors we will assist them in a future session, though we cannot in this, to repair the excessive losses they haye sustained by the frauds and iniquities of May 22. Mr. Sandys made a farther Report from the above Committee, and thereupon it was ordered, That the several Letters and Pa pers mentioned in the said Report should be laid before the House. Then it was referred to a committee to translate Signor Belloni's Letter. Signor Belloni's Letter.] May 23. The lord Hervey presented the translation of that Letter, as follows: Gentlemen; Rome, May 4, 1789. "It is with great pleasure that I lay hold of this occasion, which now offers, to shew my esteem and my affection for the English nation, by contributing to the advantage of many private persons in that kingdom, and consequently to the satisfaction of the parliament, and the nation itself. "As the frauds, that have been committed in the management of the Charitable Corporation, have made a great noise every where, people here have been sensibly touched with the misfortunes these frauds have occasioned, and have felt the interest the nation had to redress them, which could not be effected, but by Beizing the person and the papers, the books and the effects of Mr. Thomson, which the parliament had not yet been able to compass. "To this end having received advice, that the said Thomson might come to Rome under some borrowed name, the necessary measures were taken to put him under an arrest upon his arrival there, which have been put in execution at the same time his papers, letters be has received from England since his departure from thence, copies of letters he has written to his confidents, and notes of his most secret affairs have been seized: He himself is at present in the castle of St. Angelo, and has by this means been put under a sort of necessity to discover the whole mystery of this affair; which he has amply done, by discovering not only the books and effects of the Corporation, but also his own. "This being done, I have been ordered to communicate this important discovery to whom and where it may be proper, for the good and advantage of the nation; wherefore I dispatched without delay a courier to one of my correspondents at Paris, with all the papers relating to this affair, that he may find the means to have them put into your hands. "But as equity requires, that the proprietors of the Charitable Corporation, who will reap 80 great an advantage from this discovery, should yield to certain conditions before the papers and writings be delivered to you; I have ordered my correspondent to insist on these conditions being previously agreed to, and in the mean time to look on these papers, as a simple deposit in his hands not to be parted with till this be done; and I doubt not, but this precaution, as well as the conditions, will appear just and reasonable to all those who are interested in this affair. "Having thus discharged my commission, there remains nothing, but to beg you will be persuaded of my respect for the nation, and of the desire I shall always have to contribute to its advantage. I have the honour to be, &c. JOHN-ANGELO BELLONI." Both Houses resolve, that Sig. Belloni's Letter is an insolent Libel.] Then several other Papers being read, the Commons came to two Resolutions, with which the Lords concurred as follows: 1. "Resolved nem. con. bythe Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons in parliament assembled, that the paper dated at Rome, the 4th of May, 1739, N. S. signed John Angelo Belloni, is an insolent and audacious libel, attempting, by false and insidious insinuations, to impose upon the parliament and British na tion; and by specious pretences, and profes sions of esteem, affection, and compassion, to amuse the unhappy sufferers of the Charitable Corporation, with vain and deceitful hopes of relief: That the said paper is, in itself, absurd and contradictory, conceived, at the beginning, in terms and in the style of power and authority, or as proceeding from some extraordinary interest and influence, but concluding in the person and character of private banker of Rome; offering, upon certain conditions, on the behalf of John Thomson to deliver certain books and papers of the said Thomson, the contents, value, aud consequence whereof are unknown, without any offer to surrender the person of the said Thomson, although represented to have been arrested and detained in safe custody, from a sense of the frauds committed by him, and a due regard to justice; the conditions, demanded and insisted upon by, and in behalf of, the said Thomson, ap pearing at the same time to be loose, evasive, and uncertain, tending to procure advantages and indemnity to himself and his accomplices, without any intention or prospect of benefit to the Corporation: And that this whole transac tion appears to be a scandalous artifice, calcu lated purely to delude the unhappy, and to disguise and conceal the wicked practices of the professed enemies to his Majesty's person, crown and dignity. 