The first parliament of Queen Anne: Second session - Other matters (begins 7/2/1704

Proceedings against the Author of the Observator.

In the mean time, the Author of a weekly Paper call'd the Observator having ventured to publish his Remarks on Occasional Conformity, a Complaint was made against him in the House of Commons; and, upon Examination of the Matter, it was resolved, That the Observator, from the 8th to the 11th of December 1703, contains Matters scandalous and malicious, reflecting upon the Proceedings of the House, tending to the promoting of Sedition in the Kingdom: And that Tutchin the Author, How the Printer, and Bragg the Publisher of that Paper, should be taken into Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending the House. Thereupon Tutchin absconded, and notwithstanding the Censure pass'd upon him, went on in his way of Writing, and made sharp Reflections upon a Speech said to have been made by Sir John Packington, in the House of Commons, in favour of the Bill to prevent Occasional Conformity. A fresh Complaint being made again for this second Offence, the Commons resolved, That the Author, Printer, and Publisher of the Observator, having broke the Privilege of the House, and since absconded from Justice, an humble Address be presented to her Majesty, that she would please to issue her royal Proclamation for apprehending them, promising a Reward for Discovery of them.

Her Majesty, on the 7th of February, ordered the following Message to be delivered to the House of Commons.

Queen's Message about the poor Clergy.

Anne R.

'Her Majesty, having taken into her serious Consideration the mean and insufficient Maintenance belonging to the Clergy in divers Parts of the Kingdom, to give them some Ease, hath been pleased to remit the Arrears of the Tenths to the poor Clergy; and for an Augmentation of their Maintenance, her Majesty is pleased to declare, that she will make a Grant of her whole Revenue arising out of the First Fruits and Tenths, as far it now is, or shall become free from Incumbrances, to be applied to this purpose; and if the House of Commons can find any proper Method by which her Majesty's good Intentions to the poor Clergy may be made more effectual, it will be a great Advantage to the Public, and very acceptable to her Majesty.'

Commons Address upon it.

Upon which the House of Commons presented the following Address.

'Most gracious Sovereign, We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons in Parliament assembled, beg leave to present our most humble and hearty Thanks to your Majesty, for your most gracious Message, in which you were pleased to declare your royal Bounty, in remitting the Arrears of the Tenths due from your poor Clergy; and in charitably designing for the future to apply your Majesty's whole Revenue, arising from the First Fruits and Tenths, in Augmentation of their Maintenance.

'We are justly sensible of your Majesty's pious Concern for the Church of England, and of the great Advantage it will receive from your Majesty's unparallell'd Goodness, in giving up such a Part of your Majesty's Revenue towards the better Provision for the poorer Clergy, who were not sufficiently provided for at the happy Reformation of Religion under your Royal Ancestors.

'Your Majesty's faithful Commons will use their utmost Endeavours to render your Majesty's charitable Intentions most effectual; and will, upon this, and all other Occasions, readily apply themselves to such proper Methods, as may best conduce to the Support of the Clergy, and to the Honour, Interest, and future Security of the Church of England as by Law established.'

Queen's Answer.

Her Majesty was pleased to give this gracious Answer:

'Gentlemen, I am very glad to find my Message has been so acceptable to you; I hope you will effectually improve it, to the Advantage of the Church of England as by Law established, for which no body can have a more true and real Concern than myself.'

On the 23d the Prolocutor of the lower House of Convocation, and some more of the same House, attended the Speaker of the House of Commons with the following Order, which Mr. Speaker read next Day to the House.

Order of Thanks of the lower House of Convocation to the Commons.

Ordered, 'That Mr. Prolocutor, Mr. Dean of Winchester, Dr. Edwards, Dr. Smaldridge, and Dr. Atterbury, do attend Mr. Speaker of the honourable House of Commons, and acquaint him, That, after the Clergy's having waited on her Majesty, with their most humble Sense of her unexampled Bounty to her poor Clergy, the lower House of Convocation cannot but take Notice, with how much Kindness and Generosity yourself, Sir, and the honourable House of Commons, had prevented them, by your Address upon the same Subject: Wherein you have been pleased not only to express your Readiness to assist and further her Majesty's most charitable Intentions, but so far likewise to espouse the Interest of the Clergy, as to pay your own most hearty Thanks on their Behalf.

'Our House, Sir, commands me to return their most humble Acknowlegdements to you and to that honourable House, for this so singular a Favour; which you have enlarged by promising to pursue such Methods as may best conduce to the Support, Interest and future Security of the Church of England, as now by Law established: And they beg leave at the same time, with the most sensible Gratitude to profess, that they cannot have any greater Assurance of what your honourable House has now promised, than the constant Experience they have had of what it always has perform'd.'

H. Aldrich, Prolocutor.

Next Day her Majesty came to the House of Peers, and was pleased to give the Royal Assent to the following Acts.

