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of the country fhould be the measures of the fupply; the next was a résolution of the Commons in favour of œconomy and all poffible retrenchment; This was fuppofed to imply a reflection on his Excellency's adminiftration, and was therefore zealously but ineffectually oppofed by his friends in Parliament. The next Parliamenary overthrow, was in the condemnation of the Excife Board. The next of his Lordship's humiliations was Mr. Dyfon's cafe, in which the Commons declared, "They would not provide for a penfion, which had been granted under his Lordship's adminiftration, in violation of the royal promife, on this question his Excellency was beat but by one, in the Committee, but he had the question revived in the house, contrary to the law of Parliament. The next charge against this adminiftration was taken from the public accounts, in them it seems a charge had been handed down of about goool. for militia arms, and fortifying the harbour of Cork; Lord Townshend's popularity was of short duration in this country, by diverting the channel of Court favour into a multitude of little ftreams, the gentlemen of the House of Commons looked up to him, not only as the fource, but the difpenfer of every gratification, not even a commiffion in the revenue worth above 401. a year could be difpofed of without his approbation. Thus were the old undertakers given to underftand that there was no other way left of doing bufinefs than through him.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Die Veneris, Dec. 22, 1769,

A MOTION being made, that the Speaker of this House be defired to direct, that no protest of any perfon whomfoever, who is not a Lord of parliament, and a member of this houfe, and which doth not respect a matter which hath been previoufly in queftion before this houfe, and wherein the Lord protefling had taken part with the minority either by perfon or by proxy, be entered on the Journals of this houfe.

And a debate arifing thereupon, the question was put, and the house divided.

It paffed in the negative.

DISSENTIENT,

ift. Because, we conceive that it is the fole and exclufive right and privilege of a lord of parliament, and member of this house, to have his proteft entered on the journals of this house; and that even a Lord of parliament and member of this houfe cannot have his proteft fo entered except upon a matter previously in queftion before this houfe, wherein the Lord protesting took part with the minority, either by person or by proxy.

2dly,

2dly, Because we conceive that this regulation of the privilege of protefting, ftands upon the fame principle, in confequence of which, this privilege hath obtained among the Lords, and not among the reprefentatives of the people. The latter, we apprehend, are confidered by the conftitution as actuated and juftified by the fentiments of those whom they reprefent. Whereas the Lords who act not as deputies, but in their own right, are perfonally refponfible for their conduct to pofterity. The practice of a permanent juftification, alfo, feems to have been deemed a more neceffary guard upon a body whofe power was permanent. Hence we conceive the privilege of protefting arofe, that the Lord, against whom the majority had declared, might have an opportunity of vindicating himself to future times; which the original cuftom of inferting the names of each Lord on the journals, with the part he had taken in the queftion, rendered more neceffary. And we therefore apprehend, as it would be abfurd for a Lord to juftify his conduct, where he had not acted, that the privilege of protesting hath been, by reason, as well as practice, confined in cafes, in which the Lord protesting had taken a part, and in which, upon question, the majority had been of a different opinion.

3dly, Because we conceive that the Earl of Strafford, who first attempted, and that but in a fingle inftance, to enter his proteft, as chief go

vernor

vernor, upon the journals of this houfe, was a perfon of fuch an arbitrary fpirit, and the times in which he lived, of fo bad example, and his faid protest fo informal, and faulty in itself, that fuch his proceeding ought not to be confidered as a precedent.

4thly, Because, we apprehend that the only fubfequent inftance, to wit, the proteft of Lord Sydney,-which was made in heat, by that governour, whofe conduct was difapproved, on his recal to England, which foon followed, and founded upon the fame example, which ought not to have been imitated-was ftill more irregular and improper; inafmuch, as it related to a matter which had never been before this house, and refpected the privileges and proceedings of the other house of parliament.

5thly, Because we conceive it to be peculiarly neceffary at this time, to exprefs our fentiments upon this fabject, when we have reason to apprehend, that it is intended, that a proteft fhall be entered upon the journals of this houfe, relative to the proceedings and privileges of the other houfe of parliament, in imitation of the laft mentioned proteft.

6thly,

N. B. The prorogation of Lord Sydney was not in confequence of orders received from England, as there was not time between the rejection of the Privy-Council Money-bill, and the prorogation, for any fuch orders to have been had; the true reafon was, that his Lordship expected to have been called to account, by the then houfe of Commons, for the having fraudulently taken poffeffion of the eftate of Lord Tyrconnel.

6thly, Because we apprehend that we ought not to fuffer this diftinguished privilege of the Lords to be invaded or affumed by any perfon in whatever ftation, and that we ought particularly to refift any fuch attempt, when it may be thought to involve a breach of the privileges of the other house of parliament alfo, and may therefore be productive of diffention between the two houses.

LOWTH,

CHARLEMONT,

POWERSCOURT,

MOUNTMORRIS,

LONGFORD.

On Friday the 22d of December, the above proteft was entered ;-notwithstanding which on the Tuesday following, the Lord Lieutenant went down to the house of Lords, and entered a protest upon the Lords journals, against the proceeding of the Commons, in rejecting the PrivyCounc Money-bill, and alledging their reafon for fo doing. The House of Commons gave orders to their clerk, that the Lord Lieutenant's speech or proteft fhould not be entered upon their journals.

Die

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