House of Lords Journal Volume 20: 21 September 1715

DIE Mercurii, 21 Septembris.

REX.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

Georgius Princeps Walliæ.

PRAYERS.

E. Jersey, L. Hay, and L. Lansdowne, to be committed.

The Lord Viscount Townshend acquainted the House, by His Majesty's Command, "That His Majesty has just Cause to suspect, that the Earl of Jersey, Lord Hay, and Lord Lansdowne, are engaged in a Design to support the intended Invasion; and desiring the Consent of this House to their being committed and detained, according to the Act of Parliament made this present Session, intituled, An Act to empower His Majesty to secure and detain such Persons as His Majesty shall suspect are conspiring against His Person and Government:"

Resolved, That this House doth consent to the committing and detaining the said Earl of Jersey, Lord Hay, and Lord Lansdowne, according to the said Act.

King's Answer to Address for preparing a Scaffold in Westm. Hall:

The Lord Chamberlain acquainted the House, "That the Lords with White Staves (according to Order) had attended His Majesty, with the Address of this House, humbly to desire that His Majesty would be pleased to cause Directions to be given to the proper Officers, for preparing a Scaffold in Westm'r Hall, for the Trial of Robert Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, who now stands impeached before this House; and that His Majesty was graciously pleased to say, He would give Directions to the proper Officers, pursuant to the said Address."

Message to H. C. to acquaint them with it.

Then a Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Mr. Meller and Mr. Orlebar:

To acquaint them with the said Address, and His Majesty's Answer thereunto.

The House was adjourned during Pleasure, to robe.

The House was resumed.

King present:

His Majesty, being seated on His Royal Throne, adorned with His Crown and Regal Ornaments, and attended with His Officers of State; His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in his Robes, sitting in his Place on His Majesty's Right Hand; the Lords being also in their Robes; commanded the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to let the Commons know, "It is His Majesty's Pleasure, they attend Him, immediately, in the House of Peers."

Who being come, with their Speaker; he, after a Speech to His Majesty, delivered the Money Bills to the Clerk Assistant, in the Absence of the Clerk of the Parliaments; who brought them to the Table; where the Clerk of the Crown read the Titles of these and the other Bills to be passed, severally, as follows:

Bills passed.

"1. An Act to enable His Majesty to settle a Revenue, for supporting the Dignity of her Royal Highness the Princess, in case she shall survive his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales."

"2. An Act for enlarging the Capital Stock and Yearly Fund of the South Sea Company; and for supplying thereby Eight Hundred Twenty-two Thousand Thirty-two Pounds, Four Shillings, and Eight Pence, to public Uses; and for raising One Hundred Sixty-nine Thousand Pounds, for the like Uses, by Sale of Annuities, upon divers Encouragements therein mentioned; and for appropriating several Supplies granted to His Majesty."

"3. An Act for making Provision for the Ministers of the Fifty new Churches, which are to be built in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, and Suburbs thereof; and for re-building and finishing the Parish Church of St. Mary Woolnoth, in the said City of London."

To these Bills the Royal Assent was pronounced, severally, in these Words; videlicet,

"Le Roy remercie see bons Sujets, accepte leur Benevolence, et ainsi le veult."

"4. An Act to prevent Disturbances by Seamen and others, and to preserve the Stores belonging to His Majesty's Navy Royal; and also for explaining an Act for the better preventing the Embezzlement of His Majesty's Stores of War; and for preventing Cheats, Frauds, and Abuses, in paying Seamen's Wages; and for reviving and continuing an Act for the more effectual Suppression of Piracy."

"5. An Act for appointing Commissioners, to take, examine, and state, the Debts due to the Army."

"6. An Act for taking and stating the Debts due, and growing due, to Scotland, by Way of Equivalent, in the Terms of the Union; and for Relief of the Creditors of the Public in Scotland, and the Commissioners of the Equivalent."

"7. An Act for continuing several Laws therein mentioned, relating to Coals, Hemp, and Flax, Irish and Scotch Linen, and the Assize of Bread; and for giving Power to adjourn the Quarter Sessions for the County of Anglesea, for the Purposes therein mentioned."

"8. An Act for repealing an Act, intituled, An Act for repealing Part of an Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland, intituled, Act for discharging the Yule Vacance."

"9. An Act for allowing a Time for Two Hundred and Thirteen Families of Protestant Palatines, now settled in Ireland, to take the Oaths, in order to entitle them to all the Benefits intended them by the Act passed in the Seventh Year of Her late Majesty's Reign, for naturalizing Foreign Protestants."

"10. An Act to make the River Kennet navigable, from Reading to Newbury, in the County of Berks."

"11. An Act for repairing and amending the Highways between Tyburn and Uxbridge, in the County of Middlesex."

To these Bills the Royal Assent was pronounced, severally, in these Words; (videlicet,)

"Le Roy le veult."

"12. An Act to enable Richard Lord Viscount Rosse of the Kingdom of Ireland, notwithstanding his Nonage, to settle a Jointure on Mary Viscountess Rosse his Wife, and make a Settlement on his Issue Male, with Provisions for Younger Children; and for other Purposes therein mentioned."

"13. An Act for the Relief of Ann Milner, Thomas Colemore, William Hunt, William Parrott, and others, as to Customs of Goods burnt or destroyed by the late Fire in Thames-Street, London."

