1681. and Preferments of the Clergy, in the Power of fome So- Anno 32 Car. II, ciety of Men, it will be impoffible to fecure our Religion against that Omnipotency which accompanies a Crown, if the Prince that wears it be refolved to affift this powerful Faction. Therefore, Sir, we muft either give up our Religion as loft, or obtain this Bill in order to it. I am for the Vote that hath been propofed." • Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is impoffible we fhould remove Sir R, the imminent Dangers impendent on this Nation, unless we can prevail with the King to forbear taking Advice with private Cabals; and inftead thereof, to be advised by his Privy Council, and Parliaments. This indeed is the great Dispute that is now afoot; and unless we can prevail herein, all that we are about fignifies nothing. And therefore, I think, we may do well to be plain in this with the King; and as we muft not be afraid of giving him fuch Advice as is for his Advantage, fo neither of giving him Affurances of our readiness to fupply him with Money, and what else he may need, that fo he may know we are as willing to trust him, as we are defirous he fhould be to trust us. For unless there can be a mutual Confidence created between the King and his People, that fo they may freely, heartily, and without any Sufpicion truft one the other, it is impoffible that this Nation can ever be happy, but muft either languish, as if it were in a Confumption, or ftrike into a Fever. The King being a Proteftant, and for the Proteftant Religion, the Duke being a Papift, and for the Popish Religion, are Interefts irreconcileable, and have already given a great deal of Care and Trouble to the King. And I am afraid, that thofe who promote the Duke's Intereft, are more for the Advantage of a Popifh Succeffor, than of the prefent Proteftant King. Which Mifchiefs can never be removed as long as there is fuch a Succeffor. And therefore I am for the Votes that have been propofed.' Refolved, That it is the Opinion of this Houfe, that there Refolutions ais no fecurity nor fafety for the Proteftant Religion, the gainft the D. of King's Life, or Government of this Nation, without paf York. fing a Bill, for difabling James Duke of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm, and Dominions, and Territories thereunto belonging; and to rely upon any other Means and Remedies without fuch a Bill, is not only infufficient, but dangerous. Refolved, That His Majefty, in his laft Meffage, having affured this Houfe of his readiness to concur in all other Means for the Prefervation of the Proteftant Religion, this Houfe doth declare, that until a Bill be likewife paffed for excluding the Duke of York, this Houfe cannot give any Supply to His Majefty, without Danger to His Majefty's Perfon, Anno ya Car. II. Perfon, extreme Hazard of the Proteftant Religion, and Unfaithfulness to thofe by whom this Houfe is entrusted. 1681. And feveral others, Refolved, That all Perfons who advis'd His Majefty, in his laft Meffage to this Houfe, to perfift in his Opinion against the Bill for excluding the Duke of York, have given pernicious Counfels to His Majefty, and are Promoters of Popery, and Enemies to the King and Kingdom. After this, feveral Perfons being named for giving ill Advice to His Majefty, and Motions feconded with Arguments, that Addreffes might be made, grounded on common Fame, for their removal; the Houfe entred into a long Debate, touching the meaning of common Fame, the Ufage, Cuftom, and Confequences of fuch Addresses in reference to the Government; and it did appear, that it was an ancient Right, and conftant Practice of the Commons affembled in Parliament, to make Addreffes to the King, grounded on common Fame, or moral Certainty, for removal of fuch Counsellors or Officers, as they thought were pernicious to the Government. And that it was the only way to reach great Minifters of State that gave evil Counsel, and to fecure the Government against the Dangers arifing from fuch, whơ would otherways, by giving Advice to the King in private, be fecure agamft all manner of Proceedings against them, and fo the Government might be ruined without any Remes dy; that there was now as great occafion as ever in former Times, of making ufe of this only Remedy, the Influence of Popish Counfels having reduced the Nation, not only to the Mercy of the Popish Party at home, but of a foreign Nation; the Dangers whereof could never be prevented, but by establishing fuch a mutual Confidence between the King and his People, as might give Encouragement for the railing of a confiderable Sum of