pass, it was strongly opposed by the earl of Strafford, lord Trevor, earl Cowper, lord Bathurst, and lord Bingley, who represented, That this Bill was downright persecution; that it was a fourth Bill to inflict pains and penalties in an unprecedented manner: But they were answered by the lord Townshend, lord Carteret, earl Cadogan, bishop of Hereford*, earl of Macclesfield, earl of Ilay, and the duke of Newcastle, That the Papists had incurred far greater penalties, so that this Bill was rather an indulgence than a persecution. These were replied to by Earl Cowper, who suggested, That whatever gloss was put upon this law, it would always be looked upon as persecution by those, at least, who were to be affected by it, and be punished for other people's crimes; and what hardships the Protestants abroad might suffer, when we persecuted the Roman Catholics at home, he left to their lordships' consideration: That he was informed, that the king of Spain and the regent of France had used their good offices in behalf of those of their own religion amongst us, and as, on the other hand, those two powerful princes had given undoubted proofs of their firm friendship to his Majesty, in discovering and quashing of the late Conspiracy, so they could not but think themselves indifferently requited for it, if this Bill should pass into a law. His lordship added, That no state ever got any thing by persecuting its subjects, of which he gave several instances, and, in particular, shewed the ill effects of persecution in France, which had drove away the wealthiest of their merchants and most industrious artificers; urging, that this bill might, in like manner, force the English Roman Catholics to leave the kingdom, and carry eight or nine hundred thousand pounds into foreign countries. For all these reasons his lordship was for rejecting the Bill. But the question being put upon the motion for passing the same, it was resolved in the affirmative. Content, Proxies, 48 -69 Not-Content, 37 Proxies, 18 -55 Upon this the following lords entered their dissent, viz. Uxbridge, Bingley, Gower, Foley, Asburnham, Lechmere, Litchfield, Scarsdale, Montjoy, Pomfret, Hay, Fran. Cestriens', Willoughby de Broke, Strafford, Cowper, Weston, Coventry, Bathurst, Tadcaster. The King's Speech at the Close of the Session.] May 27. His Majesty, after having given the royal assent to the Bills for inflicting Pains and Penalties on the bishop of Rochester, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Plunket, with several other public and private bills, was pleased to tell both Houses, that he had ordered the Lord Chancellor to declare to them, in his Majesty's name and words, the reason of his coming that day to parliament. Where * Dr. Benjamin Hoadly; see vol. 7, p. 571. upon the Lord Chancellor read his Majesty's Speech to both Houses, as followeth, viz. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "I am persuaded, notwithstanding the unusual length of this session, you will not think your time has been misemployed, in consulting the necessary means for preserving the peace and quiet of the kingdom, and bringing to jus tice some of the chief promoters of that confusion which lately threatened the nation. "The prudent measures you have taken for our common security, and your enabling me to defend my kingdoms against any designs or attempts of our enemies, are the most convincing testimonies of your fidelity and affection to me, and of your concern for the liberties of my people. Be assured, the confidence you have reposed in me, shall never be made use of, but for their safety and defence. "The Papers which have been laid before you, for your information, and have since been published for the satisfaction of the world, evidently shew that the Conspirators had brought their wicked arts and practices to such a perfection, that they confidently carried on their traitorous projects in defiance of the law, from an assurance of their being able to elude it; the respect and reverence due to the law had been lost, and the tranquillity of my people endangered, had not you interposed. This made it necessary for the legislature to exert itself in punishing such offenders, whose guilt is too certain to leave the least room for doubt, and whose crimes are too heinous to admit of any aggravation. "And yet it is with pleasure I reflect, that the justice of parliament has been so tempered with mercy, that even those, who are resolved to be dissatisfied, must acknowledge the lenity of your proceedings, and will be at a loss for any pretence to complain, so few examples having been made, and the penalties inflicted by bill, falling so much short of the punishments due for the same crimes by the common course of law. "The firmness you have shewn, inust convince all the world, how much they were mistaken, whose chief hopes were founded on the disaffection of my people. It gave me great satisfaction to see as general a concurrence in full parliament upon this occasion, as has been ever known on any former; and it is to be hoped, our enemies will cease to flatter themselves with the vain imagination of being able to subvert our religion and present establishment. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons. "I must acknowledge, in a particulur manner, the great readiness you have shewn in raising the necessary Supplies for the ensuing year. It is an unexpected felicity, that you have been able so far to disappoint the hopes of our enemies, as to avoid laying any new burthen upon my people, and that, so soon after that great shock and convulsion in all the public funds, and in the midst of intestine alarms and disturbances, the credit of the nation should so far revive and flourish, that not only the supplies of the year should be raised at a much lower interest, than was ever known in the most quiet time, but part of the national debt should be reduced from an interest of five to three per cent.