not know but a great Part of it may then be repealed; but as for that Part of it which relates to the Civil Lift, I doubt much if it will ever be in our Power to get it repealed; I am convinced that, before next Seffion, it will be found neceffary to alter the whole Scheme of this Bill, and to contrive fome new Method for preventing the conftant and exceffive Ufe of fpirituous Liquors among our People of inferior Rank; but in the mean Time Thousands of our People abroad and at home will be utterly undone ; and as fuch Perfons cannot be recovered, nor receive any Benefit, by those Alterations we may then think proper to make, I am for preventing the Spreading of this Defolation as much as poffible, and therefore I am for adding the Claufe now propofed. The Queftion was then put upon the Claufe offer'd, but upon a Divifion it was rejected, by 203 to 98, and then the Bill was ordered to be ingroffed. On Tuesday the 20th of April, the Bill was read a third Time, and paffed without a Division; and Sir Cha. Turner was ordered to carry the Bill to the Lords, and defire their Con In the House of Lords, the fame Petitions were prefented against this Bill, as had been prefented against it in the House of Commons, but they met with the fame Fate; for as the Bill was a Money-Bill, their Lordfhips knew that the Commoms would not agree to any Alterations or Amendments they might think proper to make; and though feveral of their Lordships expreffed their Diflike to the Bill in general, as well as to fome of the particular Claufes in it, yet they said they thought the exceflive drinking of fpirituous Liquors was come to fuch a Height among the lower Rank of our People, that it required an immediate Remedy, therefore they were for agreeing to that Bill, fuch as it was, rather than allow that prodigious Enormity to continue for another Year; becaufe in the next Seffion of Parliament the Bill might be amended or alter'd as fhould then feem proper, and they would then be able to grant fome Relief to our Sugar Colonies, with Refpect to the Hardships they might be laid under by that Bill: For this Reafon, the Majority of that Houfe were for paffing the Bill without any Amendment or Alteration, fo that it was paffed in that Houfe without any confiderable Debate or Oppofition; though fome of those who were for the Bill, were for hearing the WeftIndia Petitioners against it by their Counsel, not with a Design to amend or alter the Bill; but with a Defign to learn from them the principal Difficulties they then laboured under, in order that their Circumftances might be maturely confider'd, and a proper Redrefs prepared, and made ready for being paffed into a Law, against the Meeting of next Seffion of Parliament This Propofition was, however, rejected, and the Petition ordered to lie upon the Table. The fame Day the above-mentioned Petition againft fpirituous Liquors was prefented to the Houfe of Commons, viz. on the 20th of February, Sir John Rafhout prefented to that Houfe (according to Order) A Bill for the further regulating Elections of Members to ferve for the Commons in Parliament in that Part of Great Britain called England, containing fome excellent Regulations for preventing Difputes about Elections, especially with Refpect to Counties. This Bill was then received, read a first Time, and ordered to be printed: On Thurf day following it was read a fecond Time, and ordered to be committed: Wednesday, March 24, the House re faid Books, fince the Time of the faid Delivery thereof, and as to the taking Copies of and collating the faid Books, and as to the Declarations of the faid High Sheriff, and other Circumstances before and at the solved itself into a Committee on the said Bill, and made fome Progrefs; but as it is very difficult to frame Bill of that Nature, fo as to prevent any Danger of Grievances arifing from it, fome Difficulties were started in the Committee, which occafion-Time of fuch Delivery: After which ed the poftponing of the Bill to auother Seffion. the following Queftion was propofed, vix. That Books, called the original Poll-Books of the laft Election of Members to ferve in Parliament for the County of York, produced by Robert Appleton, Deputy Clerk of the Peace for the East Riding of the faid County, and which were delivered over to him by the High Sheriff of the faid County in open Court, at the Quarter-Seffions of the Peace for the faid Riding, about two Months after the faid Election, as the original Poll taken at the faid Election, and which have been kept by him the faid Deputy Clerk of the Peace ever fince among the Records of the Seffions of the Peace for the faid Riding, the faid Books not being delivered over by the faid Sheriff within the Time, nor upon Oath, as required by the Act of the tenth Year of the Reign of the late Queen (for the more effectual preventing frau. On Tuesday the 24th of February, the Houfe proceeded (according to Order) to the Hearing of the Matters of the feveral Petitions, complaining of an undue Election and Return for the County of York, and the Deputy Clerk of the Peace for the Eaft-Riding of the faid County, having produced feveral Books, as the original Poll taken at the faid Election; and being examined as to the Time, Place, and Manner of the Delivery thereof to him by the High Sheriff of the faid County; the Counsel for the fitting Member, Sir Miles Stapleton, Bart. against whom only the Petitions were aimed, objected that the faid Books ought not to be admitted as Evidence, the fame not having been delivered over upon Oath, nor within the Time limited by Law, nor any Proof given, that no Alterations had been made therei after the