1681. in former Parliaments, of the Votes and Tranfactions of the Anno 33 Car. II, Houfe. Let Men think what they pleafe, the Weight of England is the People; and the more they know, the heavier will it be; and I could wish fome would be fo wife as to confider, that this weight hath funk ill Minifters of State (almost) in all Ages; and I do not in the leaft doubt, but it will do fo to thofe who are the Enemies of our Religion and Liberties. And the World will find the honeft Commons of England will fink Popery at last, therefore I fecond the Motion.' I beg pardon if I confent not to the Motion of Printing Secretary the Votes, &c. confider the Gravity of this Affembly. "There Jenkins. is no great Affembly in Chriftendom does it. "Tis against the Gravity of this Affembly, and 'tis a fort of Appeal to the People. 'Tis against your Gravity, and I am against it. If you had been a Privy-Council, then 'twere fit what you H. Boscawen. do fhould be kept fecret. Your Journal Books are open, and Copies of your Votes in every Coffee-Houfe; and if you print them not, half Votes will be difperfed to your preju dice. This printing, &c. is like plain English-men, who are not afham'd of what they do; and the People whom you reprefent, will have a true account of what you do; you may prevent the publishing what parts of the Tranfactions you please, and print the reft." I find that those who write out Votes and Tranfactions, L. Gower. and fend them all England over, are favoured; and I believe no Gentleman in the Houfe will be against printing them but the Secretary. I hope you will not have reafon to be afham'd of what you do, therefore I am for printing, &c. By experience we have found, that when former Par-Colonel M. liaments have been prorogued or diffolved, they have been fent away with a Declaration againft their Proceedings. If our Actions be naught, let the World judge of them; if they be good, let them have their Virtue. Tis fit that all Chriftendom fhould have notice of what you do, and Pofterity what you have done, and I hope they will do as you do, therefore I am for printing, &c.' What has been faid by the Secretary, is a fingle Opinion, Sir F. Winning(for he fays, that printing the Votes is an Appeal to the ton People) I hope the Houfe will take notice, that printing theVote is not againft Law. But pray who fent us hither? The Privy-Council is conftituted by the King, but the House of Commons is by the choice of the People. I think it not natural nor rational, that the People who fent us hither, should not be informed of our Actions. In the long Parlia ment it was a Trade amongft Clerks to write the Votes and difperfe them, and they were queftioned for it there; but 'twas then faid by a learned Gentleman, that 'twas no Offence to TOME II inform P 1681. Anno 33 Car.II. inform the People of the Votes of Parliament, the JournalBooks being open, and the People ought to have notice of them. The long Parliament were wife in their Generation, to conceal many things they did from the People, and yet the Clerk was fent away, (who difperfed the Votes) and had nothing done to him. The Popish Party dread nothing more than Printing what you do; and I dread a man in the Secretary's poft, and fuch an Accufation as was upon him in the last Parliament, that he fhould hold fuch a Pofition, That printing the Votes is an Appeal to the People.' Debate on the Mifcarriage of a Bill for Re peal of 35 El. &c. R. Hampden. Sir F. Winnington. Sir N. Carew. Secretary Jenkins. L. Gower. Refolved, That the Votes and Proceedings of this Houfe be printed. A Motion was made to enquire why the Bill for Repeal of 35 El. &c. which had paffed both Houses, was not presented with the reft for the Royal Affent. I think the Motion, is to enquire after the flipping of that Act the last Parliament, and not prefenting it for the Royal Affent. For my own part, I look upon it as a Breach of the Conftitution of the Government. We are told, that we are Republicans, and would change the Government: but fuch as are about to do fo, 'tis a natural fear in them to be thought fo, and they will caft it upon others. In a croud 'tis frequent for Pickpockets to cry out, Gentlemen, have a care of your Pockets, that they may more fecurely do it themselves, and have the lefs fufpicion upon them. I will not offer this great thing to the confideration to-day, but move you to adjourn it till to-morrow I fhall humbly put in this word: I doubt this matter will be too big to be debated to-day; 'tis of great importance, and will not be forgotten; be pleased to adjourn the Debate, &c.'