2. "Resolved, That in abhorrence and detestation of this vile attempt, the said infamous Libel be burnt by the hands of the common Hangman, before the Royal Exchange in London, upon Friday next, at one of the clock : and that the Sheriffs of London do then attend, and cause the same to be burnt there acordingly." The King's Speech at the Close of the Session.] June 1, The King came to the House of Peers, and gave the royal assent to the Bills relating Charitable Corporation, as also to several other to the earl of Derwentwater's estate, and to the public and private Bills, after which his Majesty made the following Speech to both Houses: "My Lords and Gentlemen, "You having now dispatched all the public business, that it was practicable for you to go through with at present, and the season of the year being so far advanced, I believe it will not be disagreeable to you, that I give you an opportunity of retiring into the country, by putting an end to this session of parliament. "It is unnecessary for me to represent to you the happy state and situation of public af fairs, both at home and abroad. You must all be sensible of what is universally seen and felt in the full enjoyment of a general peace. The concurrence of the States General, in the late treaty of Vienna, has perfected the establish ment of the public tranquillity, as far as human prudence can foresee or provide; and a faithful observance and execution of the treaties and alliances, now subsisting among the several princes and powers of Europe, free from groundless jealousies, and void of all ambitious views, will be the most effectual means to continue and preserve these blessings to us. SIXTH SESSION OF THE SEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. The King's Speech on Opening the Session.] The King came to the January 16, 1733. his Majesty opened the session with the fol House of Peers, and the Commons attending, "My Lords and Gentlemen, "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "I return you my thanks for the provisions you have made for the defence and security of the kingdom, and for carrying on the service of the current year. It is a great satisfaction to me to see you have turned your thoughts to-lowing Speech : wards raising the necessary supplies, by such methods, as may be the least burthensome to my people: and as this cannot but be received in the country as a most grateful and acceptable service, I hope it will encourage you to pursue such measures for the future, as may on all occasions render the supplies, that shall be necessary, as equal and easy as is possible. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "It being necessary for me to visit my German dominions this year, I have determined to leave the Queen Regent here during my absence; and I doubt not but it will be your endeavours to make the government as easy to her, as I am confident, it will be her care, by a just and prudent administration, to deserve your duty and regard. I recommend to you all in your several stations, to study and consult the preservation of the peace and quiet of the kingdom.” Then the Lord Chancellor, by his Majesty's command, prorogued the parliament to the 27th of July. It was afterwards farther prorogued to the 16th of January 1733. "The private domestic occurrences of this year are so uninteresting, that they are not worth mentioning; but a ferment very dangerous to the minister was now working in the nation. The dehates about the revival of the salt duty, and some surmises, that had taken rise from the complaints which the officers of the revenue in general made of the collection of the duties upon wine and tobacco, two capital branches of the revenue, impressed the public with a notion, that either a general excise, or an excise upon those two articles, was intended by the minister. Both he and his friends had been taxed in the house and elsewhere, with this intention, but they had rather evaded than denied the charge; nay, sometimes they seemed to justify it. It is incredible what a combustion this surmise raised in the nation, even before the minister had openly avowed his intention, which was, by the arts of his enemies, rendered so unpopular, that he never had a fair, that is, an unprejudiced opportunity, of explaining it. It falls within the province of history to put the reader in mind, that the first duties of excise in England, were imposed upon beer, ale, cyder, perry, and other , liquors, made at home, and set to sale, and they were given to Charles the 2nd as an equivalent for his giving up the Court of Wards, "It is a great satisfaction to me, that the present situation of Affairs, both at home and abroad, makes it unnecessary for me to lay be fore you any other reason for my calling you together at this time; but the ordinary dispatch of the public business, and that I may have an opportunity of receiving your advice upon such affairs as may occur to you, and shall require the care and consideration of parliament. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "I will order the proper officers to lay before you the Estimates for the service of the current year; and I make no doubt but that you will, with the same cheerfulness as I have always experienced in you, effectually raise such supplies as you shall judge necessary for the honour, safety, and defence of the kingdom; and I cannot but recommend it to you, as a consideration worthy the Commons of Great Britain, that in all your deliberations, as well upon raising the annual supplies, as the distribu tion of the public revenues, you pursue such measures as will most conduce to the present and future ease of those you represent. