House of Lords Journal Volume 28: May 1754

May 1754

Anno 27^o Georgii Secundi.

DIE Veneris, 31^o Maii, 1754.

DIE Veneris, 31^o Maii, 1754, Annoque Regni Serenissimi Domini Nostri Georgii Secundi, Dei Gratia, Magnæ Britanniæ, Franciæ, et Hib'niæ Regis, Fidei Defensoris, &c. Vicesimo Septimo, in Superiori Domo Parliamenti Magnæ Britanniæ, apud Westmonaster, convenere Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales quorum Nomina subscribuntur, et præsentes fuerunt:

Parliament opened by Commission:

The Lord Chancellor acquainted the House, "That His Majesty, not thinking fit to be personally present here this Day, had been pleased to cause a Commission to be issued under the Great Seal, in order to the Opening and Holding of this Parliament."

Then Six of the Lords Commissioners, being seated on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack; the Lord Chancellor in the Middle; with the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chamberlain on his Right Hand; and the Lord President, the Duke of Newcastle, and the Duke of Dorset, on his Left; commanded the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to let the Commons know, "The Lords Commissioners desire their immediate Attendance in this House, to hear the Commission read."

Who being come;

The Lord Chancellor said,

"My Lords, and Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"His Majesty, not thinking fit to be present here this Day in His Royal Person, has been pleased, in order to the Opening and Holding of this Parliament, to cause Letters Patent to be passed under His Great Seal, constituting his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, and several Lords therein named, His Commissioners, to do all Things, in His Majesty's Name, on His Part necessary to be performed in this Parliament. This will more fully appear by the Letters Patents themselves, which must be now read."

Then the said Letters Patent were read, by the Clerk, as follows:

Commission read.

"GEORGE R.

"George the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas, by the Advice of Our Council, for certain arduous and urgent Affairs, concerning Us, the State and Defence of Our Kingdom of Great Britain and the Church, We have ordered a certain Parliament to be holden at Our City of Westminster, on Friday the Thirtyfirst Day of this Instant May: And forasmuch as, for certain Causes, We cannot conveniently be present in Our Royal Person, in Our said Parliament, upon the said Thirty-first Day of May: Know ye, that We, trusting in the Discretion, Fidelity, and Industry, of Our most Dear Son and Faithful Counsellor William Duke of Cumberland; the most Reverend Father in God and Our Faithful Counsellor Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England; Our most Dear Cousins and Counsellors Philip Earl of Hardwicke Our Chancellor of Great Britain, John Earl Granville President of Our Council, John Earl Gower Keeper of Our Privy Seal, Charles Duke of Marlborough Steward of our Household, Charles Duke of Grafton Chamberlain of Our Household, Archibald Duke of Argyll, Thomas Holles Duke of Newcastle First Commissioner of Our Treasury, Lionel Cranfield Duke of Dorset Lieutenant General and General Governor of Our Kingdom of Ireland, William Lord Cavendish of Hardwyck commonly called Marquis of Hartington Master of Our Horse, Robert Earl of Holdernesse One of Our Principal Secretaries of State, William Anne Earl of Albemarle Groom of Our Stole, and Our Well-beloved and Faithful Counsellor George Lord Anson First Commissioner of Our Admiralty; by the Advice of Our said Council, do give and grant, by the Tenor of these Presents, unto Our said most Dear Son, and to the said Archbishop of Canterbury, Our Chancellor of Great Britain, President of Our Council, Keeper of Our Privy Seal, Steward of Our Household, Chamberlain of Our Household, Duke of Argyll, Duke of Newcastle, Duke of Dorset, Lord Cavendish of Hardwyck, Earl of Holdernesse, Earl of Albemarle, and Lord Anson, and any Three of them, full Power, in Our Name, to begin and hold Our said Parliament, and to open and declare, and cause to be opended and declared, the Causes of holding the same; and to proceed upon the said Affairs in Our said Parliament, and in all Matters arising therein, and to do every Thing which for Us, and by Us, for the good Government of Our said Kingdom of Great Britain and other Our Dominions thereto belonging, shall be there to be done; and also, if necessary, to continue, adjourn, and prorogue, Our said Parliament; commanding also, by the Tenor of these Presents, with the Assent of Our said Council, as well all and singular the Archbishops, Bishops, Earls, Viscounts, Barons, and Knights, as all others whom it concerns to meet in Our said Parliament, that to the same Our most Dear Son, Archibishop of Canterbury, Our Chancellor of Great Britain, President of Our Council, Keeper of Our Privy Seal, Steward of Our Household, Chamberlain of Our Household, Duke of Argyll, Duke of Newcastle, Duke of Dorset, Lord Cavendish of (fn. 1) Hardwyck, Earl of Holdernesse, Earl of Albemarle, and Lord Anson, and any Three of them, they diligently intend in the Premises, in the Form aforesaid. In Witness whereof, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

"Witness Ourself, at Westminster, the Twentysecond Day of May, in the Twenty-seventh Year of Our Reign.

"By the King Himself, signed with His own Hand.

"Yorke and Yorke."

