turbances, and those are evil counsellors: be- | foreigners: but to trades you want would give cause other grievances are not namned, hopes them encouragements by freedoms; as packpeople will not think there are not more, ers of fish, gold and silver-workers, dyers and therefore moves for Thursday for Grievan-copper-makers, and would have such reserved cies.' Lord St. John. Should common fame' have weight, you would have much to do; therefore would lay it aside: as to the Bill of Popery before you, he has so great love and tenderness for the king's person, that without this bill, neither the king nor we can be safe: would have a little time to consider these things, and would have Tuesday. Sir Rob. Howard. Are you afraid of any trick being put by the Money Bill? You are masters of every day, and of what is fit to be done. Sir Tho. Meres. Does any body imagine no other business but this Bill? If there was none, it could not be before Monday: would have this debate on Monday. The Debate was adjourned to Monday by consent. The King's Message respecting a Recess.] March 24. Mr. Secretary Coventry delivered the following Message from the king: : "C. R. I am commanded by his majesty, in pursuance of his late Message, to acquaint you that his majesty intends you shall rise before Easter, and therefore expects an expedition of such Bills as are of most importance; the bill of Popery, and that of Supply particularly and for such other bills as concern either the public or particular, and cannot be so soon ready, that they may may not receive a disappointment, his maj. resolves to make this an Adjournment till the beginning of Oct. when you may continue their prosecution; in the mean time his maj. will take such care of the Protestant Religion, that you shall have no cause to complain.' from the penalties of 1 Eliz. of being indicted for not serving 7 years to a trade: many Hol landers get themselves naturalized, or denisoned, and trade here all summer, and then in winter go to Amsterdam, with what they get here: would have great care taken of that in the bill. : Mr. Boscawen. They that come in will be merchants and monied men, who will be willing to get an Act for naturalization you have more merchants already than you have trade; you want them not for more shop-keepers: you have so many natives, they eat out one another: for artisans, they may be useful to you; the greatest want of all is of them, and would have the bill for the encouragement of them. Sir John Duncombe thinks it a good bill, but to be committed, with care to be taken, if, after naturalization and the oaths, they go not away back from you, and stay neither here, nor in the Plantations: would have them taken care for to stay; if they go away, to lose their naturalization. Sir Lancelot Lake. Anciently, in matters of great weight, we went home to our country to advise with them: he would have that now done. Mr. Attorney Finch. Before commitment of the bill, would well consider, whether possibly a good bill may come out of this: naturalization makes any man equal in prilege to original birth, in the kingdom of England: it is not here as in the Roman state, when admitted a long time to the first degree, and some good distance of time before they were capable of offices: you at one blow beget so many foDebate on the Bill of General Naturaliza-reigners to be Englishmen: this Bill admits tion.] March 24. The Bill of General Naturalization was read a second time. Sir Rd. Ford. This bill exposes the great immunities of Corporations to be prostituted. Mr Sec. Coventry supposes you do not intend, by this Bill, that every gentleman shall set up what trade he pleases when he comes over: it is said, that Papists may come in by this bill; you may, to prevent that, put in ⚫ transubstantiation' for a Test: the king has been at great charge this war: it was looked upon, at the beginning of the war, to invite the Dutch; and should this bill be thrown out, you will discourage them here and send them to the French: he shall not by this bill be entertained in a town as a poor man: a Hollander told him, if we were certain of a peace, he could bring over 4000 men, much to the advantage of your cloth and other manufactures trade.' Sir George Downing. Most of our manufactures came from Holland: he is against their being freemen in corporations: if a native must come through the difficulties of 7 years apprenticeship, would not have a town filled with VOL. IV. any Protestant born under any prince or potentate; in this you make all the world merchants of England; you grow an opulent nation; that supplies your industry and luxury: lead, wool, and tin, you give them an opportunity to export: by this bill, all your Turkey trade is destroyed in a moment: he that brings. salt, is immediately entitled, by that little commodity, to trade and export your commodity; he may live cheaper than you, and truckle with the French consul in Turkey, and you shall be but factors, and stay at home: wonders that now we are naturalizing all the world, no part of the world naturalizes us: you aliens every where, and they naturalized here: if once they are at home here, where will be the distinction between the English and Dutch manufacture? Your lead, wool, and tin, are your Indies; no imposition upon them to stay here with a family; not one line to fix them, neither Oaths nor Tests: it makes them natural subjects, and, unless