2. II. CONTAINING, The moft Remarkable MoTIONS, SPEE Together with all the PROTESTS during that P AND THE Numbers Pro and Con upon each Divifior WITH An Account of the Promotions of the feveral PEERS, nd Connected with the Tranfactions of the COMMONS, AND Illuftrated with HISTORICAL NOTES and OBSERVATIONS. Together with the DEBATES in the Farliament of SCOTLAND To each VOLUME are added proper I VOLUME the FIFFH, from 1735, to 1759. LONDON: S. Printed for FRENEZER TIMBERLAND, in Ship-Yard, Temple-Bar, เ o. II. 5-5. THE HISTORY and PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS WITH THE DEBATES and PROTESTS therein, From the Acceffion of King GEORGE the First. The SECOND SESSION of the SECOND PARLIAMENT of 1735-6. A N. 15, 1735-6. was opened with a gracious Anno 9. Geo. II. the Houfe, it was mov'd as follows, viz. To order that an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to return Motion for an the Thanks of this Houfe for his moft gracious Speech Addrefs of from the Throne: To express the juft Senfe this Houfe Thanks. hath of his Majefty's great Concern for the Balance of Europe, his Vigilance to prevent a general War, and to maintain the Security and Commerce of his Kingdoms: To declare their Satisfaction in his Majefty's Perfeverance to pursue these great Ends, by endeavouring to bring the Contending Powers to an Accommodation, and the well-grounded Hopes which they always conceived, that the good Offices of his Majefty and the States General would be attended with real and beneficial Effects: To congratulate his Majefty on the pleafing Profpect of approaching Tranquillity, and to exprefs the great Satisfaction of this House 1735-6. A upon --6. пno 9. Geo. II. upon the gracious Communication made in his Speech touching the Preliminary Articles between the Emperor and France, and the joint Refolution taken thereupon by his Majefty and the States: To acknowledge, with the greatest Gratitude, his Majefty's tender Care of his People, in preserving to them the Bleflings of Peace; and to declare that this House fees with Pleafure, in our prefent Situation, the happy Effects of the extraordinary Supplies of late Years granted by Parliament: To return his Majefty, the Thanks of this House, for the Orders given for a Reduction of his Forces; affuring him, in the ftrongest Manner, that this Houfe will zealously and chearfully concur in all fuch Meafures as shall be neceffary to fecure the Safety of his Majefty's Kingdoms, and to continue the juft Influence of his Motion. own among the Powers abroad: To promise his Majesty, tint this Houfe will, to the utmoft, promote good Harmony and nanimity at Home, and demonftrate, by all their Actions, how much they have at Heart the effectual Support of his Majefty and his Government, the Preservation of the Proteftant Succeffion, and the Peace and Prosperity of their Country. Amendment of To this Motion feveral Objections were made; and in fered to the faid particular it was propofed to leave out, in the fifth Paragraph, thefe Words, viz. And to declare, that this House fees with Pleafure, in our prefent Situation, the happy Effects of the extraordinary Supplies of late Years granted by Parlia Arguments the faid Amend ment. ments. The Arguments made ufe of in Support of this Amendment, were in Substance as follow, viz. 6 My Lords, by the ancient Ufage of this Houfe, no Speech from the Throne was ever taken into Confideration the fame Day it was made. Our Ancestors were not fo ⚫ complaifant as to make any Compliments even to the Throne itself, without having firft maturely weighed the Subject upon which they were to make thofe Compliments; and therefore they always appointed a Day for taking his Majefty's Speech into Confideration; in order that those Lords, who knew nothing of the Speech till they heard. it from the Throne, might have Time to perufe it, and to ⚫ confider what might properly be faid, by way of Return. This, my Lords, was the ancient Cuftom, and this, I must think, was more confiftent with the Honour and Dignity of this House, than the Method we have lately fallen into, of taking his Majefty's Speech immediately into our • Confideration, and agreeing to fuch an Address as fome Lords may be pleased to propofe, before we can poffibly 1735-6. ⚫ have Time to confider whether it be proper or not. For Anno 9. Geo. II. this Reason I could wish we would return to our ancient • Custom, and, instead of agreeing or difagreeing to the Mo⚫tion now made, appoint a Day for taking his Majelty's Speech into our Confideration, and order the Houfe to be • fummoned for that Purpose. As I knew nothing of the Contents of his Majesty's Speech, till I heard it from the Throne, it cannot, my Lords, be prefumed that I can ftate my Objections to the Addrefs now proposed, in fuch a regular Manner as I 'might do, if a Day were appointed for our taking the • Speech into Confideration: I believe there are a great ' many other Lords in the fame Circumftances with me; and 'although we had, in a private Manner, been fully inform⚫ed of the Contents of that Speech which was to be made, yet I do not think it regular or confiftent with the Dig'nity of this Houfe, to proceed upon any such private In'formation. As Members of this House, we can have nothing under our Confideration, nor ought we to form an • Opinion or a Refolution about any thing, till it has, in a ' proper and regular Manner, been laid before the Houfe; and, in this light, I am of Opinion none of your Lord'fhips can fay, that you have fully and maturely confidered the Speech now before you; for my own Part, I am fure I cannot; but, even from the little Time I have had to 'confider the Speech and the Addrefs now moved for, I am fure I cannot pretend to say, that my Hopes have been ⚫ answered by the Peace that has been concluded, or by any thing else that has happened; for I must fay, I could ne⚫ver form any Hopes from the Measures we have taken, or from any Account of our late Transactions, that has c ⚫ been laid before this Houfe; and, I believe, there a many of your Lordships, who have always been of the fame Opinion with me; therefore, if we refolve to men⚫tion in our Addrefs, any thing about our Hopes, I think we ought to say, that by various hidden Caufes, and ex'traordinary Incidents, Providence has been pleased, without any Merit in us, to bring about a Peace, far beyond our Hopes, and even contrary to our Expectations. A Peace, my Lords, has, it is true, been brought about, but I am very certain, we cannot fay it is a good Peace for this Nation; and I am much afraid, it will not be fo lafting as • fome People may perhaps imagine. I know, my Lords, it has always been faid that no Ex'preffions in our Addrefs of Thanks, for his Majefty's most gracious Speech from the Throne, can any way tye up or 'controul the future Proceedings or Refolutions of this Houfe; 1735-6. A 2 ' yet |