the Houfe against it, and a Petition being then immediately drawn up and agreed to, the fame was prefented to the House of Commons on the 10th Day of April: Vide Hift. Reg. No LXX.

The prefenting of this Petition brought the Excife Scheme again upon the Carpet in that honourable Houfe. The City of London has always enjoyed this Privilege, that any Petition from them is prefented to the Houfe by their Sheriffs, and is brought up by the Clerk of the Houfe, and read at the Table, without asking the Leave of the Houfe for that Purpofe; whereas all other Petitions must be prefented by a Member of the Houfe, and cannot be by him brought up, or read at the Table by the Clerk, 'till Leave be firft asked of and granted by the Houfe. Accordingly this Petition was brought up and read at the Table, and as foon as it was read, Sir J-n B-d got up, and in a Speech full of that Strength of Reafon and Perfpicuity of Expreffion which he is fo much Mafter of, he fhewed how much the City and Citizens of London, as well as all the other trading Part of the Nation, wou'd be affected by the Bill for altering the Method of raifing the Duties payable upon Tobacco, and how juft Reafons they had to infift upon being heard by their Counfel against it, and concluded with a Motion for granting them Leave to be heard by their Counfel if they thought fit.

In Oppofition to this Motion, it was infifted on, that it had always been the Practice of that Houfe, never to receive any Petitions, and much less to admit Counsel to be heard against any Bill for impofing of Taxes upon the Subject; for that if any fuch Thing were to be admitted of, it would be impoffible ever to pafs any fuch Bill, becaufe there would be fo many different Petitions prefented against it by thofe who were to be. fubject thereto, that it would be impoffible to hear Counfel feparately upon every fuch Petition within the ufual Time of the Continuance of one Seffion of Parlia ment: And that in refufing to admit Counsel to be heard, there could be no Inconvenience, because every Man, and every Body of Men had their Reprefentatives in that Houfe, who certainly would reprefent their Cafe to the Houfe, if any particular Hard/hip was to be put upon them by any Bill then before the House.

To this it was replied, that the Houfe had never pretended to any general Cuftom of refufing Petitions, Except against thofe Bills which were called Money

Bills, that was to fay, fuch Bills as were brought in for raifing Money for the current Service of the Year.; and that even as to them there were many Precedents where the Houfe had admitted the Parties whom they thought to have a real Intereft therein, to be heard by their Counfel against the paffing of fuch Bills: That the admitting of Counfel even in fuch Cafes could never prevent the paffing of fuch Bills, becaufe the Houfe could always order all Parties petitioning to be heard at one Time, and could give fuch Directions that it would never take up many Days to hear every Thing that could be objected by every one of the Parties petitioning That tho' every Part of the Nation had their Reprefentatives in that Houfe, yet it was well known, that fpeaking in Publick was a Talent that every Man was not endowed with, from whence it might happen, that the particular Perfons, or Part of the Nation, which was then to be aggrieved by what was paffing in the House, might not have any fuch Members as were proper to lay their Cafe fully and clearly before the Houfe; and that therefore, even as to Money Bills, it was proper to admit Parties to be heard against them, when it appeared that they were very particularly interested therein.

But as to the Cafe then before them, there was not the leaft Pretence for refufing the Defire of the Petition, because the Bill, against which it was prefented, was no Money Bill; it was granted by the Advocates for the Bill; it was even infifted on as the greatest Argument› for it, that there was no new Duties to be imposed; it was a Bill only for altering the Method of collecting. the Taxes already impofed, and therefore it could never be pretended that there was any. Practice or Custom of the Houfe for refufing to admit Parties interested to be: heard against such a Bill: That if there had been such a Custom introduced, it ought not to be obferved, efpecially when fuch a confiderable Body, as the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of London, s come with an humble Petition to be heard against a Bill, which they thought would not only be highly injurious to them in particular, but deftructive of the Trade and Commerce of the whole Nation.

In this Debate there were many Precedents brought by Mr. S y's, Mr. G. n, and Mr. B-tle, where the Houfe had receiv'd Petitions, and admitted Counfel to be heard against Money Bills; and there.

were

were likewife Precedents brought by Sir Wins pp Yge, and Mr. Won, where the fame' had been refufed, the reading of which took up a great Part of the Day.

This Debate lafted fome Time, but on the Question's being put for allowing the Petitioners to be heard by their Counsel against the Bill, there was a Divifion, and the Question was carried in the Negative, 214 against $97.

After which it was ordered that the faid Petition fhould lie upon the Table, until the faid Bill fhould be read a fecond time.

