THIS Kingdom having been ever since the Years 1665 without a Par­liament, to the great discouragement and Prejudice of the Protestant and English In­terest here: It is not to be wondred, if the first Report of a Parliament, gracious­ly designed by their present Majesty's to [Page 2]be held the latter end of this Year, em­ployed the Thoughts and Discourses of all Protestants, and filled them with desires to see so good a Design put in Execution, which was expected at the Lord Lieute­nant's Arrival; his Excellency Landed on the twenty fifth day of August, and Writs were immediately issued for a Parliament to meet on the fifth of October following.

Every body began then more closely to consider and Enquire, as well what could be, as what was likely to be done in this Par­liament.

It was not doubted, but their Majesties Occasions in this Kingdom, wanted Supp [...]ies of Money, which People were generally and chearfully disposed to comply with, but the Answer of one of his Excellencies Secreta­ries to a Member of the House of Com­mons a few days before the Parliament sat, was a little unaccountable; that there were no other Bills designed to be tendered to the House this Session, but only three, viz. An Act of Recognition, an Act for Confirm­ing the Acts of Settlement and Explanation; [Page 3]and an Act declaring all Attainders, and o­ther Acts of the late Pretended Parliament, void, tho' at the same time another Gentle­man belonging to the Council, declared that other Bills would be then also tender'd, name­ly, An Act for Confirming the Articles of Limrick (the first Article of which, if con­firmed, would make Popery an Established Religion; and the sixth would deprive all Protestants of their Actions against the Papists, by whom they were Plundered, even while they lived in Peace with them) and also Money-Bills, a Member of the House of Commons (then present when this was o­penly spoken) answered, that the House would consider well of those Acts before they passed them, but the same Person re­plyed, that it would be in vain to trouble themselves about it, assuring them they were as well Debated already as was need­ful; and they had nothing else to do, but to pass them; and added, that If any Scruple was made about them, there would never again be a Parliament in Ireland.

These and such like Discourses common in Town, took off the pleasure and satisfac­tion [Page 4]People had in the hopes of an happy Issue of this Parliament.

On Wednesday the 5th. October the Par­liament being met, and the Commons sent for up to the Lords house, his Excellency was pleased to declare in his Speech; Their Majesties Command to him of calling this Par­liament immediately after his Arrival, and their goodness in restoring to this Kingdom a blessing of which it had for so many years been deprived, a Legally Constituted and Assembled Parliament, by the long Intermission of which, the English in this Kingdom had been in great danger of losing both their Religion and Liberty, and in­vited them with many grateful arguments to pass such Laws as might settle and secure them both for the future; concluding with a demand of a supply, and promise of representing their services well to their Majesties.

The Commons being returned to their House, proceeded to choose their speaker, and several of the Members having been in­formed that his Excellency wou'd be well pleased with their Choice of Sr. Richard Le­vinge their Majesties Solicitor General, the House soon came to a Resolution in it, those that were proposed for it having before (at [Page 5]his Excellencies desire) waved their own pre­tensions thereto; and both they and others who have since lain under the displeasure of the Government used their utmost endeavors in the House for effecting it; so that Sr. Rich­ard was chosen Speaker, without those heats that had been so frequent and violent in former Parliaments in Ireland.

The Speaker being chosen the Members took the Oaths & subscribed the Declaration appointed by the English Act, & then adjourn­ed to Friday the seventh, on which day his Ex­cellency had directed them to present their Speaker, they then met, but were informed that his Excellency was indisposed, and cou'd not come to the House of Lords; an Address therefore being made to him to know his further pleasure therein, he was pleased to appoint Monday the tenth for that purpose.

The House having received this Answer, a motion was made that the Members who were returned for several places might have leave in the mean time to make their Electi­on for which place they wou'd serve, and that Warrants thereupon may Issue, and se­veral [Page 6]Presidents in point were urged for it, but it was opposed, because the Speaker thought not fit to act before his approbation; to the delay of publick business almost three days.