Queen signs Acts.

An Act for granting an Aid to her Majesty for carrying on the War, and other her Majesty's Occasions, by selling Annuities at several Rates, and for such respective Terms or Estates as are therein mentioned.

An Act for the public registring of all Deeds, Conveyances and Wills, that shall be made of any Honours, Manors, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, within the West-Riding of the County of York, after the nine and twentieth Day of September, one thousand seven hundred and four.

An Act for the erecting a Work-House in the City of Worcester, and for setting the Poor on Work there.

An Act for enlarging the Term of Years granted by an Act passed in the Session of Parliament held in the eleventh and twelfth of King William the third, for the Repair of Dover Harbour.

An Act to repeal a Proviso in an Act of the fourth Year of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, which presents the Citizens of the City of York from disposing of their Personal Estates by their Wills, as others inhabiting within the Province of York by that Act may do.

An Act for the Encrease of Seamen, and better Encouragement of Navigation, and Security of the Coal-Trade.

And to twenty eight private Acts.

Books censured by the Commons.

In the mean time, the House of Commons having appointed a Committee to examine two Books, one entitled, Second Thoughts concerning the human Soul, as believed to be a Spiritual, Immortal Substance, united to human Body, to be a plain heathenish Invention, and not consonant to the Principles of Philosophy, Reason and Religion: The other, The Grand Essay; or, A Vindication of Reason and Religion against the Impostures of Philosophy. And the Committee having reported such Passages out of those Books, as were offensive, the House resolved, That the said Books contain'd divers Doctrines and Positions contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England, and tending to the Subversion of the Christian Religion; and ordered the said Books to be burnt by the Hands of the common Hangman.

April 3. The Queen came to the House of Peers, and was pleased to give the Royal Assent to

Queen signs Acts.

An Act for granting to her Majesty an additional Subsidy of Tonnage and Poundage for three Years, and for laying a further Duty upon French Wines, condemned as lawful Prize, and for ascertaining the Values of unrated Goods imported from the East-Indies.

An Act for the better securing and regulating the Duties upon Salt.

An Act for the more regular paying and assigning the Annuities, after the Rate of three Pounds per Cent. per Annum, payable to several Bankers and other Patentees, or those claiming under them.

An Act for the making more effectual her Majesty's gracious Intentions for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, by enabling her Majesty to grant in Perpetuity the Revenues of the First Fruits and Tenths; and also for enabling any other Persons to make Grants for the same Purpose.

An Act for raising Recruits for the Land-Forces and Marines, and for dispensing with part of the Act for the Encouragement and Encrease of Shipping and Navigation, during the present War.

An Act for the further Explanation and Regulation of Privileges of Parliament, in relation to Persons in public Offices.

An Act for the Discharge out of Prison of such insolvent Debtors as shall serve, or procure a Person to serve, in her Majesty's Fleet or Army.

An Act to enlarge the Time for the Purchasers of the forfeited Estates in Ireland to make the Payments of their Purchase-Money.

An Act for prolonging the Time by an Act of Parliament made in the first Year of her Majesty's Reign, for importing thrown Silk of the Growth of Sicily, from Leghorn.

An Act for raising the Militia of the Year one thousand seven hundred and four, notwithstanding the Month's Pay formerly advanced be not repaid.

An Act for better charging several Accomptants with InterestMonies by them received, or to be received.

An Act for punishing Mutiny, Desertion and false Musters, and for the better paying of the Army and Quarters, and satisfying divers Arrears: and for a further Continuance of the Power of the five Commissioners for examining and determining the Accounts of the Army.

And to 22 Private Acts.

After which her Majesty made a most gracious Speech to both Houses, which follows:

Queen's Speech in Parliament.

'My Lords and Gentlemen,

'I Cannot put an end to this Session, without returning you Thanks for the Willingness which you have all expressed to support and assist me in continuing the present War.

'And I must thank you, Gentlemen, of the House of Commons, very particularly, for the great Forwardness and Zeal which you have shewn, both in the early Dispatch of the Supplies, and in making them so effectual for carrying on the Public Expence, without any additional Burdens upon the Country: It shall be my Care to improve this to the best Advantage.

'My Lords and Gentlemen,

'At the opening of this Session I did earnestly express my Desires of seeing you in perfect Unity among your selves, as the most effectual means imaginable to disappoint the Ambition of our Enemies, and reduce them to an honourable and lasting Peace; and though this has not met with all that Success which I wish'd and expected, yet being fully convinced, that nothing is so necessary to our common Welfare, I am not discouraged from persisting in the same earnest Desires, that you would go down into your several Countries, so disposed to Moderation and Unity, as becomes all those who are joined together in the same Religion and Interest.

'This, I am persuaded, will make you sensible that nothing, next to the Blessing of God, can so much contribute to our Success abroad, and to our Safety at home.'