faid Election, and before the said Delivery. Upon this Objec-dulent tion the Counsel on both Sides being heard, and the Preamble and the fifth Section of an A&t made in the 10th Year of the Reign of Queen Anne,' intituled, An Act for the more effectual preventing fraudulent Convey-ftion was put, which was carried in ances, in order to multiply Votes for electing Knights of Shires to ferve in Parliament, being read; as alfo the Journal of the Houfe of the 12th Day of March, 1727, in Relation to the Report of the Committee of Privileges and Elections, touching the Election for the County of Bucks ;ing of the Matters of the faid Petithe faid Clerk was again called in and tions fhould be adjourned till Thurfexamined as to the keeping of the day Morning then next. Ff Conveyances, in order to multiply Votes for electing Knights of Shires to ferve in Parliament) be admitted as Evidence.' This Motion occafioned a long De bate, and at laft the previous Que the Affirmative; and then the main Question being put, it was likewise carried in the Affirmative, upon a Divifion 201 to 164: Whereupon the faid Poll Books, and Copies of them, were delivered in; and then it was ordered that the further Hear As As fome of our Readers may not perhaps have the Acts of Parliament by them, we fhall give them the 5th Section of the above-mentioned Act of Parliament, which is as follows, viz. Enacted, That in taking the < Poll, the Sheriff, &c. fhall enter the Place of the Elector's Freehold, and of his Abode, and fhall mark Jurat. against his Name, and the Returning Officer fhall, within Twenty Days after the Election, deliver over to the Clerk of the Peace all the Poll Books, on Oath made before the two next Juftices of Peace, Quorum unus, &c. without Imbezzlement or Alteration; and in fuch Counties where there are no more than one Clerk of the Peace, then he fhall deliver the original Poll Books to one, and the artefted Copies to the reft, to be preferved among the Records of the Seffions of Peace.' On Thursday following the House proceeded, according to Order, to the further Hearing of the Matters of the faid Petitions, and the Counfel for the Petitioner, Sir Rowland Winn, Bart. and the other Petitioners, having propofed, in order to difqualify John Maken, who voted for Sir Miles Stapleton at the faid Election, and then fwore that he was a Freeholder, to prove by Parol Evidence, that he had no Freehold at the Time of the faid Election, in the Place, where he then fiwore, that his Freehold did lie; the admitting of fuch Evidence was objected to by the Counsel for the fitting Member, who aledged, that no Man's Parol Evi'dence could be admitted, or received as any Proof, against the Affidavit of another Man; and the Counsel of both Sides being heard upon this Objection, and feveral Journals relating to it read, the following Question was propofed, viz. That the Counfel for the Petitioners be admitted to give Parol Evidence, as to a Perfon being no Freeholder at the Time of the Elec tion, who fwore himself then to be a Freeholder.' This Motion likewife occafioned a long Debate, but at laft the Queftion was, upon a Divifion, carried in the Affirmative by 206 against 152; after which the further Hearing of the Matters of the faid Petitions was adjourned to the Tuesday following. Accordingly, the House having then re-affumed the Hearing of this Affair, the Counsel for the Petitioners proceeded to examine one Jofhua Wilson, in order to difqualify the above-mentioned John Maken, as having had no Freehold at the Time of the faid Election, in the Place, where he then fivore, that his Free hold did lie, and the faid Wilfon beginning to give Evidence of the Dif qualification, by relating the Confeffion of the faid John Maken, he was interrupted by the Counsel for the fitting Member, who faid, that as the Houfe would not admit of a Man's Confeffion, even before them, as an Evidence against what he fwore ac the Time of an Election, they would not furely admit of a Man's private Confeffion to a Neighbour in the Country, as any Evidence against what he fwore at the Time of an Election. Upon this the Counfel of both Sides were heard, and feveral Journals read, particularly the Refolution of that Houfe of the 12th Day of February then laft, in the Cafe of the Election of the Borough of Southwark, against admitting the Petitioner's Counfel to examine Thomas Gaman in Contradiction to his Oath at that: Election: And then the following Queftion was propofed, viz. That the Counsel for the Petitioners be admitted to give Evi⚫dence dence as to what a Voter confeffed of his having no Freehold, who at the Time of the Election swore <he had.' Upon this Motion there was alfo a long Debate ; but upon the Queftion's being pur, it was carried, upon a Divifion, in the Affirmative by 181 to 132. After which the Counfel for the Petitioners proceeded to examine the faid Wilson, and feveral other Witneffes, in order to difqualify feveral other Perfons, who voted for the heard upon this Objection, after som fhort Debate, the Queftion was put and carried, That the Counsel for the Peritioners fhould be admitted to give Evidence as to a Perfon's having no Freehold at all, to whom the Peritioners had objected, in their List of Objections, that fuch Perfon had not a Freehold of 40s. per Annum. After which the further Hearing of this Affair was adjourned to the Thursday Morning following. The Houfe proceeded upon the Hearing of this Matter every Tues went on in examining Witnesses and producing Evidence, in order to difqualify a great Number of Perfons who had voted for the faid fitting Member without any remarkable Contest or Delrate, till