On Monday the tenth, the Lord Lieute­nant came to the House of Lords, and appro­ved the Speaker.

The Commons being returned to their House, an Address of thanks was Immedi­ately voted to his Excellency for his Speech, and a Committee appointed to Meet the same afternoon to prepare it; and lest the time spent in preparing it shou'd be inter­preted to proceed from want of Respect, it was voted that the Members of the House that were of the Privy Council, shou'd attend his Excellency in the afternoon, and acquaint him with the said Vote, and on Thursday fol­lowing the Speaker attended by the whole House, presented the said Address.

The rest of this day, and of Tuesday the 11th. was spent in determining the Choice of Members doubly Elected, in appointing Grand Committees, and in ex­pelling a Member for betraying the Prote­stant and English Interest, which took up some time and debate in the House.

On Wednesday 12th. besides the House receiving Petitions about undue Returns, &c. the Act of Recognition, being sent down from the Lords, was thrice read, and pass'd, with a Vote, that no other Bill afterward shou'd be read more than once in a day.

Thursday the 13th. was taken up partly in receiving the Submission of the foremen­tioned expelled Member, and discharging him out of Custody; and partly in debating the Priviledge of the House about Post Let­ters: It had been first moved on the 10th. but one of the Secretaries then acquainting the House, that his Excellency wou'd take care to Issue an Order to the Postmaster for franking them; the Debate was let fall. And on the next day after, the House re­ceived [Page 8]their Letters free, having paid for them till then; but this day one of the Members informed the House, that the Order for it took place only from Tuesday the 11th. which was looked upon to make the Priviledge precarious, and wholly at the Lord Lieute­nants discretion; after some debate there­upon, and urging Presidents of the King's Messengers carrying the Members Letters free before the erection of the Post Office; It was voted for this and other Reasons, in or­der to assert the Priviledge of the House, that it was their Right to have their Letters free; which Vote at the Request of some of the Members, was afterwards ordered not to be printed.

On Friday and Saturday the 14th. & 15th. the House proceeded to take into Conside­ration that part of his Excellency's Speech, relating to a Supply for their Majesties; the first motion for it having been made, and se­conded on Friday by some of them, who have since born the marks of the Govern­ments Displeasure.

One of the Secretaries laid before the House an imperfect State of the Revenue for the ensuing Year, and Copies affirmed of the [Page 9]Establishments Civil and Military; and in­formed them, that his Majesty (by reason of the wasted condition of this Kingdom) in­tending to remit a considerable part of the Quit and Crown Rents, a Sum of 64500 l. was necessary to supply the Deficiencies of the Revenue for a year, beginning the 25th. March, 1693.

The granting of a Supply hereupon came to be fully debated; the great Poverty of the Kingdom in almost all the parts thereof, and the vast quantities of Land untenanted, and absolutely waste, and the inability of most persons to pay even the standing Revenue of the Quit Rent was represented; as like­wise the great Obligations both of Duty and Gratitude which this Kingdom lay un­der to their Majesties, and the grateful sense which they ought to have of the vast expence of Blood and Treasure England has already been at, were recognized and urged with their due Weight. And it was Resolved, That nothing less than absolute necessity shou'd make this Kingdom a Charge to England: Upon the whole matter, the House came to this unanimous Vote, That a Sum not ex­ceeding 70000 l. should be given as a Supply to their Majesties.

On Monday the 17th. the House received some Reports from the Committee of Pri­viledges, concerning Burroughs newly erect­ed by King Charles II. which never sent Members to Parliament before this Session.

But this being recommitted, the House fell upon debate about another Member ac­cused for Crimes of like nature with the former; who on Saturday following being fully heard with his Witnesses at the Bar, was also expelled.

On Tuesday the 18th. part of the Esta­blishment was read in the Committee of the whole House, for considering of the Supply, as also the remaining part thereof on the Monday following; the Exceptions made a­gainst both, were waved.

