new Work, the old Canal will be fo choak'd up in a few Days, that it will be level with the Strand, and no Shipping will be able to enter it.

Nay, they will not be able to go up thither, even at High Water, but as they do at all other Places along the Coaft, quite from Newport to Calais.

The King has feveral Times complain'd of Dilatorinefs on the Part of England, in Point of executing the 9th Article of the Peace of Utrecht. It ought not therefore to be charged upon his Majefty. This is notorious.

It is well known too, that the Fortifications of Dunkirk are demolish'd; and that the Harbour is fo fill'd up, that it would be impoffible for the King to make it good again, did not his Majefty defign (as he fully does) punctually to perform the Treaty.

He has already feveral Times answer'd the Complaints which for fome Time paft he has receiv'd, about the Work he was forced to make, to hinder a great Tract of Land from being laid under Water, which the ruining of the Sluices of Dunkirk would have effected. However, he is willing to repeat once more the Reafons he has given for that Proceeding.

The Waters of the Canals of Furnes, La Moere, Wynoxberg, and Bourbourg, were difcharg'd by the Sluices of Dunkirk. This Outlet was neceffary to keep the Caftellanies of Bourbourg, Wynoxberg, and even fome Part of that of Furnes, from being overflow'd, which without it they muft infallibly have been: But the King having promis'd utterly to deftroy the Sluices of Dunkirk, gave his Orders for executing the Treaty, and in the mean while caus'd a Reprefentation to be made to the Queen of Great Britain, of the Inconveniencies that would enfue upon this rigorous Performance; defiring at the fame Time, that she would fuffer one of the three Sluices which were to be deftroy'd, to ftand as it did.

This was deny'd by that Princefs; fo it became neceffary to find out fome other Method for difcharging the Water of thofe four Canals.

The English Commiffaries and Engineers were Witnesses of the feveral Projects that were form'd for that Purpose. They were full well acquainted with the Defign of the Canal of Mardike; and were of the Opinion, it was impoffible to be executed. It is true, it was a very expensive one; and the King would gladly have fav'd that Money, had it pleas'd the Queen of Great Britain to leave one of

F 4

the

the Slaces of Dunkirk standing, only to discharge the Was ters from the Country.

But upon her Refufal, it was abfolutely neceffary tą open this Canal, to receive the Waters of the four other Canals,

These four old Canals are navigable, and are together 48 Toifes broad; and confequently, the new Canal must needs have a fufficient Breadth to receive all thofe Waters, and discharge 'em into the Sea.

The Sluice alfo muft neceffarily be proportionable to the Breadth of the Canal, and to the Quantity of Waters it retains; for the Point is, to hinder the Tides getting into the Country, and to keep in the Waters of the four old Canals at high Tides.

The Seafon prefs'd the finishing of that Work; and if the fame had not been carry'd on with great Diligence, what would not Men have apprehended from the Disorder which the Autumn Rains might occafion.

Thefe are the Motives which oblig'd the King to cause the new Canal of Mardyke to be open'd, and to haften the Accomplishment of that Work: His Majefty has no Defign, no Intention to make a new Harbour at Mardyke, to build a Place there: He has already declar'd, and once more repeats it, that he is only willing to fave a Country, which would be laid under Water, if this was not difchar'd into the Sea.

For the reft, the King has given good Proofs of his Bona Fide in the Execution of the Treaties: His Majesty has given particular Marks thereof to the King of Great Britain. He fees with Pleafure the Affurances which that Prince renews to him, that he will religiously observe the Treaty of Utrecht, and maintain a fincere Friendship with him.

In Cafe of thofe happy Difpofitions, all Incidents capable of difturbing that good Understanding, may be eafily avoided.

The King does not doubt but it will be perfect, when all Sufpicions on both Sides fhall be fincerely clear'd up, and all Suppofitions banish'd. "Tis for this End, that his Majefty is pleas'd to repeat the Reafons contain'd in this Memorial, and that he again orders the Sieur d' Iberville, his Envoy Extraordinary, to give an Account thereof to the King of Great Britain. The 2d of November 1714.

Mean

Meanwhile, in order to put a Stop to the riotous Affemblies of the difcontented Party, who had already begun to throw off the Mafk, the King thought fit to fign the following Proclamation for the fuppreffing of Riots.

GEORGE R.