you otherwise provide, free of Corporations: your ancestors, in queen Elizabeth's time, knew two-thirds of England destroyed by the plague, and yet they had no thoughts of 2 P professed enemies to the Protestant religion and the English interest; and how they, mak naturalization: you will find them suck your blood: they destroy common and statute law: you make them gentry and nobility: you bringing ill use of your majesty's gracious disposition people not to make you rich, but to starve the and clemency, are, at this time, grown more poor: how comes it to pass, that you think fit insolent and presumptuous than formerly, to now to change your government, and all your the apparent danger of that kingdom and your municipal laws, and all at the charge of your majesty's Protestant subjects there; the conestates and understandings? would have many sequence whereof may likewise prove very fatal years to consider of this bill. to this your kingdom of England, if not timely prevented; and having seriously weighed what remedies may be most properly applied to these growing distempers, do, in all humility, present your majesty with these our Petitions: That, for establishing and quieting the pos sessions of your majesty's subjects in that kingdom, your maj. would be pleased to maintain the Act of Settlement, and the explanatory Act thereupon; and to recall the Commission of Enquiry into Irish affairs, bearing date the 17th of Jan. last, as containing many new and extraordinary powers, not only to the prejudice of particular persons, whose estates and titles are thereby made liable to be questioned, but in a manner to the overthrow of the said Acts of Settlement; and, if pursued, may be the occasion of great charge and attendance to many of your subjects in Ireland, and shake the peace and security of the whole kingdom: Col. Birch. It is not fully expressed, but intended, in the bill, that they should reside here: that which he admires, is, that many Turkey merchants are in the house, and they say nothing in this business; they cannot speak so well as the attorney; but he would take it ill, if they should speak in his trade as he does in theirs we had all our arms first from Germany; fustians and silks all came from abroad, ninety parts out of an hundred but if we must stick to our forefathers opinion, he is outdone: if the Scriptures be true, that a multitude of subjects is the glory of a king,' this is a good hill. Mr. Waller spoke to their coming in poor upon our poor. King James desired an union with Scotland; the parliament denied him nothing, but granted him not that; but the lawyers found out a way of the post nati: they are an alterius nos: there was no danger then; now they must either come in with stocks, or go to the house of correction: we have had plague and war, and civil war, and have peopled Ireland with 100,000 souls: 40s. a year, when he was a boy, was a good servant's wages; now in Buckinghamshire, 8l. a year, and are forced to send 30 miles for reapers, and fellers of wood: we labour under a paucity of people certainly: no man was ever denied naturalization here, paying his fees: that which was said by the Ancients, of the vivacity of youth and wisdom of age,' [complimenting the Speaker] is in you; you want not the Fees of Naturalization bills in your fortunes, and would have a mark of honour upon you, whilst you are Speaker, for doing it.* That your maj. would give order, that no Papist be either continued or admitted to be a Commander or Soldier in that kingdom; and, because the Irish Papists have furnished themselves with great quantities of arms, that your maj. would please to give directions so to disarm them, that they may not be dangerous to the government there, and that their arms be brought into the public magazines:-That the like order may be given, that no Papist be either continued, or hereafter admitted to be judges, justices of the peace, sheriffs, coroners, mayors, sovereigns, or portreves in that kingdom-That the titular popish abps. bishops, vicars-general, abbots, and all others exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, by the Pope's authority, and, in particular, Peter Talbot, pretended abp. of Dublin, for his notorious disloyalty to your majesty, and disobedience and contempt of your laws, may be commanded, by proclamation, forthwith to de part out of Ireland, and all other your majesty's dominions, or otherwise to be prosecuted according to law; and that all convents, semiThe Commons' Address on Grievances in Ire-naries, and public Popish schools, may be disland.] March 25, p. m. Mr. Powle reported from the Committee the Address to the King concerning the Irish Grievances, which was agreed to, and is as follows: Mr. Vaughan remembers not the reason of the post nati, but thinks it because under our allegiance is against reading the bill again; the most destructive thing in the world to your interest and government. The Bill was committed, in the afternoon, 108 to 61. "We your majesty's most loyal subjects, the commons in this present parliament assembled, taking into consideration the great calamities which have formerly befallen your majesty's kingdom of Ireland, from the Popish Recusants there, who, for the most part, are Alluding to the Speaker's giving all his Fees of private Bills to the Poor of St. Giles's parish, in which he lived." Grey. solved and suppressed, and the regular priests commanded to depart, under the like penalty: -That no Irish Papists he admitted to inhabit in any corporation of that kingdom, unless duly licensed, according to the aforesaid Acts of Settlement; and that your maj. would be pleased to recall your Letters of the 26th of Feb. 1671, and your Proclamation thereupon, whereby general licence is given to such Pas pists to inhabit in Corporations there.