Thursday the 22d of April, when they fummed up their Evidence; by which they alledged they had difqualified feveral Perfons as not being affeffed to the publick Taxes, Church Rates, and Parish Duties: Others, as having no Freehold in the Place where they swore that their Freehold did lie; and of them feveral as having no Eftate at all, being School Masters, Parish Clerks, Curates, Hofpital Men," Leafe-holders and Copy-holders: Others, as not having Freeholds of the Value of 40 s. per Annum : Others, as being Minors: Others, as having purchased their Freeholds within one Year before the Election: - faid fitting Member at the faid Elec-day and Thursday, and the Petitioners tion, and having begun to examine a Witness, in order to difqualify one of thofe Perfons, to whom the Petitioners, in the Lifts by them delivered, pursuant to the Order of the Houfe of Friday the 16th Day of January then last, had objected, that he was not affeffed, nor had a Freehold of 40s. per Annum in the Place, where, at the Time of the faid Election, he fwore that his Freehold did lie; and it appearing that the Evidence, which that Witnefs gave, tended to prove that fuch Perfon had no Freehold at all there, he was interrupted in his Evidence by the Counsel for the fitting Member, who faid, that by the faid Order Peritioners were obliged to deliver to the fitting Members Lifts of the Perfons intended by the Petitioners to be objected to, who voted for the fitting Members, giving, in the faid Lifts, the feveral Heads of Objection, and distinguishing the fame against the Names of the Voters excepted to; and as the Peritioners had not objected to this Perfon, that he had no Freehold at all, but only that he had not a Freehold of 40. a Year, where, at the Time of the faid Election, he fwore that his Freehold did lie; therefore no Evidence was to be admitted for proving that he had no Freehold at all: The Counfel of both Sides being Others, One, as Others, as having been influenced to vote by Threats: as having voted twice: being an Alien: And others, whose Votes appeared upon the Poll, tho' there were no fuch Perfons, either in the Place where they swore their Freeholds did lie, or in the Places where they fwore that their Abode was; whereupon the further Hearing of the Affair was adjourned to that Day Se'night; when it was ad journe Ff2 SIS journed to the Tuesday Morning | thereafter; and then, after the Counfel for the fitting Member were heard, who alledged that they would soon fhew, that most of the Objections made to their Voters were either falfe or frivolous, and that they would effectually difqualify a much greater Number of the Voters for Sir Rowland Winn, the Petitioner, than he, or the other Petitioner had pretended to difqualify of their's, the Affair was adjourned to that Day Se'night, upon which Day no Mention was made of it, fo that the Affair was entirely dropt for that Seffion, and probably for ever, because it cannot be again fet on foot without renewing all the Petitions in this next Seffion, and beginning the Affair de Novo, in the fame Manner as if no Progrefs had ever been made. On Wednesday the 25th of February, -ys,Efq; moved for Leave to bring in a Bill for the better fecuring the Freedom of Parliaments, by limiting the Number of Officers in the House of Commons; and Leave was accordingly given, and the faid Mr. S. ys, Mr. G lle, Mr. Gre, and Mr. H ordered to prepare and bring in the fame: On the 12th of March Mr. S- ―ys prefented the faid Bill to the Houfe; and the fame was received, and read a first Time, and order'd to be read a fecond Time: And on the 31ft it was read a fecond Time, and a Motion made for its being committed, which being oppofed, there enfued a long Debate, and upon the Questions being put, the Bill mer with its ufual Fate, the Queftion was upon a Divifion carried in the Negative by 224 to 177. This Bill having been often before debated in both Houfes, it was impoflible there could be any Thing very new faid upon the Subject; and as we have former. ly given a full Account of thofe De we were bates, we fhall now only refer our Readers to them. On the faid 25th of February, the Houfe refolved felf into a Committee to confider further of the Supply granted to his Majefty; and came to the following Refolutions, viz. 1. That the Sum of 56,250% fhould be granted to his Majefty, on' Account of the Subfidy payable to the King of Denmark, purfuant to the Treaty bearing Date the 19th Day of September, 1734, for the Service of the Year 1736. 2. That a Sum not exceeding 46,780 1. 18 s. fhould be granted to his Majefty, upon Account for reduced Officers of his Majefty's Land Forces and Marines, for the Year 1736. 3. That a Sum not exceeding 3828. fhould be granted to his Majefty, for paying of Penfions to the Widows of fuch reduced Officers of his Majefty's Land Forces and Marines, as died upon the Establishment of Half-pay in Great Britain, (and who were married to them before the 25th Day of December, 1716) for the Year 1736. 4. That a Sum not exceeding 21,096 1. 9. 8 d. fhould be granted to his Majefty, to make good the Deficiency of the Grants for the Service of the Year 1735, Which Refolutions were next Day reported, and agreed to by the Houfe. The fame Day it was ordered that' the proper Officer fhould lay before the Houfe an Account of the feveral Sorts and Quantities of Corn, which had been exported from Christmas, 1734, to Chriflmas, 1736; as alfo from what Places and Ports, and in what Quantities they had been exported, together with an Account of the Bounty that had been paid thereon. This Account was prefented on Monday the 8th of March, and was as follows, viz. Ам |