At this time several Committees did with great Application enquire into the Embezel­ments of the forfeited Lands and Goods, which as yet had yielded nothing in pro­portion to what it was supposed they might. The Members very well knew, that both real and personal Estates, to a considerable value, had been seized in their Respective Counties, and were witnesses of the foul Practices that had been used in the managing [Page 11]and disposal of them: They knew also, that their Majesties Revenue wou'd be made more considerable for the future, by detect­ing and punishing the past Mismanagements and Frauds. And accordingly the House came to a Vote on Thursday the 20th. (Wed­nesday being the Monthly Fast) that it was a great breach of Trust, and a Grievance, for any intrusted with the management of their Majesties Revenue, to take to Farm a­ny of the forfeited Interests.

Several things of this kind being proved to be done by William C—d, Esq (one of the late Commissioners of the Revenue) be­fore the Committee of Grievances (as also great Quantities of Goods, and Stock, by him seized and unaccounted for;) he insisted on Priviledge as a Member of the House of Com­mons of England; whereof the House being informed, thought fit to proceed only in tak­ing Examinations touching matter of Fail; but wou'd not oblige him to any defence after his insisting on his Priviledge.

The House also agreed to another Report from the said Committee, that the continu­ing Papists in the Army, or suffering them to have serviceable Horses or Arms, was at this [Page 12]juncture of dangerous Consequence to this Kingdom; and Voted an Address hereupon for Remedy thereof: And being inform­ed that his Excellency had caused divers su­spected Persons to be apprehended, and se­veral Troops to be sent down to suppress some Irish who were out in Arms, voted their humble Thanks to be presented to him.

On Friday the 21st. a Bill for confirming the Acts of Settlement and Explanation, which had been brought in on the 12th. and had been twice read, was, according to the Or­der of the day, debated in a Committee of the whole House; it is certain, there could hardly have come a Bill to the Commons of this Kingdom with a more welcome Title than this; four parts in five of them having Estates dependant on the Acts of Settlement, &c. and therefore it will be much wondred that it should occasion any matter of Debate to them; but upon considering thereof, they cou'd not find one line in the whole Bill, which they could allow of, neither was there one word offer'd in defence thereof; but they declared it to be a Bill of such pernici­ous Contexture as instead of confirming, it wou'd have unsettled the greatest part of the [Page 13]Estates of this Kingdom; and several of the Members cou'd not avoid being possessed with Jealousies, that such a Bill shou'd be tender'd them.

On Saturday the 22d. the Lord Lieu­tenant signify'd in a Message to the House, that this Session wou'd not continue above a fortnight longer, and therefore re­commended the speedy Proceeding on such Bills as were, or shou'd be brought before them; upon which they voted, that no more private Petitions shou'd be received.

On Monday the 24th. a Bill (which had been brought in on the 18th.) for declaring all Attainders, and other Acts made in the late pretended Parliament void, was read the first time; the Title of this was no less specious, than that for confirming the Act of Settle­ment, &c. but the House found it for their Majesties Service, and the Honour of the Protestants of Ireland, to preserve the Re­cords of the Irish Barbarity; which they cou'd not do without rejecting this Bill, because it requir'd the said Records to be taken off the File.

Then they proceeded in a Committee of [Page 14]the whole House, to consider of ways to raise the Sum voted for a Supply.

Two Mony Bills had been sent to the House on Saturday the 22d. which were transmit­ted from England under the Great Seal there; the Constitution of this Kingdom (since Poyning's Act, 10th. H. 7.) requiring, that all Bills shou'd be so transmitted before they are passed into Laws here. One of those Bills was for an Additional Excise; and the other for a Tax upon Corn: These were ordered by the House to be laid on the Table, and not to be read till some Expedient might be found, for a Difficulty that arose upon the bringing in these Bills.