* and put in a course of being soon discharged. "My Lords and Gentlemen'; "I return you my most sincere thanks for the indefatigable pains you have taken in the service of the public: I earnestly recommend it to you, in your several stations and countries, to persevere in your endeavours for preserving the peace of the kingdom; by justice and resolution, to subdue the restless spirit of faction and sedition; and by prudence and temper to reconcile the misled. "Some extraordinary affairs calling me abroad this summer, I doubt not but that the wisdom and vigilance of my good subjects will prevent our enemies from taking any advantage of my absence. To gain the hearts and affections of my people shall always be my first and principal care; on their duty and loyal ty I will entirely depend: And they may as surely depend on my protection in the full enjoyment of their religion, liberty, and property." Then the Lord Chancellor prorogued the parliament to the 2nd day of July; after which it was farther prorogued to the 9th of Ja nuary, 1724. PRINCIPAL OCCURRENCES DURING THE RECESS- -The King goes to Hanover-Promotions -The King's Clemency-State of Foreign Affairs-Wood's Half-pence-Death of Earl Cowper-The King returns to England.*] The King, whom the Conspiracy had detained in England the last year, had no sooner put an end to the session, but he set out for his German dominions. He embarked for Holland the 3d of “August 30, 1723. You cannot but observe the late rise of our stocks. South Sea was actually sold on Monday at 110. But the bulls and bears have sunk it again to betwixt seven and eight. I had the good fortune to tell his Majesty before he went, that I thought it would come to this price before Michaelmas. This rise was nothing imaginary, not at all the effect of art. The public credit is now in so flourishing a condition, that upon some difficulties the duchess of Marlborough had a mind to make in that loan, I could have had 200,000l. in land tallies, with the interest upon them, which was about 12s. 6d. ; in all 3l. 12s. 6d.; and I think it is plain we shall have the whole supply of next year at 3 per cent. even without the Marlborough money; and I flatter myself, that the next session of parliament will bring no discredit to those that have the honour to serve the King in his revenue." Robert Walpole to Lord Townshend. Coxe's Walpole, vol. 2, p. 278. + Tindal, Mr. June, and, after staying two days with his brother, the bishop of Osnaburg, arrived the 11th at Herenhausen. He appointed Lords Justices in his absence as usual, the prince being still excluded, who was now in his 41st year. The lord Harcourt, formerly so strictly united with the earl of Oxford, and queen Anne's other ministers, and who had defended them with so much zeal, was one of the Lords Justices. Walpole was likewise of the number, and acted as secretary of state, in the absence of the lords Townshend and Carteret, who were with the King. It was intended to advance him to the peerage, but he chose rather to have that honour conferred on his son, who was made baron Walpole of Walpole in the county of Norfolk. About the same time, Mr. Pulteney, chairman of the late committee of secrecy, was made cofferer of the household; and Philip, lord Stanhope, captain of the yeomen of the guard; Dr. Gibson was translated from Lincoln to London; Dr. Reynolds from Bangor to Lincoln; and Dr. Bradford from Carlisle to Rochester; Dr. Waugh was promoted to Carlisle, and Dr. Willis, on the death of Dr. Trimnel, to Winchester; Dr. Hoadly was translated from Hereford to Salisbury; Dr. Green on the death of Dr. Fleetwood, from Norwich to Ely: Dr. Leng was made bishop of Norwich; and Dr. Egerton, brother to the duke of Bridgewater, of Hereford. The king, before his departure, shewed his clemency to those who had been taken up on account of the Plot. The earl of Orrery was released from his confinement, and admitted to bail; as were also the duke of Norfolk, the lord North and Grey, Dennis Kelly, Thomas Cochran, and Swathfegger, the earl of Orrery's secretary. On the 20th of June, Dr. Friend was admitted to bail; and two days after, Dr. Atterbury embarked on board the Aldborough, a small man of war, which had orders to land him in France. He was put on shore at Calais, accompanied with his daughter Mrs. Morrice, and her husband who was high bailiff The lord Townshend's eldest son was called up to the House of Peers, by the title of baron Townshend of Lynn Regis, and made one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber, in the room of the lord Teynham, who some days before shot himself, and died an hour after. The Patent to the lord Walpole began thus: "Our most beloved and most faithful counsellor Robert Walpole, first Commissioner of the Treasury, with the assistance of other select persons, and Chancellor of our Exchequer, having highly recommended himself to our royal favour by his many services to us, to our house, and to his own country, we did not think him unworthy to be advanced to the rank of the Peers of this realm. But, though he rather chuses to merit the highest titles than to wear them, we have however thought fit, in order to ennoble his family, to confer on the son the honour due to the father, and to raise to the peerage Robert Walpole junior, esq.; &c." of Westminster. At Calais he was told, that | the late lord Bolingbroke, having obtained his pardon, was just arrived there in his way to England; upon which the bishop merrily