"14. An Act to enable Sir Hungerford Hoskins Baronet to raise Monies, to discharge his Brothers and Sisters Portions, and to settle a Jointure on a Wife."

"15. An Act for the Sale of Part of the Manor of Low Laiton, in the County of Essex, and other Lands there; and for laying out the Money arising thereby in the Purchase of other Lands, in the County of Lincoln, to be settled to the same Uses as the said Part of the Manor of Low Laiton is settled."

"16. An Act to enable Robert Cope Esquire to settle an additional Jointure, out of his Estate, on Elizabeth his now Wife, and also to raise Portions and Maintenances for his Daughters and Younger Children by her; and to enable those in Remainder to do the same."

"17. An Act to naturalize Frederica Countess of Holderness, Peter Gravier, Theodore Boucher, and Francis Masson."

"18. An Act to naturalize Robert de Vlieger, George Christian Luders, and others."

To these Bills the Royal Assent was pronounced, severally, in these Words; (videlicet,)

"Soit fait comme il est desiré."

Then His Majesty was pleased to speak as follows:

His Majesty's Speech.

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"I have given Direction to My Lord Chancellor, to deliver to you, in My Name and Words, the Causes of My coming this Day to Parliament."

And then the Lord Chancellor, receiving a Paper from His Majesty, said,

"I have received His Majesty's Commands from the Throne, to deliver to you, my Lords and Gentlemen, this His Majesty's Speech."

And his Lordship read the same, as follows:

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"I am persuaded you are all, by this Time, very desirous of some Recess; and that it cannot be deserred longer, without great Inconvenience to your private Affairs.

"But, before I can part with you, I must return you My most sincere Thanks, for your having finished, with so much Wisdom and Unanimity, what I recommended to your Care: And particularly I must thank you, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, for the Provision you have made, as well for the Support of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown, as for the other necessary Occasions of the Public, especially for your having done it by Means so little burthensome to My People; which, I assure you, recommends the Supplies to Me above any other Circumstance whatsoever.

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"The open and declared Rebellion, which is now actually begun in Scotland, must convince all, who do not wish to see us given up into the Hands of a Popish Pretender, of the Dangers to which we have been, and are still, exposed.

"I thought it incumbent upon Me to give you the earliest Notice of the Designs of our Enemies; and I cannot sufficiently commend the Zeal and Dispatch with which you empowered Me, at a Time when the Nation was in so naked and defenceless a Condition, to make such Preparations as I should think necessary for our Security: You shall have no Reason to repent of the Trust and Confidence you repose in Me, which I shall never use to any other End than for the Protection and Welfare of My People.

"It was scarce to be imagined that any of My Protestant Subjects, who have known and enjoyed the Benefits of our excellent Constitution, and have heard of the great Dangers they were wonderfully delivered from by the happy Revolution, should, by any Arts and Management, be drawn into Measures that must at once destroy their Religion and Liberties, and subject them to Popery and arbitrary Power: But such has been our Misfortune, that too many of My People have been deluded, and made instrumental to the Pretender's Designs; who had never dared to think of invading us, or raising a Rebellion, had he not been encouraged by the Success his Emissaries and Adherents have already had in stirring up Riots and Tumults, and by the further Hopes they entertain of raising Insurrections in many Parts of My Kingdoms.

"The endeavouring to persuade My People that the Church of England is in Danger, under My Government, has been the main Artifice employed in carrying on this wicked and traitorous Design: This Insinuation, after the solemn Assurances I have given, and My having laid hold on all Opportunities to do every Thing that may tend to the Advantage of the Church of England, is both unjust and ungrateful; nor can I believe so groundless and malicious a Calumny can make any Impression upon the Minds of My faithful Subjects; or that they can be so far misled, as to think the Church of England is to be secured by setting a Popish Pretender on the Throne.

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"The Proofs this Parliament has given of their unshaken Duty and Affection to Me, and of their Love and Zeal for the Interest of their Country, will recommend you to the good Opinion and Esteem of all who have their Religion and Liberty truly at Heart, and has laid a lasting Obligation upon Me; and I question not but, by your further Assistance in the several Countries to which you are going, with the Blessing of Almighty God, who has so frequently interposed in Favour of this Nation, I shall be able to disappoint and defeat the Designs of our Enemies.

"Our meeting again, to do Business early in the next Winter, will be useful on many Accounts; particularly, that the Sitting of Parliaments may be again brought into that Season of the Year which is most convenient, and that as little Delay may be given as is possible to your Judicial Proceedings:

"And I shall, at present, give such Orders to My Lord Chancellor, as may not put it long out of My Power to meet you, on any sudden Occasion."

Which being ended;

And the Lord Chancellor, having received Directions from His Majesty, returned to his Place; and said,

"My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"It is His Majesty's Royal Will and Pleasure, That both Houses should forthwith severally adjourn themselves to Thursday the Sixth Day of October next."

Then His Majesty was pleased to withdraw Himself:

And the Commons returned to their House.

The House was adjourned during Pleasure, to unrobe.

The House was resumed.

And then,

Parliament adjourned.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad & in diem Jovis, sextum diem Octobris jam prox. sequent. hora undecima Auroræ, Dominis sic decernentibus.

Die Jovis, 6 Octobris, 1715,
hitherto examined by us,

Clarendon.
Yarmouth.
Somers.
Trevor.