and therefore could not be, in our Opinion, within the Intention of the Order.

4thly, Because the Matters specified in the Anfwer are of fuch a Nature as feem only proper to be examined in this House; and had the Lords Petitioners fought a Remedy any where elfe, they might have been juftly cenfured: We apprehend therefore, that the pinning them down to the precife Words of the Order may be attended with this fatal Confequence, that all parliamentary Enquiries may be render'd much more difficult hereafter; which may probably give fuch Encouragement to corrupt Minifters, that they may be prompted to make the most dangerous Attempts upon the Conftitution, and hope to come off with Impunity: Such Apprehenfions naturally fuggeft the melancholy Reflections, that our Pofterity may fee the Time, when fome of those Lords, who fit upon a more precarious Foot than the reft of the House, having, thro' due Motives of Virtue and Honour, oppofed the Defigns of fome future Minifter, for that, and for that alone, may be excluded at an enfuing Election; and the whole World may be fenfible of the Cause of their Exclufion, no Remedy may be found, but their Cafe may become a Subject of National Concern, Indignation and Refentment.

Litchfield,

Then

道

Then it was moved to Order, that the faid Pe

tition be difmiffed.

Contents 8599 Question being put upon the faid

And after further Debate, the

Proxies 14

Not Cont. 49}

Motion?

Proxies 352 It was refolv'd in the Affirmative, And order'd accordingly.

Diffentient

ift, Because that tho' the Lords Petitioners have not literally complied with the Order, according to the Senfe of the House, yet they have laid before us Facts that are of fo criminal a Nature in them. felves, and fo dangerous in their Confequence to the Nation in general, and to this House in particular, that we think a due Regard to the Safety of the one, and the Honour of the other, require the ftrictest Examination.

Maynard.

Somerfet, Tadcaster, zdly, For when we confider the first Inftance mentioned in the Anfwer of the Lords Petitioners, viz. "That the Lift of Sixteen Peefs for Scotland "had been framed by Perfons in high Truft under "the Crown, long previous to the Election itself, " and that this Lift was fhewn to Peers, as a List

approv'd of by the Crown, and was called the King's Lift," we are fill'd with Indignation to fee that great Name indecently blended with the Names of Minifters, and profaned and prostituted to the worft Purposes; Purposes that must neceffarily tend to the Subverfion of our Constitution, which, we know, it is his Majefty's Glory and Defire to preferve: Such a criminal Attempt to fcreen or facilitate a minifterial Nomination, by the Interpofition, equally falfe and illegal, of his Majefty's Name, calls, in our Opinion, for the ftrictest Enquiry, and the feverest Punishment upon the Authors of the Fact, if it be prov'd, or the Affertors of it, if it be not: But is, in our Opinion, no way

to

to be dropt unexamin'd and unenquir'd into: Such a Precedent may, in future Times, encourage the worst of Minifters to load, with his Guilt, the best of Princes; the borrowed Name of his Sovereign inay at once become his Weapon and his Shield, and the Constitution owe its Danger, and he his Defence, to the Abufe of his Prince's Name, after a long Abuse of his Power.

3dly, Because the following Inftances, viz. "That Endeavours were ufed to engage Peers to t vote for this Lift, by Promife of Penfions and "Offices Civil and Military to themselves and near "Relations, and by actual Promife of Sums of Money.

"That Sums of Money were actually given to "or for the Ufe of fome Peers to engage them to "concur in voting this Lift.

"That annual Penfions were promised to be paid to Peers, if they concurred in the voting. this Lift, fome of them to be on a regular Eftablifhment, and others to be paid without any "Eftablishment at all.

"That about the Time of this Election, Num"bers of Penfions, Offices, of which feveral were "nominal, and Releases of Debts owing to the "Crown were granted to Peers who concurred in

voting this Lift, and to their near Relations," feem in the highest Degree to affect the Honour and Dignity of this Houfe: Since untainted Streams can hardly be expected to flow from a corrupted Source: And if the Election of Sixteen Peers to reprefent the Peerage of Scotland fhould ever, by the foul Arts of Corruption, dwindle into minifterial Nomination instead of Perfons of the first Rank, greatest Merit, and most considerable Property, we may expect, in future Parliaments, to fee fuch only returned, who, owing their Election to the Nomination of the Minifter, may purchase

the

131 the Continuance of their precarious Seats by a fatal and unanimous Submiffion to his Dictates: Such Perfons can never be impartial Judges of his Conduct, fhould it ever be brought in Judgment before this great Tribunal.

4thly, Because the last Instance mentioned, viz. That on the Day of Election, a Battalion of his Majefty's Forces was drawn up in the Abby-Court at Edinburgh, and three Companies of them were marched from Leith, a Place at one Mile's Diftance, to join the reft of the Battalion, and kept under Arms from Nine in the Morning till Nine at Night when the Election was ended, contrary " to Custom at Elections, and without any Caufe "or Occafion, that your Petitioners could forefee,

other than the over-awing of the Election," we apprehend to be of the highest Confequence both to our Liberties in general, and the Freedom of Elections in particular; fince whatever may have been the Pretence, whatever Apprehenfions of Diforders or Tumults may have been alledged in this Cafe, may be equally alledged on future Occafions, efpecially as we have a Number of regular Forces, abundantly fufficient to answer fuch Calls; and we apprehend, that the Employment affigned to this "Battalion will give great Diftruft and Uneafiness to many of his Majefty's Subjects, who will fear what Ufe may be made of the reft of that very great Number of Men now kept up in this Nation.

5thly, Because we conceive, that fuch a Treatment given to a Petition that contained an Information of Matters of fo great Importance, and sign'd by Peers of fuch great Rank, Honour and Veracity, muft in future Times difcourage all Informations of the like Nature.

6thly, Though all Lords declared their Defire of examining to the Bottom of these important Facts, and though we fhould acknowledge ourselves to be VOL. II.

K

per

A. 1734perfuaded that it was their real Intention, yet we much doubt, whether the World will judge with the fame Candour, and not rather impute this Difmiffion of the Petition to an Unwillingness in this Houfe to enquire into Facts that are in their Nature fo injurious to the Crown, fo deftructive of the Honour of Parliament, and fo dangerous to the whole Frame of our happy Conftitution.

Bedford, Berkshire,

Graham,

Strafford,

Scarfdale,

Shaftesbury,

Bathurst,

Suffolk,

After which, a printed Paper, entitled, The Protefts of the most Noble and Right Honourable the Peers of Scotland, made in the Borough-Room at Edinburgh, June the 4th, 1734, as containing Reflections upon the Government and the Peerage, was offered to the House.

As was alfo a written Copy of the faid Protefts, attested by Witneffes who were ready to prove it to be an authentick Copy.

And it being defired, that the fame may be read,
It was moved to adjourn.

After Debate, the Question was Contents: 73 put, whether the Houfe fhall be Not Cont. 39 now adjourned to Monday next at

Eleven of the Clock?

It was refolv'd in the Affirmative.

Diffentient'

Because we can by no Means think it confiftent with the Honour of the Houfe to adjourn without

ap.