said Then I am exchanged.' The king had granted the lord Bolingbroke a pardon the day after the parliament broke up, of which one of his friends instantly set out for France to bring him word. He immediately returned to England to plead his pardon, in expectation that a new parliament would repeal his attainder. The lord Harcourt had prevailed with the king to shew him this favour, though Mr. Walpole had opposed it at the council board with unanswerable arguments: He was against loosening the hands of one, who (as he said) he foresaw, from his former conduct and ambition, and the uatural restlessness of his temper; would go any lengths to poison the minds of the subjects, in order to disturb the national tranquillity, that he himself might the easier arrive at power. But, notwithstanding his disapprobation, he was forced to give way. Before the king left England, it was agreed in council, that the troops should be incamped as they had been the last summer, and that the horse-guards should be quartered round Hydepark, in order to be ready to assemble, if there should be occasion. These measures kept all things quiet in Great Britain, during the king's seven months absence. The same reasons, which had required his presence abroad, detained him perhaps longer than he intended. He was received in his dominions in the most agreeable manner, and was complimented by at least 12 foreign ministers. The king and queen of Prussia waited likewise upon him, by which means his court was as splendid, and as much the scene of affairs, as ever the court of Great Britain had been. England, more advantageous than the former, in regard to trade, but strongly insisted upon the restitution of Gibraltar and Port-Mahon; and it was wished, that court would not be concerned in the affairs of Italy, and would declare openly against the Ostend company. This situation of so opposite interests was full of difficulties. The Emperor, pressed too much, might declare for the czar and the Swede: Poland, confined between these two powers, could not help taking part with them: Almost all Italy exclaimed against the treaty of London: The pope had protested against any decisions at Cambray to the prejudice of his right: The king of Sardinia, the dukes of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena, had presented me→ morials equivalent to so many protestations: France and Spain were inclined to support them: War was every where on the point of breaking out: England, engaged by so many treaties, and her own interests, must have been concerned: For king George to declare against the emperor, was exposing his German dominions, and helping to strengthen two powers already very formidable to the rest of Europe: To take part with the emperor was supporting the new establishment at Ostend, and arming against himself, France, Spain, and perhaps Russia and Sweden. King George overcame all these difficulties, or at least suspended their ill consequences. He entered into stricter alliances with the kings of Prussia and Denmark: He used his endeavours to prevail with the emperor to be more ready to end his differences with Spain, and to desist from the affair of Ostend, against which his subjects in particular, and his faithful allies the States-General, were extremely incensed. In England, as hath been related, the commons had voted against it. One of the king's principal designs, when he came to Hanover, was to persuade the court of Vienna to desist from erecting the Ostend India Company: He laboured constantly at it, but the success did not answer his good intentions. That court promised, in general, not to do any thing contrary to treaties, and the rights of others, but avoided to enter into any discussion, and disregarded the representations that Affairs were then at a sort of crisis: the uselessness of the congress of Cambray and of Brunswic, where little had been done, having worn out the patience of the princes whose interests were to be determined there, they entered into separate negociations, and sought the means of coming to an agreement. The czar and king of Sweden were going to conclude a treaty favourable to the duke of Hol-were made from all parts. stein's pretensions to Sleswick, of which king George had guaranteed the possession to the king of Denmark: It was to be feared, that this treaty might affect even Bremen and Verden, lately annexed to the electorate of Hanover. On the other hand, France and Spain seemed to be sincerely reconciled, and willing to unite against the emperor. The regent had projected a marriage between the king of France and the infanta of Spain, then 3 years old, and had married his second daughter mademoiselle de Montpensier to the prince of Asturias, and, a year after, another daughter to don Carlos, eldest son of Philip 5, by his second wife. These two powers endeavoured to draw the czar to their side; they offered new treaties to It was the same with respect to the czar. So that the king's journey proved fruitless, and the negotiations might have been as well car ried on at London as at Hanover. Something was also done for the Protestants, whose complaints continued, because they were still oppressed, and new grievances were added to the old. The king of Prussia readily entered into the design to procure them ease and tranquillity. This union put a stop at least to greater calamities; and appeared to be very cordial. King George spent four or five days at Berlin, where he was received and treated with great respect and magnificence. The two secretaries of state, the lords Townshend and Carteret, who attended him, had frequent conferences with the king of Prussia's ministers, in order to conclude some alliance to prevent the