"

Next Day, viz. on Wednesday the eleventh Day of April, a Petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the Town and County of the Town of Note singham (in Council affembled) in Behalf of themselves, and the rest of the Merchants and Tradefmen dealing in Tobacco in the faid Town, was prefented to the Houfe, and read; alledging, that the Bill depending in the Houfe for repealing feveral Subfidies and an Impoft then payable on Tobacco, &c. would be highly prejudicial to them, and encroach on their Liberties and Properties, and expreffing their Apprehenfion that the faid Bill, if paffed into a Law, would fubject them to great Oppreffons and Inconveniencies, by the Officers frequently entering their Houfes, and taking Account of their Stocks, which fuch Officers might difcover to any others; by being obliged to feek for, and fend Permits with their Goods, and the Hardships thereof with Respect to Time; by not being allowed the valuable Liberty of redreffing their Grievances by a Jury; and by the great Trouble, Charge and Lofs of Time in weighing their Tobacco at any Time required by the Officer, and the Prejudice to their Goods in uncasking and breaking them; and therefore befeeching the Houfe to confider and favour their Petition, and prevent the paffing a Law which would be any Ways deftructive of the Trade, or dangerous to the Liberties of the Petitioners, which Petition was ordered to lie upon the Table.

Immediately after which, a Petition of the principal Inhabitants and Traders of the ancient and loyal City of Coventry, in Behalf of themselves and the rest of their Fellow Citizens, was prefented to the Houfe, and read ; expreffing the Apprehenfion of the Petitioners, that the Bill depending in that Houfe, for repealing feveral Subfidies and an Ire poft then payable on Tobacco, 81.

would

would be prejudicial to the Trade of the Nation in ge -neral, and of the faid City in particular, and alfa injurious to the Liberties of their Fellow Subjects; and therefore praying the Houfe to take the Premiffes into Confideration, and give the Petitioners fuch Relief therein, as to the Houfe fhould feem meet. Which Petition was likewife order'd to lie upon the Table.

The Order of the Day being then read for the fecond Reading of the faid Bill, the Serjeant at Arms attending the Houfe, was of Course ordered to go with the Mace into Westminster Hall, and the Courts there, and into the Court of Requens, and the Places adjacent, and Summon the Members there to attend the Service of the Houfe; and he being returned, instead of reading the Bill a fecond: Time, a Motion was made by Mr. Cr of the Er that the Bill fhould be read a fecond Time upon the twelfth Day of June then next Tho' by this Motion it evidently appeared that the Bill was to be dropt; yet fome of the Gentlemen who had from the Beginning appeared firenuously against the whole Scheme, were not fatisfied with letting it drop in fo eafy a Manner, and therefore, they were for having it rejecteds but this Propofition did not come to a Motion, much lefs to the Queftion, fo that the first Motion was agreed to without Oppofition and upon the Friday after, which was the Day appointed for the Houfe to refolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to confider further of the moft sproper Methods for the better Security and Improvement of the Duties and Revenues then charged on and made payable from Tobacco and Wines, it was refolved, that the House. would upon the 14th Day of June then next, refolve itfelf into the faid Committee 18 against 76; so that that Part of the Scheme relating to the Duties on Wine was mever laid before the Houfe auð svil

There having been great Crowds of People about the Houfe on the 11th of April, and fome of them having behaved in a tumultuous Manner, the next Day Complaint was made to the Houfe by feveral Members, who had voted in Favour of the Scheme, that a tumultuous Crowd of People had been affembled together the Night before, and feveral Days during the Seffion, in the Court of Requefis, and other Avenues to that Houfe; and that they themselves and feveral other Members of the House had been laft Night, in their Return from the Houf, mengeed, infulted, and affaulted, by a tus multuous

multuous Crowd of People in the Paffages to the whereupon it was refolved and declared zemine contradicente; 10, That the affaulting, infulting, or menacing any Member of that Houfe, in his coming to or going from the Houfe, or upon the Account of his Behaviour in Parliament, was an high Infringement of the Privilege of that Houfe, a most outrageous and dangerous Violation of the Rights of Parliament, and an high Crime and Mifdemeanor. 2d, That the affembling and coming of any Number of Perfons in a riotous, tumultuous, and diforderly Manner to that Houfe, in order either to hinder or promote the paffing of any Bill or other Matter depending before the House, was an high Infringement of the Privilege of that Houfe, I was-deftructive of the Freedom and Conftitution of Parliament, and an high Crime and Mifdemeanor. 3d, That the inciting and encouraging any Number of Perfons to come in a riotous, tumultuous, and diforderly Manner to that Houfe, in order either to hinder or promote the palling of any Bill or other Matter depending before the Houfe, was an high Infringement of the Privilege. of that House, deftructive of the Freedom and Conflitution of Parliament, and an high Crime and Mifdemeanor.

Then it was ordered, ift, That the Members of that Houfe, who ferved for the City of London, fhould fignify the faid Refolutions and Declarations to the Lord Mayor of London. 20, That the Members of that Houfe, who Terved for the County of Middlefex, fhould fignify the faid Refolutions and Declarations to the Sheriff of Middlefex. 3d, That the Members of that Houfe, who ferved for the City of Westminster, fhould fignify the faid Refolutions and Declarations to the High Bailiff of Weftminster. Which Orders were accordingly fignified by the refpective Members, who next Day reported their having done fo to the Houfe.

On Wednesday the 21st of March his Majefty came to the House of Peers, and the Commons being fent for, his Majefty gave the Royal Affent to the following Publick Bills, wiz..?

An Act for punishing Mutiny and Defertion, and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters.

An Act to indemnify Perfons, who have omitted to qualify themselves for Employment's or Offices, by taking the Oaths, and making and subscribing the Declaration

againft