-That your majesty's Letter of the 28th of Sept. 1672, and the Order of Council thereupon, whereby your majesty's subjects are required not to prosecute any actions against the Irish, for any subjects, we do humbly present it, as our Petition and Advice, that, when this present war is ended, all the soldiers which have been raised since the last session of parliament may be disbanded.-That your maj. would likewise be pleased to consider of the irregularities and abuses of pressing soldiers, and to give order for the prevention thereof for the future. And although it hath been the course of former parliaments to desire redress in their Grievances, before they proceeded to give a Supply, yet we have so full assurance of your majesty's tenderness and compassion towards your people, that we humbly prostrate ourselves at your majesty's feet with these our Petitions; desiring your majesty to take them into your princely consideration, and to give such order for relief of the subjects, and the removing these pressures, as shall seem best to your royal wisdom *.' wrongs or injuries committed during the late Resolved, "That the Addresses be presented to his majesty; and that those members of the council that are of the house, be desired, know his majesty's pleasure, when this house shall attend him with the Addresses concerning Grievances." The King's Answer] March 26. His maThe Commons Address on Grievances in jesty's Answer to the Address of Grievances, England.] Mr. Powle also reported the follow-was reported by the Speaker: ing Address to the King, about Grievances in England; which was also agreed to : "We your majesty's most loyal subjects, the commons in this present parliament assembled, conceiving ourselves bound in necessary duty to your majesty, and in discharge of the trust reposed in us, truly to inform your maj. of the estate of this your kingdom; and, though we are abundantly satisfied, that it hath always been your royal will and pleasure, that your subjects should be governed according to the laws and customs of this realm; yet finding, that, contrary to your majesty's gracious intentions, some Grievances and abuses are crept in; we crave leave humbly to represent to your majesty's knowledge, and to desire,That the imposition of 12d. per chaldron upon coals, for the providing of convoys, by virtue of an Order of Council, dated the 15th of May, 1672, may be recalled, and all bonds, taken by virtue thereof, cancelled.-That your majesty's Proclamation of the 4th of Dec. 1672, for prevention of disorders which may be committed by soldiers; and whereby the soldiers, now in your majesty's service, are, in a manner, exempted from the ordinary course of justice, may likewise be recalled. And whereas great complaints have been made, out of several parts of this kingdom, of divers abuses committed in quartering of soldiers, That your maj. would be pleased to give order to redress those abuses, and, in particular, that no soldiers be hereafter quartered upon any private houses; and that due satisfaction may be given to the innkeepers and victuallers where they lie, before they remove. And, since the continuance of soldiers in this realm will necessarily produce many inconveniences to your majesty's "That he observed the Address did consist of many different parts; and therefore it could not be expected there should be a present Answer; but for the several particular things contained in it, he would, before the next meeting, take such care, that no man should have reason to complain." Ordered, "That the Thanks of this house be returned to his majesty, for the often accesses they have been admitted to his majes ty's person, and for his most gracious Answer to the several Addresses of this house; and, "It is worthy observation, that the grand points of the irregular Writs,' the War,' the Alliance with France;' and the shutting up of the Exchequer instead of applying for the advice and assistance of parliament," are not so much as mentioned in this Address: and that in the introduction to these articles are many tender expressions. Now, supposing it was necessary, for decency's sake, to presume, that the king was ignorant of mea sures transacted in his own name, and well disposed to govern as he ought, it could not be presumed that these measures had no author nor adviser; and that these abuses and grievances had crept in by chance: notwithstanding which, instead of tracing the evil to its source, and making a wholesome example of the wicked ministers, who had so notoriously misled his majesty, and aggrieved and endan gered his people, they suffered An Act of Grace,' (which was so worded, as to contain an absolute pardon of every offence against the state before the 25th of March, 1673) to be brought in, and passed; which put them out of the reach of justice for ever." Ralph. particularly, for his last gracious Message, and, for the care he hath declared he will take of the Protestant Religion." Debate on printing the Addresses on