czar's designs, in favour of the duke of Holstein: The proposals were neither rejected nor received, and assurance was given that no engagement should be made contrary to what had been agreed. amounting to 59 tons, 3 hundred, 1 quarter, 11 pounds, and 4 ounces: That by the specimens of this coinage, which had from time to time been taken from the several parcels coined, and sealed up in papers, and put into the Pix, 60 half-pence weighed 14 ounces troy, and 18 penny-weights, which is about a quarter of an ounce above one pound weight averdupois; and 30 farthings weighed 3 ounces and 3 quarters of an ounce troy, and 46 grains; The king, having been informed that his subjects in Ireland were in want of small money, made a contract with William Wood, to furnish that kingdom with copper halfpence and far-which is also above the weight required by the things. The copper was to be of such fineness, and the money of such a weight, as agreed upon in the patent granted for that purpose. When this money came to be circulated in Ireland, great clamour was raised against it, and the parliament, which met on the 5th of September, came to these resolutions: patent: That both half-pence and farthings, when heated red hot, spread thin under the hammer, without cracking: That the copper, of which Mr. Wood's coinage is made, is of the same goodness and value with the copper, of which the copper money is coined in his Majesty's mint for England, and worth, in the market, about 13 pence per pound weight averdupois: That a pound of copper wrought into bars and fillets, and made fit for coinage, before brought into the mint at the Tower of London, is worth 18 pence per pound, and always costs as much, and is coined into 23 pence of copper money by tale for England. That the halfpence and farthings coined by Mr. Wood, when compared with the copper money coined for Ireland in the reigns of king Charles 2, king James 2, and king William and queen Mary, considerably exceeds them all in goodness, fine "That the importing and uttering of copper half-pence and farthings, by virtue of Wood's patent, would be prejudicial to the revenue, destructive of trade, and of dangerous consequence to the rights of the subject: That the state of the nation had been misrepresented to the king, in order to obtain the patent: That the half-pence wanted weight; and, though the terms of the patent had been complied with, there would have been a loss to the nation of 150l. per cent. That it had been always highly prejudicial to the kingdom to grant the power of coinage to private persons, and would at allness, and value of the copper, none of them times be of dangerous consequences." Addresses from both Houses, agreeable to these Resolutions, were transinitted to the king, who, in Answer to the Commons, said, He was very much concerned, that his granting the patent for coining of half-pence and farthings, agreeable to the practice of his royal predecessors, had given so much uneasiness to the House of Commons; and, if there had been any abuses committed by the patentee, his Majesty would give the necessary orders for inquiring into, and punishing those abuses, and do every thing, that was in his power, for the satisfaction of his people. Pursuant to this answer (for which the Commons returned an Address of Thanks) the affair was referred to the lords of the privy-council in England, by whom a report of it was drawn up in July the next year. In this Report they justified the conduct of the patentee, and observed that, his Majesty having ordered that an essay should be made of the fineness, value, and weight of Mr. Wood's copper money, and the goodness thereof, compared with the former coinages of copper money for Ireland, and the copper money coined in his mint in England, it had been accordingly referred to sir Isaac Newton, Mr. Southwell, and Mr. Scroope, to make the assay and trial; and it appeared, That the Pix of the copper-monies coined at Bristol by Mr. Wood for Ireland, containing the trial pieces, which was sealed and locked up at the time of coining, was opened at his Majesty's mint at the Tower: That the comptroller's account of the quantities of half-pence and farthings coined, agreed with Mr. Wood's account, VOL. VIII. bearing the fire so well, not being malleable, wasting very much in the fire, and great part of them burning into a cinder of little or no value at all. The fact being thus proved to be on the side of Mr. Wood, the lords Committees shew, that his Majesty's royal predecessors always exercised the undoubted prerogative of granting patents for copper coinage in Ireland to private persons, none of which patents were équally beneficial to that kingdom, nor so well guarded with proper covenants and condition's for the due execution of the powers thereby granted, as this of Mr. Wood, though the validity of these patents, and a due compliance with them, was never in any one instance till this time disputed or controverted. They then prove, that Mr. Wood's patent was not, as had been suggested in Ireland, obtained clandestinely, in an unprecedented manner, but after a reference to the attorney and solicitor-general, and after sir Isaac Newton had been consulted in all the steps of settling it. In the last place they made it plainly appear by a cloud of witnesses, that there was a real want of small money in Ireland, to make small payments. But, Mr. Wood having, in compliance with the clamour industriously raised against his coinage, proposed to reduce his coinage from 100,000l. to 40,000l. value, it was thought fit to accept of it, and to send directions to Ireland accordingly. On the 10th of October died earl Cowper, eminent for his integrity in the discharge of