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Our Defire is, that this may be look'd upon as an Earneft and a Pledge of that Zeal and Fidelity which we fhall always retain, and which, upon every Occafion, we fhall be ready to demonstrate to his Majefty's Perfon and Government: As fuch, we hope, his Majefty will gracioufly accept it at this Time; and hereafter, when he fhall have had Experience of this firft voluntary Offering of his loyal Commons, we hope he will find it to his Satisfaction, as large and as ample as he could wish; might but the Term of the Grant be as long as we could with, fince it is to have equal Continuance with his Majefty's Life.

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My Lords,

The Bill which the Commons have pafs'd for the Purpofes I have mention'd, is entitled, An Act for the better Support of his Majefty's Houfhold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown of Great Britain.

They have alfo prepar'd another Bill, as well for rectifying Miftakes in the Names of the Commiffioners for the LandTax, as for raifing fo much as is wanting, to make up the Sum of Fourteen Hundred Thousand Pounds, intended to be rais'd by a Lottery for the Publick Service in the Year 1714. This having been recommended to their Care, and appear. ing to them to be neceffary for his Majefty's and the Publick Service, they have Reafon to think, they have abundantly fupply'd the Defects in the former Provifion; and in this Affurance, they humbly prefent this Bill also for the Royal Affent.

Then the Lords Juftices gave the Royal Affent to the three following publick Bills:

1. An Act for the better Support of his Majesty's Houshold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown of Great Bri

tain.

2. An Act for rectifying Mistakes in the Names of the Comm finers for the Land-Tax for the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fourteen; and for raising so much as is wanting to make up the Sum of Fourteen Hundred Thousand Pounds, intended to be rais'd by a Lottery for the Publick Service in the faid Year.

3. An Act to enable Perfons now refiding in Great Britain, to take the Oaths, and to do all other Acts in Great Britain, requifite to qualify themselves to continue their respective Places, Offices, and Employments in Ireland,

After

After which, the Lord Chancellor, being one of the Lords Juftices, in their Name made the following Speech to both Houses of Parliament.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

W

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E cannot but exprefs our greatest Satisfaction, and, in his Majesty's Name, return you Thanks, for the convincing Proofs which you have given, in this Seffion, of your Duty and Affection to his Majefty, and of your Zeal for his Government.

We must particularly thank you, Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, for the Aids which you have granted to his Majefty, for the better Support of the Honour of the Crown, and for preventing any Difappointment in the Supplies given in the laft Seffion for the Service of this Year. You may be affur'd, that the Unanimity, the Chearfulness, and the Dispatch, with which you have proceeded in granting thefe Aids, will render them yet more acceptable to his Majefty: And you may depend upon our making a faithful Reprefentation thereof to

him.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

All neceffary Bufinefs being now happily concluded, it will be proper for us to put a fpeedy End to this Seffion. We think fit, at prefent, in his Majesty's Name, to defire you forthwith refpectively to adjourn your felves until Wednesday next.

Accordingly both Houfes immediately adjourn'd to the 25th of August, when being met again, the Commons order'd, that their Speaker be defir'd to print the Spe ch by him made on the 21ft, Then Mr. Secretary Bromley acquainted the House, that the Lords Juftices had receiv'd his Majefty's Answer to the humble Addrefs of this Houfe at the Beginning of this Seffion; which he prefented to the Houfe, as was related before.

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After this, the Lords Juftices went to the House of Peers, and the Commons being sent for up, and attending, the Lord Chancellor, in the Name of their Excellencies, made the following Speech to both Houses.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Havine, fince your late Adjournment, receiv'd his

Majesty's most gracious Answer, under his Sign Manual, to your feveral Addreffes; and by his Majesty's

Command,

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Command, order'd them to be deliver'd to you refpectively; we do now, in his Majesty's Name, prorogue this prefent Parliament till Thurfday the 23d Day of September next; and this prefent Parliament is accor dingly prorogu'd to Thurfday the 23d Day of September

next.

Having concluded the Second and laft Seffion of the Fourth Parliament of Great Britain, and the laft of Queen Anne's Reign, let's proceed to other Occurrences.

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The fame Day the Queen dy'd, Monfieur d'Iberville, Envoy Extraordinary from his moft Chriftian Majesty, being under fome Apprehenfions of his Houfe being infulted by the rude Populace, in Cafe there happen'd any Difturbance, writ a Letter to the Duke of Ormond, defiring his Grace's Protection. The Duke having communicated the fame to the Lords Juftices, their Excellencies order'd a Guard of the Trained Bands to fecure the Houfe of the Envoy; but all was quiet, and no Infult was offer'd to any Body.

On the 3d of August the Lords of the Regency judg'd it neceffary to have a Secretary of their own, and unanimously made Choice of Jofeph Addison, Efq; At the fame Time the Poft-Mafter-General was order'd to fend all the Letters and Packets, directed to the Secretaries of State, directly to the Secretary of the Regency; which was a great Mortification to the former, particularly to the Lord Bolinbroke, who was now oblig'd to wait with a Bag in his Hand at the Door of the Room where the Regents affembled.