Gricoances.] March 29. Mr. Thomas moved to have the Addresses concerning Grievances, and the king's Answer, printed. Sir John Mallet. Divers Grievances have been by soldiers since the Address, and it is fit the people should have notice of it. Mr. Sec. Coventry. You will show your complaints to the king of Grievances, but not his Answer, for the king has not yet published any thing relating to it: you have no power to print it. Sir Tho. Meres. He will not say you have power to print the king's Speech, but we have power to print our own Address; there are many instances this parliament, and it may be of great use. Mr. Sec. Coventry. By the act of printing, you cannot print. Sir Tho. Meres. Since that act, sir Edward Turner, late Speaker, has appointed things to be printed several times. Sir The. Clarges will not dispute whether we have power or no; it is a kind of appeal to the people; but printing this will much heighten and increase the love of the people to the king: would have the privy counsellors of the house desire his maj. to cause them to be. printed. Mr. Harwood stands up to second the motion. Some inconveniences have lately been by suldiers you have had a member lately rob bed (Mr. Wharton) by persous like soldiers, armed and horsed; his motion is no more than to keep the people quiet: thinks it a reasonable motion, and would have the king moved in it. Sir R. Temple. You would not let your transactions be printed in news-books; you have decried this printing, begun in the Long Parliament, as of ill consequence; let these things, like appeals to the people, be avoided. Sir Tho. Lee. The motion is far from an appeal to the people; this is only, that the king having given us a gracious Answer, you publish it. To what intent? It will be a means to prevent farther mischief; the people may address the king for remedy for the future. Mr. Sec. Coventry. To print this, as if it were a statute or a law, will look like remonstrating; the Long Parliament was condemned for it. Col. Birch. The question is not your directing it to be printed, but desiring the king to cause it to be printed. If this were printed, it would end many disputes in the country about quartering of soldiers. Sir Rob. Carr. What can this printing be but a mistrust of the king, that he will not do what he has promised? No doubt but the king will do it as effectually as he has pro inised. Mr. Vaughan. These are good objections, if the house was to order it to be printed; but we do no more appeal to 'the people by this than by publishing a law: it is to publish his majesty's gracious favour to his people. Mr. Cheney. For the ill consequence that hath been made of it, and may be of this, would not have it printed. Sir Rob. Howard. The first motion is out of doors by the Act of printing: as for the next motion, printed things are always the best speakers to the people to what end should the people think you do this? Mr. Swynfn. It has been debated long, and you cannot rise without a question: as he cannot think the Address improper, or the king's Answer such as you cannot rest upon as satisfactory, therefore he is clear for moving the king to have it printed: it is said this is but an Address of this house to the king.' Your usual course is, when your Grievances are not redressed, to have recourse to the lords for a law: in regard you have waved all other ways, and taken this, it is most reasonable to have it printed, that a countryman may have something to show. Sir Tho. Lee. If you will adjourn now, adjourn the debate likewise to the next session, and let it be upon your books. The House divided even upon the Question, 105 to 105: the Speaker had the casting voice, and gave it for adjourning.* : Adjournment.] March 29. p. m. Sir Tho. Meres reported, from the Conference had with the lords, upon the Amendments of this house, to the amendments and provisoes by them sent to the Bill for Ease of his majesty's subjects Dissenters from the Church of England; those Amendments which the lords insist on; of those sent from them; and those they do agree in; with the Amendments from this house which he read; and delivered in at the table.-The Lords insisting on their first Amendment, the question being put for candles, upon division of the house 75 were for candles, and 136 against candles. Those that were for candles, were for prolonging the debate, that the black rod might call them up to the house of lords before they had voted, 'ad here;' and though divers motions were made for adjourning the debate till next session, yet no question could be put, the black rod knocking at the door. After passing several Bills, the king made the following short Speech: "My lords and gentlemen; I thank you very kindly for the Supply you have given me; and, that you may see how kindly I take it, I have given to my subjects a General Pardon, which I have made as large as ever was granted by any of iny predecessors. What you have now left undone, I hope you will finish at your next meeting; and so you may adjourn yourselves to the 20th day of Oct. next."-The house was then adjourned by his majesty's de And jestingly said "He would have his reason for his judgment recorded, viz. because he was very hungry." Grey. sire to Oct. 20.