It has always been conceived the Origi­nal Right of the Commons, that Mony Bills should take their Rise in their House, & that as well the Quantum, as the method of raising it, should be determined by them; the House lookt upon this to be their inherent Funda­mental Right, and that the same was not tak­en away by any Act of Parliament in this Kingdom; as in reason they thought none cou'd be so good Judges of the properest and easiest way of taxing the Subject, as they, and even since Poyning's Act, those Rights of [Page 15]the House are found Asserted in the Journals, on the bringing in of Mony Bills, whereof they did not prepare the Heads, and it is found to be a standing Order in the said Journals, That no Bill to Tax the Subject be brought into the House without leave of the House first obtained.

But the House considering, that their Ma­jesties Occasions required an immediate Sup­ply, and that probably, there might not be time allowed during this Session, for Bills of their own preparing to be returned from England, according to Form, they were ne­cessitated to consider how to reconcile these points.

The first Expedient thought on was this, The Additional Excise Bill, of the two, seem­ed most consistent with the State of this Kingdom to be passed into an Act; tho the House observed several Matters of just Ex­ception in it, as the inequality of Taxing dif­ferent Liquors, the Taxing of some Liquors under the notion of an Additional Duty, which had not been Taxed before, and con­tinuing the former Incertainty of Measures; to be relieved against which last, a Petition of the Brewers had been preferred, and lay up­on [Page 16]the Table, setting forth, that the Kings Du­ty had been of late (by the means of Sir James Shaen, and others, the then Farmers of the Revenue, who were likewise Commissio­ners of the Excise, and consequently Judges for their own Advantages) levyed by them of a Gallon of 217 Cubical Inches, tho for several years after the first passing the Act of Excise in this Kingdom, the measures by which the King's Officers then levyed that Duty (and by which the Brewers always have, and are now by Law obliged to sell is a Gallon of 282 Inches, proposing withal such an encrease of Duty to be made, as shou'd answer the loss the Revenue might sustain by Regulation of the Measure. This Petition and Complaint, how reasonable soever it might be in it self, was not thought fit to be taken into consideration, lest it might retard the reading and passing the said Bill.

So that Postponing this and the other Ex­ceptions, the House thought an Expedient might be found for passing this Bill as it was, by voting first an Additional Duty exactly corresponding with the said Bill in all the parts of it: And these Heads so prepared, being tender'd to the Lord Lieutenant and [Page 17]Council, to be drawn into a Bill and trans­mitted, the House might receive the Bill al­ready sent as transmitted from England, and framed on their heads: And accordingly they passed the said Vote for such Additional Excise.

On Tuesday the 25th. the House received Reports from Committees, particularly con­cerning CivilBills, as of late practiced at As­sizes, without any Foundation in Law, upon pretence of being a more expeditious and cheap way of recovering Debts and Dama­ges; Which the House voted to be Arbitrary, Illegal, and a Burthen to the Subject, and that an Address shou'd be presented to the Lord Lieutenant in Council, to prepare a Bill, which might answer what was of advan­tage in this practice, without oppressing the Subject, by giving an unlimited Power to the Judges.

Then by order of the day, the House re­solved into a Committee to consider the State of the Nation; and it being proposed, that the best means to settle this Kingdom in a lasting Happiness, wou'd be to find out the causes of its Misery. The Committee resol­ved on, and voted, (among other Reasons) these two following to be assigned for it; [Page 18]First, the great countenance given to the Irish Papists in the Reign of K. C. 2d. and their be­ing employ'd by the late King James. Se­condly, the obstruction of the course of Justice by Illegal Protections, granted since the defeat at the Boyne.

A motion was made in debate of this lat­ter, that particulars might be instanced, and the persons who granted them named, to the end their Majesties might know who they were that had so much abused their Autho­rity committed to them; but some scrup­led it, because of the great Characters they bore; and the Committee soon breaking up, this was deferred till its next Sitting, which was on the 27th. and then it was only con­cluded (the Members being willing the Speaker shou'd resume the Chair, in order to proceed on the Excise Bill) to name per­sons at the next Sitting thereof, which was appointed on the 29th. and so from day to day; but this Committee still gave place to that for considering the Supply, & no Report was ever made to the House from the said Committee; but on November the 1st. it was ordered to sit on the 4th. and nothing to intervene.