Money to be employed for that End; which was never like to be done, until there were about the King's Perfon, and in Places of Truft and Power, Perfons more inclined to the Intereft of the King and Pro teftant Religion, and lefs to that of the Duke and Popery. Because the fame Jealoufies which this Parliament had, (un lefs the Cause were removed) would probably be alfo an Impediment with the next; that there could be no Security, it would be employed for that End, as long as the Duke's Party were fo powerful: And that the giving of Money, as long as Things ftand thus, would be a great Encouragement to that Party to go on with their Plot against the King's Life. But this Debate being after Candle-light, could not be taken: The Refult was, that feveral Addreffes were voted against George Earl of Hallifax, Laurence Hyde Efq; Henry Marquifs of Worcester, Henry Earl of Clarendon, and Lewis Earl of Feverfham Afe: 1681. After which, the Houfe entered into a Debate of the great Anno 32 Car.ÍÍ. Charge the Kingdom was at, by Intereft and advance Money paid to Goldfmiths and others. And after many Arguments, making out, that by Parliaments the King might be fupplied, as well with the Love of his People, as with Money for the neceffary Support of the Government, and other Oc cafions; and that this Parliament had by feveral Addresses declar'd themselves ready to do it, upon paffing of fuch Bills as were precisely neceffary for the Security of the Proteftant Religion, and that all other ways of fupplying the King's Occafions, but what were granted in Parliament, did not only tend to the keeping off Parliaments, and to the exhaufting of the public Treafury, by contracting Debts, but were of dangerous Confequence to the King and Kingdom, because the Government might be undermined thereby. Refolved, That whoever fhall hereafter lend or cause to be Refolutions 24 lent, by way of Advance, any Money upon the Branches of gainst such as the King's Revenue arifing by Cuftom, Excife, or Hearth- fhall lend Mo Money, fhall be judged a Hinderer of the fitting of Parlia- ney to the ments, and be refponfible for the fame in Parliament. Refolved, That whofoever fhall accept or buy any Tally, or Anticipation upon any part of the King's Revenue; or whoever fhall pay fuch Tally hereafter to be ftruck, fhall be adjudged to hinder the fitting of Parliaments, and be refponfible therefore in Parliament. Crown. Farther Refolu Jan. 10. Refolved, That whoever advis'd His Majefty to prorogue this Parliament, to no other purpofe than to prevent tions. the paffing a Bill for the Exclufion of James Duke of York, is a Betrayer of the King, the Proteftant Religion, and of the Kingdom of England; a Promoter of the French Intereft, and a Penfioner to France. That the Thanks of this Houfe be given to the City of London, for their manifeft Loyalty to the King, their late Charge of Vigilancy for the Prefervation of His Majefty's Perfon, and of the Proteftant Religion. That the Commiffioners of the Čuftoms and other Officers of the Custom-Houfe, have wilfully broken the Law prohibiting the Importation of French Wines, and other Commodities: And that if they fhall hereafter, wilfully or negligently break that Law, they fhall be queftion'd therefore in Parliament. That it is the Opinion of this Houfe, that James Duke of Monmouth hath been removed from his Offices and Commands, by the Influence of the Duke of York. That an humble Application be made to His Majefty by this Houfe, by fuch Members thereof, as are of His Majesty's moft Honourable Privy Council, to reftore the faid James Duke of Monmouth to his Offices and Commands TOME II. That Anno 32 Car. II. 1681. That it is the opinion of this Houfe, that the Prefentation of the Proteftant Diffenters upon the Penal Laws is at this time grievous to the Subject, and a weakening to the Proteftant Intereft, and an Encouragement to Popery, and dangerous to the Peace of this Kingdom. The fame day the King came to the Houfe of Peers, and fign'd two Acts, for the burying in Woollen, and prohibit ing the Importation of Irish Cattle, and prorogu'd the Par liament to the 20th of January; but diffolv'd it on the 18th, leaving 22 Bills depending, and 8 more that were ordered to be brought in, but never came to be debated. The Prorogation of the laft Parliament being attended with fome very extraordinary Confequences, we cannot avoid laying fome of the principal before our Readers, as the most proper Introduction to the Meeting of the next; viz. January the 13th, the Lord-Mayor of London Sir Patience Ward, with a Court of Common-Council, order'd a Petition to