IN. natic enthusiasts. The principal fecretary CHAP. of state appears to have acted, during all this reign, as the minister in the house of 1661. commons, as no question he ought always to do, according to the original defign of his office; but this office was rendered a finecure in a very extraordinary and unaccountable manner. Sir Robert Southwell had been invested with it after the revolution, and had obtained a grant for life. This grant was extended to his fon William, and afterwards to his grandson Edward Southwell efq. who died in one thoufand seven hundred and fifty-five; upon which Mr. Tifdall held it, with the office of attorney general; and a reversion of it was granted in his life to Mr. Hutchinfon, provost of the university, the present poffeffor. Sir Robert Southwell, who was prefident of the Royal Society*, lived constantly in England; and the office becoming a finecure, I find, on the 15th of *The first prefident of the Royal Society was vifcount Brouncker of the kingdom of Ireland. Sir R. Southwell was fucceeded in 1702 by Sir Ifaac Newton. October CHAP. October one thousand fix hundred and III. ninety-two, that Mr. Pulteney, one of the 1661. private fecretaries to lord Sydney, prefented the revenue papers, &c. to the house; fince which time the principal private fecretary of the lord lieutenant has acted as minifter ; it would be moft defirable, that this, with other great offices, fhould no longer be penfions or finecures, but revert to their original defign and deftination. On the 9th fir John Temple was sent to the lords to defire a conference, relative to an application for the ufurper's coin to be current for a year, and also for a mint to be erected in Ireland. On the 11th of November fir John Temple delivered a meffage from the lords juftices, that early that morning, having confidered the fickness of the earl of Mountrath, (one of their body, who died the 18th day of this month,) they thought it convenient and neceffary to prorogue the parliament, which was accordingly done the fame day. When 1662. When the duke of Portland fucceeded CHAP. the earl of Carlife in the middle of the feffion in one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, it was then faid, that the parliament should neceffarily be prorogued from this event; that the crown lawyers had debated the question in council, and had grounded fome opinions upon this precedent of lord Mountrath. This report I cannot authenticate; but the parliament was continued, and the public convenience' not interrupted; nor could I ever fee any grounds for opinions which were then adopted by fome in converfation: for in one thousand fix hundred and thirty-nine the earl of Strafford continued the parliament, which began under the government of lord deputy Wandesford; and when lord Capel died in the government in one thoufand fix hundred and ninety-five, it appears from the lords' journals, that the feffion continued under the chancellor, fir Charles Porter, who was elected lord justice by the council, under an act of Henry VIII. in Ireland. VOL. II. I The CHAP. III. 1662. The parliament met for the fixth time in one thousand fix hundred and fix-one for only two days, on the 21st and 22d of January. An answer was received from the duke of Ormond to this letter in the last feffion, and his majefty's anfwers to the inftructions of the parliamentary commiffioners were entered in the journals. On the 22d the parliament was farther prorogued; a committee was appointed to wait upon the lords juftices to request that a bill might be fent to England to take away the wards and liveries, and for fettling on his majesty, in lieu thereof, the customs and excife, as they were granted by the English parliament. These were unhappily granted afterwards in perpetuity; and they form the principal part of the hereditary revenue in Ireland; nearly half the aggregate revenue of which, it is but too well known, is granted for ever. The parliament was farther prorogued to the 4th of March, to the 21st of March, and from thence to the 17th of April one thousand fix hundred and fixty-two, when they they met under the chancellor Euftace and CHAP. lord Orrery, before the arrival of the duke III. of Ormond. SECTION ΙΧ. Proceedings in the House of Commons in 1662 and 1663. WHEN we confider that the parliament was occupied with the fettlement and arrangement of the whole property of the kingdom, when we reflect upon the variety of claims of jarring and difcordant interefts, we shall not be furprized that parliament fat, without interruption, from the 15th of April one thousand fix hundred and fixty-two, to the 17th of April one thousand fix hundred and fixty-three. The labour they must have undergone will appear aftonishing, from the following accurate ftatement:The house of commons fat two hundred and eight days in that period, which is nearly five days in the week for a year; and twenty I 2 1662. |