Aug. 4. The Lords Juftices fpent fome Time in perufing a great many Letters which the Poft brought the Night before: And the fame Day, the Lords of the Admiralty, by Command of the Regency, ifsu'd out Orders for taking off the Embargo laid on all Shipping.

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On the 5th of Auguft the Lords Juftices in Council, purfuant to the Act 6 Anna, cap. 7. fign'd a Proclamation, Requiring all Perfons, being in any Office of Autho· ruty or Government, at the Demife of the late Queen, to proceed in the Execution of their refpective Offices, and to take the Oaths mention'd in that Act, and to do all other Acts requifite by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, to qualify themfelves to continue in their refpective Places.

On

On the 7th of Auguft, Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough and Monmouth, who had been travelling in Italy and France, arriv'd in England, and the next Day acquaineed the Lords of the Regency, that being in France a few Days before, the Moft Chriftian King had affur'd him, That he would inviolably maintain the Treaties of 'Peace concluded at Utrecht, particularly with Relation to the Settlement of the British Crown in the House of Hanover." This exactly agreed with the Declaration which Monfieur d' Iberville, Minifter of France, made ca the Regency, and to Baron Bothmar, even before he had receiv'd particular Orders for it from the Court of France; being (as he faid to most of the Lords Regents, to whom he made Vifits) already impower'd to do it by his general Inftructions: And, on the other Hand, Mr. Matthew Prior, who was then refiding at the Court of France in Quality of Envoy, having, by Orders of the Regency, notify'd to the French King the Death of the late Queen, and King George's Acceffion to the Throne, his Moft Chriftian Majefty repeated to him the Declaration he had made to the Earl of Peterborough. Some Days after, Monfieur d'Iberville receiv'd a Letter from the Marquefs de Torcy, approving what he had done; and another from the French King to the British Regency, importing, in Subftance, befides the Declaration before mention'd, That having been inform'd, that Reports had been fpread, as if he defign'd to make Alterations in the late Renunciations, he thought fit to declare, as he had already done to the Earl of Peterborough, that the faid Reports were altoge ther falfe and ground lefs: That the King of Spain having fent the Cardinal del Giudice as Embaffador to France, 'which might create fome Sufpicions, his most Christian Majefty had defir'd the King, his Grandfon, to recall him; and that the Elector of Brunswick having fome 'Time before the Death of the Queen, fignify'd to his Moft Chriftian Majefty, that whenever his Succeflion to the Crown of Great Britain fhall take Place, he would cultivate a Friendship with his Moft Chriftian Majesty; he (the King of France) on his Parr, affur'd the Lords Juttices, that he would do all that lay in his Power, to maintain a good Intelligence and Amity between the 6 two Crowns.

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The Aufwer which Mr. Prior receiv'd about another Affair, was not altogether fo agreeable and fatisfactory in England: The Lords of the Regency had order'd him to reprefent to the Court of France, That his Most Christian • Majesty

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Majefty having promis'd to interpofe his good Offices with the King of Spain, in Favour of the Catalans, they were furpriz'd to find, that, inftead of that, his • Moft Chriftian Majefty had fent his Troops to affift those of his Grandfon in the Reduction of Barcelona; and that their Excellencies hoped, his moft Chriftian Majefty would make good his Promifes, and confider the ill Confequences of his fuffering his Forces to act against a People, who were under the Protection of the Crown of Great Britain." To this Mr. Prior receiv'd an Anfwer, That the Moft Chriftian King had already made good his Engagements in Behalf of the Catalans; that their Obftinacy was the Caufe of all the Misfortunes that might befall them; and that his Glory would not fuffer him to recall his Troops from before Bar• celona.

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Some Days before this Anfwer was tranfmitted to England, the Marquefs d'Almaza, one of the Deputies from the Principality of Catalonia, made Application to the Lords Juftices of Great Britain; and communicated to their Excellencies a Letter he had receiv'd from the Governor of Majorca, with an Account of the Condition of the City of Barcelona. Upon which their Excellencies order'd, that a Copy of the Letter they had written to the Court of France, fhould be communicated to the Marquefs; and he was farther affur'd, that Directions had been fent to Admiral Wishart, not to moleft the Inhabitants of Barcelona, or hinder any Relief to be brought to them by Sea.

Notwithstanding the repeated Assurances from the Court of France, that they would give no Manner of Distur bance to the Proteftant Succeffor, the Lords Regents continu'd taking all the neceffary Measures for the Security of the Kingdom, and in particular of the Maritime Places; and not judging the Reinforcement they had already fenc down to Portsmouth under the Command of Colonel Pocock, fufficient for the Defence of that important Town, their Excellencies order'd another Draught of 500 Out-Penfioners of Chelfea Hofpital, to march thither, under the Command of Colonel Jones. At the fame Time, their Excellencies order'd the Juftices of Peace of London and Westminfier, to take exact Lifts of the Popish Recufants, and to take away their Arms and Horses.

Amongst the late Queen's Papers was found a Draught of Will, but the fame was never fign'd, nor executed. On Tuesday, the 3d of August, her Body was open'd; but, according

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