be London Petition. drawn up, and prefented to the King, fetting forth, That whereas the Parliament had convicted one of the five Popish Lords in the Tower, and were about to convict the other four of High-Treafon; that they had impeach'd the Chief Juftice Scroggs, and were about to impeach other Judges; and all this in order to the Prefervation of his Majesty's Life, the Proteftant Religion, and the Government of Eng land: That they were extreamly furpriz'd to fee the Parliament prorogu'd in the Height of their Bufinefs: That their only Hopes were, that this was done only in order to bring fuch Affairs about again as were neceffary to the fettling the Nation. They therefore pray'd, that his Majefty would be: pleas'd to let the Parliament fit at the Day appointed, and fo continue till they had effected all the great Affairs before them. To this effect was the Petition, which was further order'd to be deliver'd that Night, or as foon as might be, by the Lord-Mayor, attended by the new Recorder George Treby, Efquire, and certain Members of the Court of Al dermen, and Common-Council. But this farther provok'd the King, and haftened his Refolution of finally parting The Diffolution with his Parliament. Accordingly, two Days before the of the Fourth Time of their Meeting, he by Proclamation diffolv'd the prefent Parliament: And in the fame Proclamation, he declared his Intentions of calling another Parliament to meet on the 21ft Day of March next. But being offended at the City of London, and hoping to meet with better Success by a Removal, he appointed Oxford to be the Place of their Meeting, where he had formerly, in the Year 1665, found: the mot imaginable Harmony in and between both. Houses. Parliament. New Writs. When ་ 1681. When the Elections came on, the Temper of the Nation Anno 33Car.II. was foon discover'd by their Choice; both Parties were extremely bufy; and the City of London fet the firft Example to the reft of the Kingdom by returning their old Members Clayton, Player, Pilkington and Love; to whom, as foon as the Election was over, an extraordinary Paper was prefented in the Name of the Citizens of London then affembled in Common-Hall, containing, A Return of their most hearty London Inftruc Thanks for their faithful and unwearied Endeavours, in the tions to their two laft Parliaments, to fearch into and difcover the Depth Members. of the Popish Plot, to preferve his Majefty's Royal Perfon, the Proteftant Religion, and the well-eftablifh'd Government of this Realm, to fecure the Meeting and Sitting of frequent Parliaments, to affert our undoubted Rights of petitioning, and to punish fuch as have betray'd thofe Rights, to promote the long with'd-for Union of his Majefty's Proteffant Subjects, to repeal the thirty-fifth of Elizabeth, and the Corporation-Act; and more efpecially for their affiduous Endeavours in promoting the Bill of Exclufion of James Duke of York. In fine, they concluded, That being confidently affur'd, that they, the faid Members for the City will never confent to the Granting any Money-Supply, till they have effectually fecured them against Popery and Arbitrary Power, they refolv'd, by God's Affiftance, to ftand by their faid Members, with their Lives and Fortunes. In the like manner were the former Members of Parliament again chofen, in moft Places in the Kingdom; and in many, fuch like Papers of Addreffes prefented were to them, in their refpective Countries, as had been done to their Members by the Commonality of London. And the Zeal was now fo great, that, contrary to the Cuftom of the Members treating the Country, now the Country in moft Places treated them, or at least every Man bore his own Charges. The greatest Uneafinefs and Disappointment to the prevailing Party in the Elections, was the Place of their Meeting, Oxford, the Diftance of which might naturally cause a Diminution of their Power and Influence. Therefore it was refolv'd by feveral of the Nobility to draw up a formal Petition against that Place, which was early deliver'd to the King by the Earl of Effex himself, who introdue'd it by this following Speech: May it pleafe your Majefty, The Lords The Earl of Efhere prefent, together with divers other Peers of the Realm, fex's Speech to taking notice that by your late Proclamation, your Majefty the King. had declar'd an Intention of calling a Parliament at Oxford; and observing from History and Records, how unfortunate many Affemblies have been, when call'd at a Place remote from the Capital City; as particularly the Congrefs in Henry the Second's Time at Clarendon'; Three feveral Parliaments at |
