" for the Defence of any Dominions or Territories "which do not belong to the Crown of England, "without the Confent of Parliament.] Which being objected to, Contents 15 Not Cont. 94 After Debate, the Queftion was, whether thofe Words shall be made Part of the faid Refolution? It was refolved in the Negative, Diffentient' ift, The Claufe of the Act of Parliament referred to in the Words proposed to be added, being paffed into a Law upon the folemn Occasion of fettling the Crown of thefe Realms upon his Majefty and his Royal Iffue, and the fame Provifion, and others, in that Act made, having been fince re-enacted by Parliament upon another very folemn Occafion, we are of Opinion, that it is hereby become a fundamental and a very facred Part of the Conftitution of the united Kingdom, upon the strict and unviolable Observance of which the future Tranquility of this Nation, and the Properties of the Subjects of Great Britain, may, in our Opinions, greatly depend; and therefore we thought the Words propofed fit to be added to a Refolution of this House, wherein the Defence of his Majesty's Dominions and Territories, not belonging to the Crown of thefe Realms, is, as we conceive, in fome measure engaged for. 2diy, We are of Opinion, that the unfeigned Zeal constantly fhewn by this House in Defence of his Majefty's facred Perfon, and the Honour and true Intereft of his Government, can never fail to exert itself in Vindication of his Majesty's Honour against all Infults and Indignities whatsoever; and tho' we are far from thinking but that a Cafe may arife, wherein the Confent of this Houfe to engage this Nation in a War in Defence of his Majesty's Dominions in Germany may be both just and neces fary, fary, yet it being, in our Judgment, referved to both Houses of Parliament, by the Laws abovementioned, to deliberate and advise upon all the Circumstances, and thereupon to confent to the Juftice of the Caufe whereby this Nation fhall at any time be engaged in a War upon that Account, we are therefore convinced, that the Words propofed ought to have been added to the Refolution. 3dly, And the rather, because the Words propofed to be added import the most dutiful and entire Confidence in his Majefty's Wisdom and Juftice to thefe Kingdoms in that Refpect; and therefore, if they had been added to the Refolution of this House at this critical Juncture, would, as we conceive, have prevented any Jealoufies which might happen to arise in the Minds of the Subjects of this Realm, in a Matter which we think to be of fuch high Importance to them. Strafford, Lechmere, Compton, Scarfdale, Litchfield, Craven, Bristol, Die Mercurii 200 Aprilis, 1726. The Order of the Day being read for taking into Confideration that Part of the printed Votes of the House of Commons of the 24th of March, 1725, purporting to be a Meffage to that House from his Majefty, under his Royal Sign-Manual. And the fame being read by the Clerk, It was propofed to adjourn the further Confideration thereof for a Month. Contents 59 Month? After Debate, the Question was put, whether the further Confideration of the faid Order of the Day fhall be adjourned to this Day It was refolved in the Affirmative. Diffentient' ft, Because we conceive the Subject-Matter of this Debate to be of fo great Confequence to his Majefty's Service, to the Honour of this House, to the Conftitution of Parliament, and to the Profperity of the Kingdom, that it ought not to have been postponed at all, much less for such a Length of Time: It must be for the Service and Support of the Crown to have the Advice of both Houses of Parliament upon all Occafions; and as the Meffage taken Notice of was only fent to the House of Commons, there has hitherto been no Communication with this House thereupon, tho' it contains Matters of the highest Importance; and we conceive, that it tends to undermine the very Foundation of this Houfe, when the Lower House is alone advised with upon any Matter which concerns the Interest of the whole Kingdom. 2dly, As this Houfe has always been esteemed the hereditary and perpetual Guardians of the Liberties and Properties of the People, they ought not to be excluded from giving their Advice in all Matters of publick Concern; and the Rights of the People of England are, as we apprehend, invaded, whenever they are deprived of the Affiftance of this Houfe of Parliament, without whom no Aids can be given to the Crown, nor no Taxes impofed on the People; therefore, as we conceive, this Meffage being fent to the House of Commons, only tends to fubvert thofe Rights: We think this Debate fhould not have been adjourned, left any Inference should be drawn from this dilatory Proceeding, that this Houfe is not as jealous of their Rights and Privileges at this Time, and as much determined to fupport them, as any of their Ancestors have formerly been. 3dly, Since it cannot be doubted, that it is an inherent and fundamental Right in this House to alter and amend all Money-Bills which come from the the Commons, we cannot but apprehend also, that Demands of Supply fhould come from the Throne in the House of Parliament, according to antient Ufage; and, we conceive, all other Methods of demanding Supplies are new, and must be dangerous to the Conftitution. 4thly, Because there is an Expreffion in the Meffage which we apprehend to be entirely unprecedented, and never before used in any Meffage to the House of Commons, the Appellation of Parliament being given to them feparately from this House; and therefore, left any Mistake of this Kind should be attended with fuch ill Confequences as to encourage evil Minifters hereafter to a total Neglect of this House, we conceive, the proper Notice fhould have been taken of it immediately, without deferring the further Confideration thereof for a Month. Die Martis 240 Januarii, 1726. Report was made from a Committee of the whole House to whom it was referred to confider of his Majefty's Speech at the Beginning of the Seffion, and fome Papers containing Transactions between the Courts of Great-Britain and Spain, fince the appearing of the British Fleet on the Coast of Spain or the Weft-Indies, together with a copy of the Acceffion of the States-General to the Treaty of Hanover, That they had come to the following Refolution, viz. That it fully appears to this Committee, upon Confideration of his Majefty's Speech, and the Letters Letters and Memorials laid before the House by his Majesty's Order, That the Measures his Majefty has thought fit to take were honourable, juft, and neceffary for preventing the Execution of the dangerous Engagements enter'd into in Favour of the Pretender, for preferving the Dominions belonging to the Crown of Great Britain by folemn Treaties, and particularly thofe of Gibralter and the Ifland of Minorca, and for maintaining to his People their most valuable Rights and Privileges of Commerce, and the Peace and Tranquility of Europe, Which being read twice by the Clerk, The Question was put, whether Contents 98 to agree with the Committee in this Not Cont. 25 Refolution? It was refolved in the Affirmative. Diffentient' ft, The Refolution of the Committee being not only a Juftification of the Measures therein mention'd, but tending to approve the Counfels which have been given to the Crown relating thereto, we can by no means agree, that it fully appears they were honourable, juft and neceffary, before they have been maturely and diftinctly confidered; the only Question as yet debated in the Committee (except the Refolution) being upon an Address of Advice to his Majefty for obtaining a further Security from and Confidence with his Allies, in Cafe of a Rupture; which Address appeared to us more reafonable and neceffary, in the prefent Conjuncture, than any Vote of Approbation; we therefore cannot concur in approving Meafures and Counsels not yet examined into, the further Confideration whereof may be alfo precluded by this Refolution. 2dly, The Papers hitherto laid before the House, in order to the Confideration of his Majefty's Speech, are fuch only as concerted the Acceffion of the States General to the Treaty of Hanover, and the Letters |