BUT pray my Lords, what should tempt the King to fo ill a policy? Can he fear a freedom of choice in the people; to whose good-will he owes all that power, which thefe Lords fuppofe he may use to their prejudice? THEREFORE give me leave to say, as I must not suspect him of so ill a design as the perpetuating this Parliament, fo he cannot, he ought not to fufpect a nation, fo entirely (I was going to fay fo fondly) devoted to him. My Lords, no man is readier than my felf to allow that we owe the Crown all fubmiffion, as to the time of calling Parliaments according to law, and appointing also where they fhall fit. But with reverence be it spoken, the King owes the nation entire freedom, in chufing their reprefentatives; and it is no lefs his duty, than his true intereft, that such a fair and juft proceeding fhould be used towards us. CONSIDER, my Lords, of what mighty confequence it may be, that fo many votes. fhould be free, when upon one fingle one may depend the whole fecurity or lofs of By one fingle vote a general this nation. 1 excife may be granted, and then we are all loft. By one fingle vote the Crown may be impower'd to name all the Commiffioners for raifing the taxes, and then surely we fhould be in a fair way towards it. NAY, whatever has happen'd may again be apprehended; and I hope thofe reverend Prelates will reflect, that if they grow once obnoxious to a prevalent Party, one fingle voice may be as dangerous to that bench, as a general diffatisfaction among the People prov'd to be once in a late experiment; which I am far from saying by way of threatning, but by way of caution. My Lords, we may think, because this concerns not the Houfe of Lords, that we need not be fo over-careful of the matter; but there are Noblemen in France, at least fuch as were fo before they were enflav'd, who, that they might domineer over others, and ferve a prefent turn perhaps, let all things alone fo long, 'till the people were quite mafter'd, and the nobility themselves too, to bear them company. So that I never met a Frenchman, even of the greatest rank (and fome had ten thousand Piftoles a year in employments) that did not envy us here for Our our freedom from that flavery which they groan under: And this I have obferv'd univerfally, except in Monfieur De Louvois, Monfieur COLBERT, or such people; because they were the Minifters themselves who occafion'd these complaints, and thrived by the oppreffion of others. MY LORDS, THIS Country of ours is very apt to be provok'd; we have had a late experience: and though no wife man but would bear a great deal rather than make a buftle; yet really the people are otherwife, and at any time change a prefent uneafiness for any other condition, tho' a worse. We have known it fo too often, and fometimes repented it too late. LET them not have this new provocation, in being debarred from a fecurity in their Representatives. For malicious people will not fail to infufe into their minds, that all those vaft fums which have been, and still must be raised towards this war, are not disposed away in so fair a manner as ought to be; and I am afraid they will fay their money is not given, but taken. I am fure, whatever fuccefs this Bill may have, there muft needs come fome good effect of it; for if it paffes, it will give us Security; if it be obftructed, it will give us Warning. A A SPEECH IN THE HOUSE of PEERS, Y OUR Lordships have fhewn me fo much justice, and indeed fo much favour and patience, in your examination of this whole business at my humble requeft; that I fhould make an ill return, if I wafted your time unneceffarily. And therefore I will not trouble you with obfervations on those unusual methods, odd aggravations, and inexcufable delays, that fome few perfons have openly practised in this debate. I will not, I need not infift upon it; your Lordships have all taken notice of it fufficiently; and the truth is, fuch an over-cagerness in a very small number against the opinion of the rest, instead of hurting me, only exposes themselves. Yet I am forry for this odd manner of proceeding, not with |