. "I humbly move, that for the prefervation of the Protestant Religion, and the King's Perfon, a Bill be brought in to prevent a Popifh Succeffor, and in particular against James Duke of York, the fame Bill which paft the laft Parliament." You are upon rifing, and I fhall not detain you long. I must give my Negative to this Motion, and my reafon why I do fo, is, because the King hath declared in his Speech, that as to the point of altering the Succeffion, he cannot depart from what he has fo often declared. The King has given his Vote against it, and therefore I must do fo too. The Duke of York is in Scotland, and I hope the King will come up to what he has faid in his Speech. My Liberty and Property is dear to me, and I'll fupport the King's Prerogative too; and I hope we fhall remove thofe People, Briars and Thorns who fcratch you in your intentions against Popery, which I fee we cannot prevent without this Bill to exclude the D. &c. And therefore I am for it.' Col. Birch. I am heartily heartily glad to find that the Zeal of the Anno 33 Car. II. Houfe ftill continues for the Prefervation of the Proteftant 1681. Religion. My Opinion is, that we cannot preferve the Proteftant Religion with a Popish Succeffor to the Crown, nomore than Water can be kept cold in the Hot-pot; but I would do it in all the decent Ways to come at it. The King recommends to you in his Speech, to look back to what he formerly faid as to the Succeffion, &c. If there be no other way to prevent Popery, but a Bill to exclude the Duke, &c. from the Succeffion, &c. my Opinion is, that it will be more decent to our Prince, and better for those who sent us hither, that before the Bill be brought in, to give it the Honour of a Day, to confider of Expedients to fave Religion under a Popish Succeffor; for that I fhall expect from fome honourable Perfon: But if none come, then you may proceed to this Bill with more Honour. Therefore I move to appoint a Day to confider of it.' I fhould not have troubled you, but from what was Sir J. Ernley. spoke laft. By all Means juft and lawful, we are to fecure our Religion and Properties: We fee the great Attempts made upon us from Rome, and we must do fomething for our farther fecurity. I will not fpeak of the former Bill of excluding the Duke, &c. nor of the King's Speech, that gives you Latitude for Expedients; and I would not offer any, if I thought they would not do as well as that Bill, which is but an Expedient. But because the King has declared against that Bill, and invited you to Expedients, I would not put that Bill any more to the hazard of Rejection, but think of fome Expedients. 'I can fee no Expedient to fave Religion, and preferve the W. Harbord. King's Perfon, but the Bill to exclude the Duke, c. All Gentlemen I believe would be willing as to the Manner, and fave the Matter: But when our Prince is encompassed (all) with the Duke's Creatures, the Duke's fafety is because of their Dependencies: The Danger is not from Popery, but from the King's being encompaffed with the Duke's Creatures. I would proceed in this Matter with all decency; and fince a Day is moved for, pray let's have Time to confider.' • You are invited by the King's Gracious Motion to con- Sir C. Muffider how to preferve Religion, &c. I defire we may not grave. now put a Question for bringing in a Bill to feclude the Duke, &c. elfe properly we cannot confider any Expedients for prefervation of Religion.' The confideration of the prefervation of the Proteftant B. Whorwood. Religion, is of that weight, that though we have fhewed our Žeal to it, yet I would not run upon a thing of this great Nature, without Confideration. They who advised the King's Speech, muft anfwer for it. The Words of the P 2 Speech 1681. Ango 33 Car.II. Speech are, If any other way can be found out, &c. I think thofe about the King have done enough to ruin Him and Us: But I would have the King fee we are fo far from putting him upon that Strefs, that we would help him out. I think that Speech the King read to us, to have nothing of the King's in it: He is a better Man, and a better Proteftant than to do it of Himself: Therefore I would not put on a Refolution as flat and as short as that is in the King's Speech. The King has gone as far as this Refolution in his Speech comes to, in his Declaration about Diffenters formerly; and yet from the Reafons from hence, he was perfuaded to revoke it. If Perfons have been fo prevalent as to put the King upon this Speech, let me fee thofe Perfons fo forward to bring the King into a thing, to help him out; if they do not, I hope the King will lay the