the office of lord chancellor, which he had twice filled. There may have been chancellors of more extensive learning, but none of more 2 B knowledge in the laws of England. His judgment was quick, and yet solid. His eloquence manly, but flowing. His manner graceful and noble. The King was still at Hanover, when he heard of the duke of Orleans' 'death, who, under the title of prime minister, governed France as absolutely as he had done during the minority of Lewis 15. King George was much concerned at the news: The mutual esteem they had for each other, their circumstances and interests, which were not unlike, begot a firm friendship between them, whereof they gave on all occasions the most effectual proofs. The -duke died of an apoplexy in the 50th year of his age, and according to his desire, before his decease, the duke of Bourbon was nominated prime minister. As the death of the duke of Orleans might occasion great alterations, and as it was uncertain whether the new minister would enter into the views of his predecessor, the King hastened his return to England. Being detained by contrary winds some days in Holland, he received there assurances, from the part of France, of the good disposition of that court, to cultivate, and even improve, the union established by the late.duke of Orleans, between the two states. The King came to London the 19th of December. it "On the 5th of Dec. Lord Townshend wrote the following Letter to Mr. Robert Walpole: "Dear Sir; Hanover, Dec. 5, 1723. "I believe you will be surprized at the King's having taken the resolution to set out for England on the 16th of this month, N. S. for which reason it will be proper for me to acquaint you in what manner that affair has passed. While the King was at the Gohrde, being unwilling to interrupt his good humour, with proposing any thing so disagreeable, as I apprehended a speedy return to England might be, I ventured no further, than to give him in a paper, stating the times on which the moon-light nights fell. But upon his coming back to this place, I found the universal bent of the Germans strong for keeping him here, till the full moon of the 10th January, N. S. and fearing lest any accident of contrary winds or frosts might detain him so long in Holland, that the parliament (allowing the necessary time for summoning it, and for concerting the operations of the session) might not be able to meet before February; I thought it my duty to lay before his Majesty, the possible inconvenience that might arise from his delaying his journey so long, which I chose to reduce to writing, in the form you will see in the inclosed. This letter, far from causing any uneasiness, as I apprehended, had so good an effect, that the King, without saying any thing to me, sent for the marechal the next day, and ordered him to make the necessary dispositions for his beginning the journey on the 16th instant, N. S. I am sensible you will think the 10th of SECOND SESSION OF THE SIXTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. January 9, 1724. The Parliament being met, The King's Speech on Opening the Session.] the King went to the House of Peers, and the Commons attending, the Lord Chancellor read his Majesty's Speech to both Houses, as fol lows: My Lords and Gentlemen, "I cannot open this session, without congratulating you upon the success of your endeavours, last year, for the safety, interest, and honour of the kingdom: The rise of public credit, the flourishing condition of our trade and manufactures, and the general tranquillity of my people, are the happy consequences of your prudent resolutions. It is to be hoped, that the few examples, which were made of some notorious offenders, will be sufficient to deter the most disaffected from engaging in the like desperate and wicked practices. The aug mentation you thought fit to make to our national forces, by sea and land, has not only secured the general quiet of the kingdom, against any sudden attempts, or insurrections, but has also given me such weight and credit in all foreign negociations, as greatly contribute toJanuary, O. S. somewhat of the earliest for bringing the Parliament together after the holydays; but it is his Majesty's present intention, they should meet to do business on the 9th; and I beg you would suspend your judg ment on this resolution, till I have an oppor tunity to acquaint you with the reasons, which made so early a day appear advisable. I hope this good may at least be expected from it, that the time of the Parliament's meeting being known before Christmas, will give new life to the city, and animate public credit. You will easily imagine, that the King's taking this resolution, has been highly disagreeable to the Germaus, and the more so, from their having no notice or participation in it. But I never saw any one more overjoyed than the duchess upon this occasion; and if I had had any other view besides the King's service, I could not have made my court more effectually with her, than by this step. The only objection and clamour which the most discontented on this side pretend to raise is, that we hazard his Majesty's person too much, by proposing to undertake the voyage so long after the full moon, when the former part of the night is entirely dark. But besides, that his Majesty did once before set out some days after the full moon, and that he is always liable to be detained by contrary winds, till part of the moon is spent, his Ma jesty himself told me, when I gave him the paper on that subject at the Gohrde, that he had no regard to the moonlight nights. "His Majesty desires you would take care, that there may be as little concourse of noisy attendants at his landing, or on the road to |