Wednesday and Thursday the 26th. & 27th. were taken up in debating other Expedients, for the difficulty mention'd on Monday, that then offer'd, not being found to answer the Ends; after several proposed, some that were moved by Members, who had pressed the Reading of the Bill, and were sup­po [...]ed to speak what was Agreeable to the Government, took place, which were to assert the Priviledges of the House by a Vote, to read the Excise Bill in order to pass it, and reject the Corn Bill: Accordingly this Excise Bill was thus read, and so successively every day till it was passed.

On Friday the 28th. the Corn Bill, accor­ding to the former Expedient, was rejected, and the reason given, because it had not its Rise in the House of Commons.

The House then Resolved it self into a Committee, and proceeded to consider fur­ther of Method to answer the Contents of the Corn Bill by some other Tax, that their Majesties might receive the full Supply de­manded.

It was considered, that the Corn Bill wou'd have yielded no Mony until Summer, 1693. and part thereof not until Michaelmas fol­lowing; [Page 20]and they thought they might by other means raise the Sum much sooner, and more equally.

The several ways of raising Mony, was throughly debated; and at length the Com­mittee unanimously agreed on a Poll Bill for several Reasons, of which the following was not the least: They were in hopes to have passed this Bill before the end of the Session by Adjournment, till a Bill prepared accord­ing to Heads agreed on by them, might have been transmitted into England, and returned hither to be passed; this wou'd have been an immediate Fund, which with the Excise Bill wou'd have amounted to much more than the Sum required.

They who were for this in the House, cou'd not suppose that these Proceedings wou'd have been any ways displeasing to the Government.

The same day three ingrossed Bills were sent down from the Lords, viz. an Act for punishing Mutineers and Deserters; an Act for Encouragement of Protestant Strangers; and An Act for preventing Vexatious Suits. Of these the Bill for encouraging Protestant Strangers, &c. was read, & in three days pas­sed: And the Bill for preventing Vexatious [Page 21]Suits was twice read, and committed to a select Committee; but it was not Reported to the House at the time of the Prorogation.

On Monday the 31st. (Saturday having been spent in the last reading and passing the Bill for an Additional Excise, and in debates a­bout a controverted Election) a Bill for set­tling a Militia in this Kingdom (which had been brought into the House on the 24th.) was read the first time; but it proposing a much greater Number to be raised upon se­veral Counties, than there were Protestant Inhabitants in the said Countys, and lodging too great a Power in Commissioners of Array, for these and other Reasons was rejected; however, the House being sensible, that a Bill for settling a Militia, wou'd be very re­quisite for this Kingdom, resolved to con­sider of it on Tuesday the first of November, in a Committee of the whole House; and then came to a Vote, that a Militia by Law established, was absolutely necessary for pre­serving the Peace of this Kingdom; and made a considerable Progress in forming of it, and appointed to proceed on it again on the 3d. of November.

A Committee having formerly been ap­pointed [Page 22]amongst other things, to inspect what Laws had been made in England since the 10. H. 7. and were fit to be enacted in this Kingdom; and the House pursuant to their Report, having voted several of them in par­ticular to be necessary; ordered the said Committee to attend the Lord Lieutenant in Council with the said Votes, and humbly to desire that Bills might be prepared accor­dingly; but his Excellency not coming to Council on the day the House was informed his Excellency wou'd be for this purpose at­tended there: The House on Wednesday the 2d. ordered an Address to be made to his Excellency, to know his pleasure therein; and his Excellency thereupon was pleased to appoint Friday the 4th. in the Afternoon, to be attended with the said Votes.