Blame at their Door, and not at ours. If they could have told us what Expedients were neceffary, they would have put them into the King's Speech, and the Refolution-part of not altering the Succeffion would have been left out. A little Confideration in this great Matter, can do us no hurt, and will fatisfy the People without Doors: But if they about the King can find out no Expedient, I hope he will lay them afide, and take their Council no more. Put not off this Confideration farther than Saturday; and if they can find us out an Expedient betwixt this and then, 'tis very well.' H. Powle. R. Hampden. I have always obferved, that the most deliberate Proceedings have had the best Succefs here, and the best Reputation abroad. I am as willing as any Man to come to this moved for, but with deliberate Steps. For my fhare, though I hear of Expedients abroad, yet I cannot conceive that a Title or Name can deftroy the Nature of Expedients. But the King in his Speech has held you out a Handle. And I would not give thofe about the King occafion to fay, that this Houfe is running into a Breach with him. I would pay the King all the Respect in the World, and you cannot avoid fetting a-part a time to confider Expedients: And I would not mix any thing with the Debate that Day. I think To-morrow is too foon to debate it: I fhall propofe Saturday for that Confideration, and then let us do what is fit in fo weighty a Matter.' This is a Matter of great weight, and I would adjourn it to To-morrow. For the Reafon of propofing Expedients, I do not move to adjourn for that; for it is as little Reafon to me to expect any, as it was the laft Parliament. That Parliament gave Reasons why no Expedients could be of any effect, but this Bill of Exclufion; and that Parliament faw enough of Expedients There are a great many talked of abroad in the Streets, and won't you hear Expedients? What can 1681. Can a Man fay lefs with any Modefty? But no Man can fay Anno 33 Car.II. but we are in danger of lofing our Religion, if the Duke should come to the Crown. But the Queftion before you is, whether you'll put off this Debate? Therefore I move that the Houfe will take into Debate the Security of the Proteftant Religion to-morrow." All that I fhall propofe, is, that you would fo word the Sir F. Win Question as to have no Diminution to the Motion made for nington, the Bill, c. upon your Books, nor Prejudice, nor Reflec tion. When this Bill paft the last Parliament, it was Nemine Contradicente; and most of this Parliament were of the laft. For Expedients, 'tis a word mightily used and talked of, and willingly embraced, but none have been proposed. Let this Matter be reaffumed on Saturday Morning, and fo taken into Confideration to fecure the Proteftant Religion; and not to let appear upon your Books any thing relating to Expedients, or preventing a Popish Succeffor." I was much furprized at the King's Speech, confidering J. Trenchard, your weighty Reasons for the Bill, &c. the laft Parliament; and that the Lords found out no Expedients for preservationof Religion, and yet threw out the Bill. But that the King may fee, that what we do, is out of a real Sense of the Danger we are in from a Popish Succeffor, and not in contradiction to him; and when nothing is found out to fave us, we may juftify our felves in what we do; I am for adjourning the Debate. Refolved, That this Houfe will To-morrow take into Confideration by what Means the faid Bill miscarried. Friday, March 25. 1681. of Members. Thanks moved for free Choice When there has been a general Corruption, and all have J. Stratford. not done their Duty, you should diftinguish and give Thanks to them that have; as formerly you have done to Officers for doing their Duty in fuppreffion of Popery, when through the Corruption of the Times, fome have not done their Duty. Nothing is more Parliamentary than to return Thanks to thofe who have freely and without Expence chofen you Members; and I defire that the Members fo elected, may be ordered to fend their Thanks to those who chose them. And the House paffed a Vote accordingly. very The lofs of the Bill for Repeal of 35 Eliz. moved. This Matter deferves material Confideration, whether in refpect of the lofs of the Bill, or the fhaking of the Conftitution of Parliament, The Bill that is loft is of great Moment, and of great Service to the Country, and perhaps to their Lives in the time of a Popifh Succeffor. Thofe Men that hindered the paffing that Bill, had a Prospect of that; and if it be fent up again, we are like to meet with great Debate on the Lofs of the Bill renewed. |