House of Lords Journal Volume 32: May 1768, 1-10

Anno 8^o Georgii Tertii

DIE Martis, 10^o Maii 1768, Annoque Regni Serenissimi Domini Nostri Georgii Tertii, Dei Gratia, Magna Britannia, Francia, & Hib'nia, Regis, Fidei Defensoris, &c. Octavo; in Superior Domo Parliament Magna Britannia apud Westmonaster, convenere, Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales, quorum Nomina subscribuntur, & prsens 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 Parliamentum.

Then Eight of the Lords Commissioners being seated on a Form, placed between the Throne and the Wool-sack, the Lord Chancellor in the Middle, with the Lord President, the Duke of Northumberland, the Lord Steward, and the Lord Wycombe, on his Right Hand, and the Lord Chamberlain, the Duke of Ancaster, and the Lord Lovel and Holland, on his Left Hand, 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 Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, and several other 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 Patent themselves, which must be now read.

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

GEORGE R.

Commission read.

George the Third by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and to forth, To all to whom these Presents (hall 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 Tuesday the Tenth Day of this instant May: And for as much as for certain Causes We cannot conveniently be present in Our Royal Person, in Our said Parliament, upon the said Tenth Day of May: Know ye, That We, trusting in the Discretion, Fidelity, and Industry of the Most Reverend Father in God and Our faithful Counsellor Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate, and Metropolitan of all England; Our Well-beloved and faithful Counsellor Charles Lord Camden, Our Chancellor of Great Britain; Our Most Dear Cousins and Counsellors Granville Earl-Gower, President of Our Council; William Earl of Chatham, Keeper of Our Privy Seal; Augustus Henry Duke of Grafton, First Commissioner of Our Treasury; Thomas Duke of Leeds, John Duke of Rutland, Peregrine Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, Great Chamberlain of England; Hugh Duke of Northumberland, William Earl Talbot, Steward of Our Household; Francis Seymour Earl of Hertford, Chamberlain of Our Household; Robert Earl of Holdernesse, Hugh Earl of Marchmont, George William Earl of Bristol, Simon Earl Harcourt, John Earl Ligonier, Thomas Viscount Weymouth, One of Our Principal Secretaries of State, and Our Well-beloved and faithful Counsellors Wills Lord Harwich, One other of Our Principal Secretaries of State; William Lord Wycombe, One other of Our Principal Secretaries of State; William Lord Mansfield, Our Chief Justice, assigned to hold Pleas before Us; Thome's Lord Grantham, and John Lord hovel and Holland; by the Advice of Our said Council, do give and grant, by the Tenor of these Presents, unto the said Archbishop of Canterbury, Chancellor of Great Britain, President of Our Council, Keeper of Our Privy Seal, Duke of Grafton, Duke of Leeds, Duke of Rutland, Duke of Ancaster, Duke of Northumbe land, Steward of Our Household, Chamberlain of Our Household, Earl of Holdernesse, Earl of Marchmont, Earl of Bristol, Earl Harcourt, Earl Ligonier, Viscount Weymouth, Lord Harwich, Lord Wycombe, Lord Mansfield, Lord Grantham, and Lord Lovel and Holland, 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 opened 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 Archbishop of Canterbury, Chancellor of Great Britain, President of Our Council, Keeper of Our Privy Seal, Duke of Grafton, Duke of Leeds, Duke of Rutland, Duke of Ancaster, Duke of Northumberland, Steward of Our Household, Chamberlain of Our Household, Earl of Holdernesse, Earl of Marchmont, Earl of Bristol, Earl Harcourt, Earl Ligonier, Viscount Weymouth, Lord Harwich, Lord Wycombe, Lord Mansfield, Lord Grantham, and Lord Lovel and Holland, 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 Sixth Day of May, in the Eighth Year of Our Reign.

By the King himself, signed with His own Hand.

YORKE & YORKE.

Then the Lord Chancellor said,

My Lords, and Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

Directions to the Commons to choose a. Speaker.

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 fit, and there chase 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 Tomorrow at Twelve of the Clock at Noon.

Then the Commons withdrew;

And the House was adjourned daring Pleasure, to unrobe.

The House was resumed.

PRAYERS.

The Lord 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 Return of the Sixteen peerston 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 Tuesday the Tenth Day of May instant:

The Duke of Gordon.

The Duke of Argyll.

The Duke of Atfoil.

The Earl of Morton.

The Earl of Eglinton.

The Earl of Strathmore.

The Earl of Abercorn.

The Earl of Loudoun.

The Earl of Dunmore.

The Earl of March and Ruglen

The Earl of Marchmont.

The Earl of Roseberry.

The Earl of Bute.

Viscount Stormont.

Viscount Irwin, And

The Lord Cathcart.

Witness Our Hands, this Tenth Day of May 1768.

Dukes of Gloucester and Cumberland take the Oaths.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, took the Oaths, and made and subscribed the Declaration, and also took and subscribed the Oath of Abjuration, pursuant to the Statutes.

Other Lords take the Oaths.

After which the Lords following did the same; (videlicet),

Justices called in, and directed to disperse the Mob assembled at the Doors of the House.

Complaint being made to the House, That a tumultuous Crowd of People had assembled at the Door of this House, and that several of the Lords had been insulted by them in their coming to the House:

Ordered, That such of the Justices of the Peace as may be about the House be called in.

Whereupon, Mr. Welch, Mr. Carrington, and Mr.Hesse, appearing at the Bar, were ordered immediately, by all legal Methods, to go and disperse the said Mob, and return and acquaint the House what they had done.

After some Time the said Justices returned, and acquainted the House, That the Mob was greatly lessened, but not entirely dispersed, and that they could not entirely dispersed them, without they were to take some of them into Custody.

Then they were again ordered to use their utmost Endeavour's to disperse the said Mob entirely, and to take Care to prevent such riotous Proceedings for the future.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit prsens Parliament continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Mercurii, undecimum diem instantis Maii, hora undecima Auror, Dominis sic decernentibus.