7 Hereas of late Years feveral Riots, Tumults, and

W unlawful Affemblies, have been in many Parts of

this Realm, to the Disturbance of the publick Peace, and to the endangering of all Order and Government; and there is great Reafon to apprehend, that the fame were promoted and encourag'd by thofe, whofe Duty it was to have prevented and fupprefs'd the fame; and the like Disorders are yet continu'd, and feveral of our loving Subjects, who have endeavour'd to fupprefs the fame, have been barbaroufly murder'd, and others grievoufly wounded: And whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of King Henry the Fourth, it is ordain'd and establifh'd, That if any Riot, Affembly, or Rout of People, against the Law, be made in any Parts of the Realm, that the Juftices of the Peace, three, or two of them at the leaft, and the Sheriff or Under-Sheriff of the County, where fuch Riot, Affembly, or Rout fhall be made, fhall come with the Power of the County, if Need be, to arreft them, and shall arreft them; and the fame Juftices, Sheriff, or Under-Sheriff, fhall have Power to record that which fhall be found fo done in their Prefence against the Laws; and that by the Record of the faid Juftices, Sheriff, or Under-Sheriff, fuch Trefpaffers and Offenders fhall be convicted. Now to the End that the Offenders aforefaid may be brought to Justice, and for preventing the like traiterous and riotous Affemblies for the future, we have thought fit, by the Advice of our Privy Council, to iffue this our Royal Proclamation, hereby ftrictly commanding and requiring all our Juftices of the Peace, and all other our Civil Officers, that they use their utmost Endeavours for discovering and apprehending the faid Offenders, that they may be brought to Juftice; and that the faid Juftices of the Peace, Sheriffs, and Under Sheriffs, do use the most effectual Means for fuppreffing all Riots and Tumults, and to that End do put the faid Statute, and all other Statutes made in England against Riots, Routs, and unlawful Affemblies, in Execu tion; and that the faid Juftices, and all other our Civil Officers, to whom it doth appertain, do give the neceffary Directions, that fufficient Watch and Ward be duly kept,

at

at fuch Times as they fhall judge neceffary, for the pre venting and fuppreffing the like Disorders. And we do hereby farther ftrictly charge and command all our Officers, Civil and Military, and all other our loving Subjects, that they be aiding and affifting in the Execution of our Commands herein, and in the apprehending and taking all fuch Perfons, who have, or fhall hereafter offend in Manner aforefaid. And we do hereby charge and command, that the faid Offenders be profecuted with the utmoft Severity and Rigour of the Law, we being refolv'd to fupprefs fuch Riots and Tumults, by a most strict and exemplary Punishment of all fuch Offenders as have been already, or fhall be difcover'd. And we do hereby command the refpective Justices of the Peace, and other Magiftrates aforefaid, that they do, from Time to Time, tranfmit an exact Account of what they fhall do, purfuant to this our Proclamation, to one of our Principal Secretaries of State.

Given at our Court at St. James's the 2d Day of November, 1714, in the First Year of our Reign.

On the 16th of November, the King prefent in Council, the following Order was made.

W

7 Hereas in the Act of Uniformity, which establishes the Liturgy of the Church of England, Provifion is made for fuch Alterations in the Prayers for the Royal Family, as from Time to Time fhall become necessary, and be directed by lawful Authority; it is this Day order'd by his Majefty in Council, that in the feveral Prayers and Suffrages for the Royal Family, the Words, The Princefs and their fue, be inferted after the Words, His Royal Highness GEORGE Prince of Wales, and before the Words, and all the Royal Family; and that his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury do accordingly caufe the neceffary Directions to be given therein.

Edward Southwell.

On the 18th the Archbishop of Canterbury fent his Directions to Mr. John Basket, the King's Printer, pursuant to the foregoing Order.

On the 27th of November, five of the Confpirators against the Life of the late King William, who had been committed to Newgate for High Treafon in the Year 1696, and fince continu'd in Prifon by two Acts of Parliament,

mov'd by their Council, at the Court of King's Bench, that they might be releas'd from their Confinement, upon Bail, by Virtue of the Habeas Corpus Act. This being a Caufe of great Nicety and Importance, the Court thought fit to put off the Determination of it to the laft Day of the Term, when the Prifoners being brought to Court, their Council renew'd the former Motion in their Behalf, alledging withall, that the Act, by Virtue of which they were continu'd under Confinement during the late Queen's Pleafure, was expir'd at her Majefty's Death. After à full Hearing, the Lord Chief Justice Parker made a Speech that lafted above Half an Hour; the main Subitance of which amounted to this: After having laid open the Enormity of the Crime with which the Prifoners ftood charg'd, and for which they were committed, together with the Reafons that had prevented their being brought to their Trials, his Lordfhip faid, That the Legiflature had thought fit to interpofe in this important Affair, and in a fpecial Manner to fhew a tender Concern for the facred Lives of Kings: That the two particular Acts of Parliament for continuing the Prifoners under 'Confinement during the late King William's, and the late Queen's Pleafure, had not only fufpended, but, in a Manner, extinguish'd the Habeas-Corpus Act with respect to the Prisoners, fo that they could not expect any 'Benefit from it: That as to what had been alledg'd in 'their Favour, that the last Act of Parliament for their being kept in Prison, was determin'd by the Death of the late Queen, it was to be obferv'd, that tho' the 'inferior Courts have a difcretional Power to admit Perfons in Cuftody to Bail, yet that Power is reftrain'd by the very Act of Habeas-Corpus, which excepts the Cafes of Felony and High Treafon : That therefore that Court could not determine, whether or no the Act for continuing the Prifoners in Cuftody was expir'd by the 'late Queen's fudden Death: That this nice Question was only to be determin'd by the fame Power that made that Act; and that the laft Seffion of Parliament having been fo fhort, that the Legislature could not take that Matter into Confideration, they muft wait till the next Seffion: That, in the mean Time, there was a good Reafon for keeping the Prifoners under Reftraint, 'drawn from the Conduct of the late Queen towards 'them: That that wife Princefs had, fome Years ago, 'confented to the Enlargment of a fixth Confpirator, (one Counter) but had not thought fit to extend the

fame