Then the Lord Chancellor said,

Directions to the Commons, to choose a Speaker.

"My Lords, and Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"By virtue of His Majesty's Commission, now read, and in Obedience to His Commands, we let you know, that His Majesty doth not think fit that we should declare the Causes of your present Meeting, until there be a Speaker of the House of Commons: And therefore it is His Majesty's Pleasure, that you, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, do immediately repair to the Place where the Commons usually sit, and there chuse a fit Person to be your Speaker; and that you present the Person who shall be so chosen to His Majesty's Commissioners here, for His Royal Approbation by the said Commissioners, To-morrow, at Twelve of the Clock at Noon."

Then the Commons withdrew.

And the House was adjourned during Pleasure, to unrobe.

The House was resumed.

PRAYERS.

L. Chancellor takes the Oaths.

The Lord Chancellor singly, in the First Place, took the Oaths, at the Table, and made and subscribed the Declaration, and also took and subscribed the Oath of Abjuration, pursuant to the Statutes.

Certificate of the Election of the Sixteen Peers for Scotland, read:

The Deputy Clerk of the Crown in Chancery delivered in a Certificate of the Names of the Sixteen Peers, who are chosen, summoned, and certified, to fit and vote in this House, for that Part of Great Britain called Scotland.

And the same, having been compared at the Table with the Original Return, and found to agree therewith, was read by the Clerk, and is as follows; videlicet,

"May it please your Lordships,

"These are the Names of the Sixteen Peers, who, according to the Act in that Case made and provided, are chosen, summoned, and certified, to be Members of the House of Lords, for and on the Behalf of that Part of Great Britain called Scotland, in the Parliament of Great Britain which is to meet on Friday the Thirty-first Day of this Instant May:

"The Duke of Argyll.

"The Marquis of Tweeddale.

"The Marquis of Lothian.

"The Earl of Rothes.

"The Earl of Morton.

"The Earl of Moray.

"The Earl of Home.

"The Earl of Lauderdale.

"The Earl of Loudoun.

"The Earl of Findlater.

"The Earl of Breadalbane.

"The Earl of Aberdeen.

"The Earl of Marchmont.

"The Earl of Hyndford.

"The Viscount of Stormont; and

"The Lord Cathcart.

"Witness our Hands, this Thirty-first Day of May, 1754.

"Charles Yorke, John Yorke,
Clerk of the Crown in Chancery."

E. Dartmouth takes his Seat.

This Day William Earl of Dartmouth sat first in Parliament, after the Death of his Grandfather William Earl of Dartmouth.

Lords take the Oaths.

The Lords following took the Oaths, and made and subscribed the Declaration, and also took and subscribed the Oath of Abjuration, pursuant to the Statutes:

Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

John Earl Granville, Lord President of the Council.

Charles Duke of Marlborough, Lord Steward of the Household.

Charles Duke of Grafton, Lord Chamberlain of the Household.

William Duke of Devonshire.

John Duke of Rutland.

Peregrine Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, Lord Great Chamberlain of England.

Evelin Duke of Kingston.

Thomas Holles Duke of Newcastle.

Robert Duke of Manchester.

Lionel Cranfield Duke of Dorset.

Henry Earl of Lincoln.

James Earl of Northampton.

Edward Earl of Warwick and Holland.

John Earl of Sandwich.

George Earl of Cardigan.

Anthony Ashley Earl of Shaftesbury.

Robert Earl of Holdernesse.

William Earl of Jersey.

George Earl of Cholmondeley.

James Earl of Morton.

Edward Earl of Oxford, and Earl Mortimer.

William Earl of Dartmouth.

George Dunk Earl of Halifax.

George Augustus Earl of Sussex.

Robert Earl Ker.

John Earl Ashburnham.

Thomas Earl of Effingham.

John Earl of Buckinghamshire.

Hugh Earl of Northumberland.

Charles Earl of Egremont.

Richard Earl Temple.

Simon Earl Harcourt.

Francis Seymour Earl of Hertford.

Francis Earl of Guilford.

Thomas Viscount Fauconberg.

Hugh Viscount Falmouth.

Matthew Lord Bishop of Ely.

John Lord Bishop of Sarum.

Edward Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Zachary Lord Bishop of Bangor.

Robert Lord Bishop of Saint Asaph.

Edward Lord Bishop of Landaff.

Thomas Lord Bishop of Norwich.

John Lord Bishop of Bristol.

Edmund Lord Bishop of Chester.

James Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

Anthony Lord Bishop of Saint Davids.

George Lord Abergavenny.

William Lord Cavendish.

John Lord Clifton.

John Lord Ward.

George Lord Berkeley of Stratton.

Charles Lord Cathcart.

Richard Lord Onslow.

Charles Lord Cadogan.

John Lord Monson.

Robert Lord Raymond.

Henry Lord Montfort.

Richard Lord Edgecumbe.

Samuel Lord Sandys.

Matthew Lord Fortescue.

George Lord Anson.

Thomas Lord Archer.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Sabbati, primum diem Junii jam prox. sequen. hora undecima Auroræ, Dominis sic decernentibus.