* And so ended this session, ELEVENTH SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIA on Easter Eve, at 9 of the clock at night. The Parliament prorogued.] Oct. 20, 1673. The parliament met according to adjournment, and immediately voted "That an Address be made to his majesty, by such members of the house as are of his majesty's privy council, to acquaint his majesty, that it is the humble desire of this house, that the intended Marriage of his royal highness with the princess of Modena be not consummated; and that he may not be married to any person but of the Protestant Religion."t-Upon which, the king immediately prorogued the parliament to the 27th. MENT. The King's Speech on opening the Session.] Oct. 29. The king opened the Session with the following Speech to both houses: "My Lords and Gentlemen; I thought this day to have welcomed you with an honourable Peace; my preparations for the War and condescensions at the Treaty gave me great reason to believe so: but the Dutch have disappointed me in that expectation, and have treated my ambassadors at Cologne with the contempt of conquerors, and not as might be expected from men in their condition. They have other thoughts than peace.-This obligeth me to move you again for a Supply, the safety and honour of the nation necessarily rethe occasion; and I must tell you besides, that if I have it not speedily, the mischief will be irreparable in my preparations for the next spring. The great experience I have had of you, gentlemen of the h. of commons, will not suffer me to believe, that the artifices of our enemies can possibly divert you from giving me this Supply, or that you can fail of adjusting the proportion of it.-I hope I need not use many words to persuade you that I am steady in maintaining all the professions and promises I have made you concerning Religion and Property; and I shall be very ready to give you fresh instances of my zeal for preserving the Established Religion and laws, as often as any occasion shall require. In the last place, I am highly concerned to commend to your consideration and care the Debt I owe the Goldsmiths, in which very many other of my good subjects are involved. I heartily recommend their con dition to you, and desire your assistance for their relief. There is more that I would have you informed of, which I leave to the Chancellor."* * The king came to the house of lords, before the Bill for Ease of Dissenters, and some others, could be fixed, and, besides the Money-quiring it: it must be one proportionable to Bill (which passed under the title of A Supply of his majesty's extraordinary Occasions') and the Popery Bill commonly called The Test Act,' passed 8 public Acts. "Thus ended," says Burnet, "this memorable Session. It was, indeed, much the best session of that Long Parliament. The Church Party showed a noble zeal for their religion; and the dissenters got great reputation by their silent deportment."-In consequence of the Test Act, the duke of York himself, who was lord high admiral of England, and the lord treasurer Clifford, both laid down their places. The latter is said to have been so much disgusted at the king's passing that Bill, and some other condescensions, that he retired, and died in privacy and discontent, in Devonshire. Sir Tho. Os borne succeeded him as Treasurer, being created lord visc. Dumblain and Earl of Danby, &c. "In the former session it was known, that the duke was treating a Marriage with the archduchess of Inspruck; but the empress happening to die at that time, the emperor himself married her, and yet no Address was made to the king to hinder his marrying a Papist. His honour was not then engaged; so it had been seasonable and to good purpose, to have moved in it then: but now he was married by proxy, and lord Peterborough had brought the lady to Paris. Yet the house of commons resolved to make an Address to the king, to stop the princess of Modena's coming to England, till she should change her religion. Upon this, the duke moved the king to prorogue the parliament for a week, and a commission was ordered for it. The duke went to the house on that day, to press the calling up the commons, before they could have time to go on to business. Some peers were to be brought in the duke pressed lord Shaftesbury to put that off, and to prorogue the parliament. He said coldly to him, there was no haste:' but the commons made more haste; for they quickly came to a Vote for stopping the Marriage, and by this means they were engaged (having put such an affront on the duke) to proceed farther." Burnet. The Lord Chancellor Shaftsbury's Speech.] Then the Lord Chancellor, going to his majesty, received directions from him, and made the Speech following: "My lords; and you the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the house of commous; His maj. had reason to expect that he should have met you with the olive branch of Peace: his naval preparations, greater than in any former years, together with the land forces he had "When the week of the prorogation was ended, the session was opened by a Speech of the king's: which had such various strains in it, that it was plain it was made by different persons. The duke told me, that lord Clarendon during his favour had penned all the king's Speeches; but that now, they were composed in the cabinet, one minister putting in one period, while another made another, so that all was not of a piece.' He told me, 'lord Arlington was almost dead with fear; but lord Shaftesbury reckoned himself gone at court, and acted inore roundly." Burnet. |