At the same time his Excellency was also pleased to accept of the Commons Address in behalf of their Chaplain, and in a most ob­liging manner, to declare, that their Address shou'd be always acceptable to him.

This day also the House received a Mes­sage from his Excellency recommending to them, the taking the Bill for punishing Mu­tineers and Deserters by Martial Law into [Page 23]speedy Consideration. This Bill was brought into the House the 28th. of October, and had been twice Read and Committed; one of the Secretaries pressed, that it might be taken from the Committee, and immediately read a third time; but the House conceiving it more proper to be debated in a Committee, Resolved accordingly, and thinking the former Number thereof too few to debate a matter of so great moment, ordered, that all that came, shou'd have Votes, and to be Re­ported next Morning.

On Thursday the 3d. the said Bill being Reported with the Amendments, was reject­ed by the House, it containing not one fifth part of the Act made in England to that pur­pose; and the part in that English Act re­lating to the good of the Subject, and the Kingdom in general (by obliging the Offi­cers to orderly Quarters, faithful Payment of the Souldiers, and to just and true Mu­sters, being quite left out: And whereas the English Act is to continue only for one Year, this was to continue for three years, and from thence to the end of the next Session of Parliament. But a Committee was then appointed to meet that Afternoon, [Page 24]and prepare Heads of a Bill, agreeable to the said English Act.

Soon after the rejecting this Bill, several of the Members were informed that the Parliament wou'd be immediately Prorogued or D [...]ssolved.

A large Report was then made to the House, from a select Committee, representing Discoveries of ve­ry great Consequence, drawn from the Accounts relating to the forseited Irish Estates both Real and Personal; but the House receiving information, That his Excellency was come to the House of Lords. This Report was ordered to lye on the Table.

A Message was brought by the Usher of the Black Rod, requiring the House of Commons im­mediately to attend his Excellency in the Lord's House.

The House accordingly went up to the House of Lords, his Excellency being seated in his Robes, gave the Royal Assent to four Bills, viz. The Act of Recognition, The Act of Excise, The Act for Encouragement of Protestant Strangers, and the Act for taking Affidavits in the Country; the Mo­ny Bill was passed, with the usual Form, viz. that their Majesties thank their Loyal Subjects, and ac­cepted their Benevolence.

The House were somewhat surprized at this unexpected Resolution, having expected to sit at least the next day, and did not apprehend what occasion they had given of Displeasure to his Ex­cellency to put so sudden an end to the Session▪ when the day before he expressed himself so favou­rably to them, in answer to their Addresses, and assigned them the day after this for the Committee [Page 25]to attend him in Council; but they were more surprized to hear his Excellency charge them in his Speech, That they had not answered the Ends for which they were called together, but had behaved them­selves undutifully and ungratefully, in invading their Majesties Perogative; a Charge of such a nature as sounded very harsh in the Ears of Gentlemen, who looked upon themselves, and the rest of the Protestants in this Kingdom, to be as obsequiously devoted to their Majesties Interest, as any of their Majesties Subject; a Qualification and Temper, which they knew was not likely to recommend them to those amongst whom they lived, and therefore could not, but with the highest regret and trouble, hear his Excellency cast them off from their just Claim to the most unfeigned Dutifulness and Affection to their Majesties (which they held as dear to them as their Lives,) and at the same time expose them to the Insultings of their most implacable and malitious Adversaries, who they knew were ever warchful and ready to improve all Advantages against them; who cou'd not but look upon a Protestant Parliament with trouble, and therefore rejoyced to see it meet with such Treatment.

They reflected on what they had done, that cou'd possibly occasion so severe a Censure; but his Excellency in his next Sentence, was pleased to clear this point to them, by referring to their print­ed Votes of the 27th. of October, That it is the sole and undoubted Right of the House of Commons, to prepare Heads of Mony Bills, and to their reject­ing a Mony Bill the next day, because it had not it's Rise in their House.