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "You must be sensible, that it is very desirable to give all possible dispatch to the public business, and that nothing can give more weight and credit to all your resolutions, than to avoid unreasonable heats and animosities, and not to suffer yourselves to be diverted, by any specious pretences, from stedfastly pursu ing the true interest of your country: Let that the Purveyances, and other Rights of the Crown which rendered it too powerful for the liberty of the subject, and had long been eye-sores to the parliament and people of England. As the crown had always before absolutely rejected all proposals of a commutation of this kind, and as the king could have no other security for the performance of the bargain, but the faith and honour of parliament, the latter, from time to time, piqued itself upon making the laws for collecting the excise so severe, that in many respects, they seemed to encroach upon private property and personal liberty, They, who had been punished by them, thought themselves injured, and their numbers were so great, as to render the clamour against them almost universal. "Such were the dispositions of the public with The Lords' Address of Thanks.] The King being withdrawn, the marquis of Lothian moved an Address of Thanks, and being seconded by lord Lovelace, the same was unanimously agreed to ás follows: "Most Gracious Sovereign, "We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, do. in all humility return the Thanks of this House for your Majesty's most gracious Speech from the throne. "It is owing to the happy success of your Majesty's counsels and negotiations, that your Majesty now assembles your parliament for no other reasons, but the ordinary dispatch of public business; and your Majesty being graciously pleased to express such a great satisfac tion in giving us an opportunity of humbly of fering our advice to the throne upon such affairs, as shall require the care and consideration of parliament, we think it incumbent on us, in return, to consider that part of our duty to be the highest honour and privilege of this House, which, as we have always enjoyed, so we beg leave to assure your Majesty, we will never abuse. | Cambridge, stood up and took notice, That the the present profound tranquillity was entirely owing to his Majesty's great wisdom and conduct, by which he had surmounted all those difficulties, which were thrown in his way by the enemies of the nation, and had thereby at last established our affairs both at home and abroad upon a most firm, and he hoped, a lasting basis: That we owed a great many acknowledgements of thanks to his Majesty, for his prudent and careful management of our affairs both at home and abroad, and therefore Address be presented to his Majesty, to rehe would beg leave to move, that an humble turn the Thanks of the House for his most gracious Speech from the throne; to express the satisfaction of the House at the present situation of affairs both at home and abroad; and to assure his Majesty, that the House would, with all possible duty to his Majesty, and just regard and concern for those they such supplies as should be necessary for the represented, cheerfully and effectually raise honour, safety, and defence of his Majesty and his kingdoms; and that, in all their deliberations upon raising the annual supplies, and distribution of the public revenues, they would pursue such measures as would most conduce to the present and future ease of their fellow. subjects; and that, in order to give the necessary dispatch to the public business, and that their proceedings might carry with them that "We will use our utmost endeavours to pro-always to attend the resolutions of the Comweight and credit in the nation, which ought ceed in such manner in the speedy execution of the great trust reposed in us, that the people mons of Great Britain, they would endeavour to avoid all unreasonable heats and aninay be fully sensible, that no unreasonable heats or animosities shall delay or interrupt our mosities, and not suffer themselves to be divertdeliberations, and that the true interest of our ed by any specious pretences whatsoever, from country the present and future ease of our fel- stedfastly, pursuing the true interest of their low-subjects, and the public good of Great Bri-country, which should upon all occasions be tain, shall outweigh all other considerations, their first and principal care. though covered by any specious pretences whatsoever. Upon these foundations, we may be confident that our resolution will be agreeable to your Majesty, by being beneficial to the whole nation." The King's Answer.] This Address was next day presented to the King, who returned the following Answer: "My Lords, This motion was seconded by Mr. Knight, member for Sudbury, who likewise spoke in praise of his Majesty's conduct, and added, That he hoped the House would be unanimous in agreeing to the Address of Thanks, moved for by the honourable member who had spoke before him. Hereupon Sir John Barnard, member for London, rose up and moved, for an Amendment to the said motion as follows: Mr. Speaker, "I thank you for this dutiful and loyal Address. As the ease of my people and the pub-acknowledgments of Thanks to his Majesty; I shall always be ready to make all proper lic good have always been my chief care and concern, the zeal that you shew for the promoting of them cannot but be very acceptable to me." Debate in the Commons on the Address.] The Commons being returned to their House, Mr. Speaker reported his Majesty's Speech to both Houses, and the same being read, Mr. Henry Bromley, knight of the shire for regard to Excises in general, when the British parliament met on the 16th of January, 1735." Tindal. VOL. VIII. but there are some words in the motion made by the honourable gentleman who spoke first, which I cannot but take notice of. I do not really know what the honourable gentleman means by saying, We will endeavour to avoid all unreasonable heats and. animosities, and 'not suffer ourselves to be diverted by any 'specious pretences whatsoever.' I hope there never were, nor never will be any unreasonable heats or animosities in this House, nor any spccious pretences made use of by any gentleman who has the honour to be a member thereof; at least, I hope, that if any man shall ever be 4 F inserting, That they should endeavour to avoid 'all unreasonable heats and animosities, nor 'suffer themselves to be diverted by any spe'cious