taining that Afcendancy; and the flavish Obedience of the Parliament, when he had thus modelled it to his Purpose, is well known. It is alfo well known that Charles the IId obtained a long Parliament, which knew no Rule of acting but the Will of those who gave its Members their Pay; this Parliament obtained the Name of the Penfion Parliament, and was, perhaps, the Model upon which fome later Parliaments have been formed. But, to wave farther particular Inftances, it is too notorious to be denied, that many dangerous Attempts have miscarried on the other. Side of the Water, not fo much from the Virtue of the Parliament, as from the Apprehension of an approaching Election; and of this Ministers have been fo much aware, that the Close of a Parliament has always been deemed an improper Time to propofe any Measure which is, in general, difagreeable to the People. In a Word, Sir, it would appear inconteftibly, from the Reason of the Thing, unsupported by Facts, and by Facts without the Affiftance of Argument, that the Prolongation of the Term of Parliaments weakens the Security of the People, and that nothing can make it fafe to repofe fo great a Trust in any Set of Men, as the collective Body delegates

to

to its Representatives, but the Shortness of the Term for which fuch Delegation is made. But, if this is true of Parliaments in general, how much greater must be the Danger arising from the unlimited Duration of our Parliament, when we have no fuch Barrier against minifterial Influence as the Place-Bill in England? A Barrier which was thought neceffary, notwithstanding the Limitation of Parliament to feven Years; and that it is lefs neceffary to us, whofe Parliament is unlimited, or that with it we might more safely suffer our Parliament for Life, than our Neighbours, is, I believe, a Compliment they are very willing to pay us, but which, I believe, no Friend to his Country would be ambitious to receive.

To conclude, as, at leaft, an Argument ad bominem, let me obferve, that every Friend to the Revolution muft, confiftently with his Principles, declare in Favour of limitting the Time of our Parliaments, for how abfurd is it to maintain that the People have a Right to make and change a King, and yet have no Right to change their Reprefentatives, to whom they delegate their Power of keeping the King from being independant of his

People

People? I move, then, and I hope to be feconded by every Gentleman in the House, that leave may be given to bring in Heads of a Bill for limiting the Duration of Parliaments in this Kingdom.

"Ordered, that leave be given to bring in Heads of fuch a Bill, and that Dr L― and Mr F-do bring in the fame."

"Ordered, that the proper Officer do lay before this House the Inrollments of the Patents, by which the Offices of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Master of the Rolls, and Judges have been granted."

Dr L- then moved, that it might be an Inftruction to the Committee that was appointed to enquire into the Rifings in the North; to enquire alfo into the Causes of the Infurrections in the South: It seemed, he said, very extraordinary to him that the Indictments in the North were all laid for high Treafon, and thofe in the South only for a Riot, and a Breach of the Peace. As the Crimes in both Parts of the Country were precisely the fame, both in their Nature and Confequences, he was amazed, he faid, how the Profe

[DAY III. Profecution could be fo different, except in the Pursuance of a particular and partial Inftruction from above; he alfo threw out fome general Reflections on the Conduct of the Judges who fat in the South.

He was answered by Mr G-, the SG―, who said, he was greatly furprised that the honourable Gentleman had not been better informed, for that the Indictments in the South had, in many Cafes, been laid for high Treafon as well as in the North; and the Truth of this was fo notorious, that feveral had even been executed upon the Statute; he obferved, indeed, that in fome Cafes a Lenity had been fhewn, but he faid it was only when Reafon and Humanity required it, when the Delinquent had been deluded, and, in fome Measure, overborn by the Heads of the Infurgents, and that there was not the least Shadow of Reason to suppose that the Government had either Way interpofed, or directed the leaft Partiality to be shewn in difpenfing either Juftice, or Mercy, on this Occafion. He added, that as the learned Judges, from the Nature of their Employment, could not fit in that Houfe to defend themselves, he could not help anfwering for them, and should

think himself wanting, as well to his own Character as theirs, if he did not do them the Juftice to fay, that, they had behaved through the whole of that unhappy Affair fo as to deserve the greatest Honour both as Magiftrates and Men.

To this Dr L— made no Reply, but, upon his Motion, it was ordered, that it be an Instruction to the faid Committee to enquire into the Causes of the Infurrections in the South.

Anfwer of the Lord Lieutenant to the Addrefs of the Houfe.

"Gentlemen,

"I am extremely thankful for this very obliging Address: The favourable Opinion you are pleased to conceive of my Intentions, at the Commencement of my Administration, will, I flatter myself, be confirmed in the Course, and by the Conclufion of it. It will be my chief Endeavour to merit your Approbation by my own Conduct, and faithfully to represent to his Majefty the Loyalty and the Affection