This the Gentlemen of the House of Commons, cou'd not but very much admire of, considering how maturely (and with what deference to their Majesties Prerogative) those things had been de­bated in the House; and not only consented to, but first proposed as an Expedient, by some who have always both before and since, comply'd with the Directions of the Government without Reserve; all the Votes relating to the Expedient, being like­wise Resolved without one Negative Voice.

But for these Reasons, his Excellency declared, That he thought himself obliged to protest against those Votes and the Entries of them in the Commons Jour­nals; and accordingly he did in full Parliament Protest against them, and ordered the Clerk of the House of Lords, to Read the said Protest, and enter it in the Jour­nals of the said House, without its being put to the Question, or Voted there: And then the Lord Chan­cellor (by his Excellencies Command) Prorogued the Parliament to the 6th. of April next.

It must be owned, That in this Speech of his Ex­cellency, as it was after printed; his Charge a­gainst the House of Commons is not in so severe Terms, as those before set down, which yet were the precise Expressions as they were spoken, they making too deep an Impression in the Minds of those who heard them, to be easily forgotten.

It may also be observed, that his Excellency re­ferred to their printed Votes of the 27th. of Octob. Tho no printed Votes have been publickly seen, since those of the 25th. But in his Excellencies printed Speech, the word Printed is left out.

It cannot be avoided to mention here as an effect of this unparalell'd Displeasure of his Excellency, [Page 27]against the House of Commons, that within few days after the Prorogation, one of the Members was affronted in the Castle, by Brigadeer Stewart, and Mr. Watson, Steward to his Excellency, with his White Rod in his hand, and others his Ex­cellency's Servants, without the least Provo­cation. This was complained of by the Speaker to his Excellency, but no satisfaction given.

Several of the Members were hereupon con­vinced, That those Persons who dreaded the Pro­ceedings of the House, were to the misfortune of this Nation, in so great Credit with his Excellen­cy, as to occasion the harsh Expressions used upon the Prorogation, and had from thence just reason to suspect that those very Persons wou'd prevail on him to represent the Commons to their Maje­sties, under the same unhappy Characters, which had in open Parliament been fixed upon them; to avoid which, and likewise to prevent the Miseries threatning this Kingdom, in case their Majesties are not informed of the true State of this Nation: They Resolved on the like methods, which on se­veral occasions had been practic'd by the People of this Kingdom in former Reigns; and there­fore desired Sir Arthur Rawdon, Sir Robert King, Sir Arthur Langford, and Mr. Annesley (four of the Members) to deliver a Petition to his Excellency, for leave to send Agents to attend their Majesties in England.

This they did on the 7th. of November, and his Excellency was pleased to say, That his Majesty was the Protestans Agent, and they shou'd have leave to go for England, to beg their Majesties Pardon for their Seditious and Riotous Assemblies. Not admitting [Page 28]of a Reply, but concluding, He had no other Answer to give them. The Lord Chancellor afterwards told one of them, who presented this Petition; that they had done illegally, and that it was Resolved in Council that they shou'd be Prosecuted.

In conclusion, it must be observed, That as here never was any Parliament more intirely devoted to their Princes Service, nor more ready to the ut­most to express their Duty and Gratitude on all occasions, so few Assemblies cou'd have employ'd themselves more industriously and diligently for the Publick Service than they did. It might not indeed have been wondered, if (after so long a discontinuance of Parliaments in this Kingdom) the Members of this House had not at first fallen readily into the Methods of Business, but by what they dispatched in the short time of their Sitting (if the business of the several Committees be consi­dered, as well as what is recited in the foregoing Account) it must be allowed, That they want­ed neither Diligence nor Publick Spirits in laying themselves out for their Majesties Interest; their Committees sitting frequently till eleven a Clock at Night, and the House never rising before two; so that if their Services, have not met with such acceptance, as persons so disposed chiefly desired and aimed at; it is their Unhappiness and the Nations, but cannot be accounted their Fault.