vided for, and towards the difcharge of the faid principal fums, in fuch a manner as is therein directed, which had been duly certified from hence to his majefty, and, by his majefty, had been tranfmitted in due form under the great feal of Great Britain, and which had been read a first time by you, and which was rejected by you on that day, was fo rejected, because it did not take its rife in your house.' This vote, and this refolution of yours, declaring that the faid bill was rejected, because it did not take its rife in your house, being contrary to the acts of parliament of this kingdom of the 8th of Henry VIIth, and the 3d and 4th of Phillip and Mary, and the ufage and practice ever fince, and intrenching upon the just rights of his majefty, and the crown of Great Britain, to transmit fuch bills to be treated of and confidored in parliament here; I am now to affert his majefty's royal authority, and the rights of the crown of Great Britain, in this respect, and in fuch a manner as may be most public and permanent; and therefore I do here, in full parliament, make my public proteft against the said vote and refolution of the house of commons, by which you, gentlemen of that houfe, declare that the faid bill was rejected by you, because it did not take its rife in your houfe, and against the entries of the faid vote and refolution, which remain in the journals of the houfe of commons. And I do require the clerk of this houfe now to read my faid proteft, and to enter it in the journals of this houfe, that it may there remain to future ages, as a vindication of the undoubted rights and authority. of his majefty, and of the rights of the Crown of Great Britain in this particular, In this proteft, I think myfelf warranted in all refpects; and if it needed, as I conceive it doth not, any other ftrength than that it derives from the ftatutes which I have mentioned, and from the ufage and practice ever fince, it would be found in that precedent which appears in the journals of this houfe of the 3d day of Nov. 1692, under the reign of that glorious and immortal prince king William the third, the great deliverer of thefe kingdoms, and the conftant and magnanimous affertor and preferver of the civil and religious rights of mankind. After which the lord chancellor, by his excellency's command, faid,. My lords and gentlemen, It is his excellency the lord lieutenant's pleafure, that this parliament be prorogued to Tuefday the 20th day of March next, to be then here held; and this parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday the zoth day of March next. Our readers will fee the protest of the lords, made in confequence of this fpeech, in the Appendix to the Chronicle, p. 176. CHA CHARACTERS. Of the Malais; from the Travels of a Philofopher. By Mr. le Poivre. EYOND the kingdom of Siam is the peninfula of Ma-, lacca; a country formerly well peopled, and, confequently, well cultivated. This nation was once one of the greatest powers, and made a very confiderable figure on the theatre of Afia. The fea was covered with their fhips, and they carried on a moft extenfive commerce. Their laws, however, were apparently very different from those which fubfift among them at prefent. From time to time, they fent out numbers of colonies, which, one after another, peopled the islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Celebes or Macaffor, the Moluccas, the Philippines, and thofe innumerable inlands of the Archipelago, which bound Afia on the eaft, and which occupy an extent of feven hundred leagues in longitude, from eaft to weft, by about fix hundred of latitude, from north to fouth. inhabitants of all these islands, thofe at least upon the coafts, are the fame people; they speak almost the fame language, have the fame laws, the fame manners.-Is it not fomewhat fingular, that this nation, whofe poffeffions are fo extenfive, fhould fcarce be known in Europe ?-I fhall endeavour to give you an idea of those laws, and thofe manners; you will, from thence, eafily judge of their agriculture. VOL. XII. The Travellers who make obferva tions on the Malais, are aftonished to find, in the centre of Afia, under the fcorching climate of the Line, the laws, the manners, the cuftoms, and the prejudices of the ancient inhabitants of the north of Europe. The Malais are governed by feudal laws, that capricious system, conceived for the defence of the liberty of a few against the tyranny of one, whilst the multitude is fubjected to flavery and oppres fion. A chief, who has the title of king, or fultan, iffues his commands to his great vaffais, who obey when they think proper. These have inferior vaffals, who often act in the fame manner with regard to them. A fmall part of the nation live independent, under the title of Oramçai or noble, and fell their fervices, to those who pay them beft; whilst the body of the nation is compofed of flaves, and live in perpetual fervitude. With thefe laws the Malais are reftlefs, fond of navigation, war, plunder, emigrations, colonies, defperate enterprizes, adventures, and gallantry. They talk inceffantly of their honour and their bravery, whilft they are univerfally confidered, by thofe with whom they have intercourse, as the most treacherous, ferocious people on the face of the globe; and yet, which appeared to me extremely fingular, they fpeak the fofteft language of B Afia. |