pretences;' for that it was never to be presumed with regard to the House of Commons that they should fall into any unreasonable heats and animosities, or suffer themselves to be diverted by specious pretences from stedfastly pursuing the true interest of their country; that such a reflection was derogatory to the honour of the House in general, and of that opinion, as little as any House ever did; nay, it was somewhat strange that this House, after having sat so quietly for so many sessions, and granted so many considerabe supplies, should at length so officiously be put in mind of their duty, and desired to avoid unreasonable beats and animosities; and as for the other part of the motion, taken notice of by sir John Barnard, it was his opinion the amendment proposed was not only very proper, but also be came absolutely necessary at that juncture. Then, Mr. Shippen moved for a farther Amendment as follows: Mr. Speaker, vain enough to endeavour to impose upon this House, by making use of specious pretences for concealing designs which he dare not openly avow, that there will always be in this House men of understanding and integrity sufficient to expose any such attempt, and to render it vain and ridiculous. But if any gentleman of the House happens not to like what is said, or what is moved for by another, cannot he oppose it, and give his reasons for so doing, without being guilty of any unreasonable heat or animosity, or of making use of specious pre-House in particular, who deserved it, in his tences? I must say, Sir, that the desiring such words to be put into our Address of Thanks to his Majesty, to me looks as if the gentleman was conscious that there is something to be brought before us, in this session of parliament, which he foresees will meet with a warm opposition; and, I hope, if any thing of an extraordinary nature is to be brought before us, no gentleman will be precluded by these words, or by any words that can be put into our Address, from giving his sentiments freely upon any question that may occur. If any thing should happen to be proposed in this House, which evidently appears to be inconsistent with the liberties or the trade of this nation, I hope the indignation of every man that thinks so, will rise against such a proposition, and that he will I have always been against long addresses ; I oppose it with that honest warmth, as becomes am ready enough to agree to an address of every man who has the happiness of his country thanks to his Majesty for his most gracious really at heart: Such a warmth is no unrea-speech from the throne; but such address ought sonable heat; it does not proceed from animosity, but from that honest zeal, which every man in this House ought to have for the constitution of his country, and for the liberties and properties of the people he represents. But before I say any thing more upon this subject, I must take notice of a preceding part of the motion made by the honourable gentleman: He proposes for us to say, That we will raise 'the supplies in such manner as will most conduce to the present and future ease of the • subject.' Now, there seems to be a great jealousy without doors, as if something were intended to be done in this session of parliament, that may be destructive to our liberties, and detrimental to our trade: From whence this jealousy hath arisen, I do not know; but it is certain that there is such a jealousy among all sorts of people, and in all corners of the nation; and therefore we ought to take the first opportunity to quiet the minds of the people, and to assure them that they may depend upon the honour and integrity of the members of this House; and that we never will consent to any thing that may have the least appearance of being destructive to their liberties, or detrimental to their trade; for which reason I must move for an Amendment, and that these words, "And. such as shall be consistent with the trade, interest, and liberty of the nation," may be added to what the honourable gentleman has already proposed. Sir John Barnard was backed by Mr. Sandys, member for Worcester, who declared, That he saw no manner of occasion for to be in the most concise terms, and the most general words: this was the ancient usage of parliament, and I find but few of our old custom's that are altered for the better: however if we must go on with the custom of making long-winded addresses, I think we ought to take some notice of the spirit that is at present among the people. It is very certain, that there are great fears, jealousies, and suspicions without doors, that something is to be attempted in this session of parliament, which is generally thought to be destructive to the liberties and to the trade of this nation. There is at present a most remarkable and general spirit among the people, for protecting and defending their liberties and their trade, in opposition to those attempts which they expect are to be made against both from all quarters we hear of meetings and resolutions for that purpose; and this spirit is so general, that it cannot be ascribed to any one set of men: they cannot be branded with the name of Jacobites or of Republicans, nor can it be said that this opposition is made only by Jacobites and Republicans; no, the whole people of England seem to be united in this spirit of jealousy and opposition, Whether there be any reason or ground for exerting such a spirit at present, I do not know; but I am sure it ought not to be entirely neg lected. It is well known that I am no friend to popular remonstrances; a man that is a favourer of monarchy cannot well approve of such measures; but such remonstrances are not to be contemned: a thorough contempt of them may produce the most terrible effects. |