'Iffue, the Princess Sophia, Ele&refs and Dutchefs Dowager of Hanover; and after the 'Decease of the faid Princefs Sophia, the next in Succeffion to the Crown, for the time be" ing, according to the Limitation of the faid 6 Acts; and the fame, maliciously, advifedly, ' and directly fhall attempt by any Overt-A& or Deed; every fuch Offence fhall be adjudged High Treafon, and the Offender or Offen'ders therein, their Abetters, Procurers, and Comforters, knowing the faid Offence to ⚫ be done, being thereof Convicted or Attainted, according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, fhall be deemed and adjudged Traitors, and fhall fuffer Pains of Death, and · all Loffes and Forfeitures, as in Cafes of 6 High Treafon.

Her Majefty in the Fourth Year of her Reign, gave the Royal Affent to an A&, Entitled, An Act for the Naturalization of the moft Excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Dutchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Iffue of her Body; by which it is enacted, That the faid Princefs Sophia, and the Iffue of her Body, and all Perfons lineally difcending from her, born, or hereafter to be born, be, and shall be, to all Intents and Purposes whatfoever, deemed, taken, and esteemed Natural-born Subjects of this Kingdom, as if the faid Princefs, and the If fue of her Body, and all Perfons lineally defcending from her, born, or hereafter to be born, had been born within this Realm of Exgland, any Law, Statute, Matter, or Thing whatfoever to the contrary notwithstanding. With a Provifo, that every Perfon who fhall be Naturalized by Virtue of this A&, and fhall

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fhall become a Papift, or profefs the Popish Religion, fhall not enjoy any Benefit or Advantage of a Natural born Subject of Enggland, but fhall be judged an Alien.

And in the Fourth and Fifth Year of her Majefly's Reign another A&t paffed the Royal Affent, Entituled, An Act for the better fecu-" ring her Majefty's Perfon and Government, and of the Succeffion to the Crown of England in the Proteftant Line; by which, amongst other things, it is Enacted, That if any Perfon เ or Perfons, from and after the 25th Day of March 1766, fhall maliciously, advisedly and directly, by Writing or Printing, declare, maintain and affirm, that our our Sovereign Lady the Queen, that now is, is not the Lawful or Rightful Queen of thefe Realms; or that the Pretended Prince of Wales, who now ftiles himself King of England by the ' Name of James the Third, hath any Right 6 or Title to the Crown of thefe Realms or that any other Perfon, or Perfons hath or have any Right or Title to the fame, • otherwife than according to an A&t or Parliament, made in the First Year of their late Majefties King William and Queen Mary, Entituled, An Act declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and fettling the Succeffion of the Crown; and one other A&, <made in the 12th Year of the Reign of his faid late Majefty King William the Third, Entituled, An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown, and Better fecuring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject:

'Or that the Kings or Queens of England, with and by the Authority of the Parliament

of

of England, are not able to make Laws and Statutes of fufficient Force and Validity, to limit and bind the Crown of this Realm, and the Defcent, Limitation, Inheritance and • Government thereof, every such person or Perfons fhall be guilty of High Treafon, and being thereof Convicted and Attainted, ac'cording to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, fhall be deemed and adjudged TraiC tors, and fhall fuffer Pains of Death, and 'all Loffes and Forfeitures as in Cafe of High Treafor.

And that if any Perfon, or Perfons, fhall 'from and after the faid 25th Day of March, Maliciously and Directly, by Preaching, Teaching, or advised Speaking, declare, maintain, and affirm, in manner as aforesaid; every fuch Perfon, or Perfons, being 'thereof lawfully Convicted, fhall incar the Danger and Penalty of Pramunire...

And that the Parliament shall not be dif folved by the Death or Demife of Her Ma jefty, Her Heirs or Succeffors; but fuch Parliament, if fitting at the time of fuch 'Demife, may proceed to A&t for fix Months, and no longer, unless the fame shall be fooner Prorogued, or Diffolved by fuch Perfon to whom the Crown of this Realm of England fhall come, according to the Acts for limiting and fettling the Succeffion above⚫ mentioned. And if the faid Parliament shall be fo Prorogued, then it fhall meet and fit on the Day unto which it fhall be Prorogued, and continue for the refidue of the faid fix Months, unlefs fooner Prorogued or diffolved as aforefaid. And if there be a Parlia" ment

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ment in Being, at the time of the Death of Her Majefty, Her Heirs or Succeffors, but happens to be feparated by Adjournment or Prorogation, fuch Parliament fhall immediately after fuch Demife meet, and A& for fix Months, and no longer, unless the fame • fhall be Prorogued, or diffolved, as aforefaid. And in Cafe there is no Parliament in being, at the time of fuch Demife, that has met and fate, then the laft preceding Parliament fhall immediately convene, and fit at • Westminster, and be a Parliament to continue as aforesaid; but fubje&t to be Prorogued, ' and Diffolved, as aforefaid.

That the Privy-Council of Her Majefty, Her Heirs, and Succeffors, fhall not be dif folved, by fuch Death or Demife,but fhall conti. nue for fix Months, unless fooner determined by the next Succeffor;

Nor fhall any Office, Place, or Employ. ment, Civil or Military, become void by fuch Demife, but continue alfo for fix Months, unless the Perfons enjoying them fhall be fooner removed, and difcharged by the next • Succeffor.

And if Her Majefty fhall happen to die without Iffae, the Privy Council fhall with all convenient Speed caufe the next Prote'ftant Succeffor, entituled to the Crown of England, by Virtue of the A&s abovementioned, to be openly and folemnly Proclaimed in England, and Ireland, in ufual manner; ⚫ and every Member thereof wilfully Negleing or Refufing to caufe fuch Proclamation to be made, fhall be guilty of High Treafon; and every Officer, by the Privy-Council re

'quired

quired to make fuch Proclamations, wilfully Neglecting or Refufing, thall be guilty of, and fuffer the Penalties of High Treafon.

• And for continuing the Administration of ⚫ the Government in the Name of fuch Pro' teftant Succeffor, until Her or His Arrival in England, The Lord Arch-bishop of Can" terbury, the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper, Lord High Treafurer, Lord Prefident of the Council, Lord Privy Seal, Lord High Ad• miral, and Lord Chief Juftice of the Queen's Bench, at that time being, are thereby Appointed Lords Justices of England, until fuch 'Succeffor arrive, or determine their Authority. 'And the Perfon to fucceed in cafe of Her Majefty's Death, without Iffue, is impowered at any time during Her Majefty's Life, by 'Three Inftruments under Her or His Hand and Seal, to appoint fo many Natural Born Subjects of England, as She or He shall think fit, to be added to the above-mentioned Lords Juftices, to Act with them as Lords Juftices of England, who, or the Major part, not being fewer than Five, thall Execute the Pow· er of Lords Juftices.

The faid Three Inftruments to be Tranf 'mitted into England, to the Resident of the 'Perfon next to Succeed, (whofe Credentials

fhall be inroll'd in Chancery,) and to the Arch"Bishop of Canturbury, and Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper, clofe Seal'd up; and after they are fo tranfmitted, fhall be severally pat into feveral Covers, and severally Sear'd by 'fuch Refident, Arch-bishop, and Chancellor, or Keeper, and feverally depofited in the Hands of fuch Refident, Arch-bishop, and Chan

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