House of Lords Journal Volume 16: 23 May 1700

DIE Jovis, 23 Maii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

E. of Bridgewater Commission to be Speaker.

A Commission was read, appointing John Earl of Bridgewater to be Speaker.

"William R.

"William the Third, by the Grace of GOD, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To Our Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor John Earl of Bridgewater, Greeting. Know ye, that We, trusting in your approved Fidelity, Wisdom, and Discretion, and to the End the Place and Room usually supplied by the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, in the Upper House of Parliament, may be in all Things executed as appertaineth, and as to the Office of Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper hath been accustomed, have named and appointed, and by these Presents do constitute, name, appoint, and authorize you, from Day to Day, and Time to Time, when and so often as Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellor Sir Nathan Wrighte Knight, Lord Keeper of Our Great Seal of England, shall happen, at any Time or Times during this present Parliament, to be absent from his Place in the said Upper House, to use and supply the said Room and Place of Our said Lord Keeper, amongst the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there assembled, at every such Day and Time of his Absence; and then and there, at every such Time, to do and execute all such Things as Our said Lord Keeper should or might do, if he were there personally present, using and supplying the same Room: Wherefore We will and command you the said John Earl of Bridgewater to attend and execute the Premises with Effect; and these Our Letters Patents shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge for the same in every Behalf. In Witness whereof, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents.

Witness Ourself, at Westm'r, the Twenty-third Day of May, in the Twelfth Year of Our Reign.

"Per ipsum Regem, propria Manu signat.

"Chute."

PRAYERS.

Then the Earl of Bridgewater acquainted the House, That there was a Commission for further proroguing of the Parliament."

Then the Commissioners, in their Robes, took their Places on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack; the Earl of Bridgewater in the Middle; the Earl of Romney on his Right Hand; and the Lord Ferrers on his Left Hand; commanded the Deputy Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to go to the House of Commons, and let them know, "The Lords Commissioners desire them to come, and hear the said Commission read."

Who being come (with their Speaker); the Commission was read, as follows; (videlicet,)

"Gulielmus R.

Commission for proroguing the Parliament.

"Gulielmus Tertius, Dei Gratia, Angl. Scociæ, Franciæ, & Hib'niæ Rex, Fidei Defensor, &c. Præcharissimo Fratri Nostro Principi Georgio de Denmarke, Charissimis Consanguineis et Consilariis Nostris, Thomæ Comiti Pembroke et Montgomery Præsidenti Concilii Nostri, Joh'i Vicecomiti Lonsdale Custodi Privati Sigilli Nostri, Henrico Duci Norfolc. Comiti Marescallo Angl., Will'o Duci Devon. Senescallo Hospitii Nostri, Carolo Duci Salop. Camerario Hospitii Nostri, Jacobo Duci Ormonde, Mainhardt Duci Schonberg, Carolo Duci Bolton, Thomæ Duci Leedes, Will'o Duci Bedford, Rob'to Comiti Lindsey Magno Camerario Angl., Alberico Comiti Oxon. Carolo Comiti Dors. et Midd'x, Joh'i Comiti Bridgewater, Carolo Comiti Manchester, Thomæ Comiti Stamford Cancellar. Ducatus Lancastr., Rob'to Comiti Sunderland, Joh'i Comiti Bathon. Carolo Comiti Berkeley, Laurentio Comiti Roffen. Will'o Comiti Portland, Thomæ Comiti Fauconberg, Rad'o Comiti Montagu, Joh'i Comiti Marleborough, Ric'o Comiti Scarbrough, Franc'o Comiti Bradford Thesaurar. Hospitii Nostri, Henrico Comiti Romney Guardiano Quinque Portuum Nostrorum, Ford Comiti Tankerville, Ed'r'o Comiti Orford, Ed'r'o Comiti Jerzey Uni Primar. Secretar. Nostrorum, ac Prædilectis et Fidelibus Consiliariis Nostris Rob'to Domino Ferrers, Thomæ Domino Wharton Contrarotulatori Hospitii Nostri, Rob'to Domino Lexington, Sidney Domino Godolphin, et Jobanni Domino Sommers, Salutem. Cum nuper, pro quibusdam arduis et urgentibus Negotiis, Nos, Statum et Defensionem Regni Nostri Angl. et Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ concernen. præsens hoc Parliamentum Nostrum apud Civitatem Nostram Westm. Vicesimo Quarto Die Augusti, Anno Regni Nostri Decimo, inchoari et teneri ordinaverimus; a quo Die idem Parliamentum Nostrum usque ad et in Vicesimum Septimum Diem Septembris tunc proxim. sequen. prorogat. fuerat; et abinde, per separales Prorogationes et Adjournationes, ad et in instantem Vicesimum Tertium Diem Maii prorogatum et adjournatum fuerat, apud Civitatem Nostram Westm. prædictam, ibidem tuncz tenendum et prosequendum:Sciatis tamen, quod, certis urgentibus Causis et Considerationibus Nos specialiter moventibus, idem Parliamentum Nostrum ulterius prorogandum duximus.

De Fidelitate igitur, Prudentia et Circumspectionibus vestris plurimum confidentes, de Avisamento et Assensu Concilii Nostri, assignavimus vos Commissionarios Nostros; dantes vobis, et aliquibus Tribus vel pluribus vestrum, Tenore Præsentium, plenam Potestatem et Auctoritatem, hoc instante Die Jovis, præsens Parliamentum Nostrum, Nomine Nostro, usque ad et in Vicesimum Diem Junii jam prox. sequen. apud prædictam Civitatem Nostram Westm. prorogandum et continuandum, ibidemque tunc tenendum et prosequendum; et ideo vobis mandamus, quod circa Præmissa diligenter intendatis, ac ea in Forma prædicta effectualiter expleatis. Damus autem universis et singulis Archiepiscopis, Ducibus, Marchionibus, Comitibus, Vicecomitibus, Episcopis, Baronibus, Militibus, Civibus, et Burgensibus, ac omnibus aliis quorum interest ad dictum Parliamentum Nostrum conventuris, Tenore Præsentium, firmiter in Mandatis, quod vobis in Præmissis faciendis, agendis, et exercendis, pareant, obediant, et intendant, prout decet. In cujus Rei Testimonium, has Literas Nostras fieri fecimus Patentes.

"Teste Meipso, apud Westm. Vicesimo Tertio Die Maii, Anno Regni Nostri Duodecimo.

"Per ipsum Regem, propria Manu signat.

"Chute."

Then the Earl of Bridgewater said,

Parliament prorogued.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

"By Virtue of His Majesty's Commission now read, and to us directed, we do, in His Majesty's Name, prorogue this Parliament to Thursday the Twentieth Day of June next: And this Parliament is prorogued accordingly to Thursday the Twentieth Day of June next."