his great predeceffor, who had been the means of raifing his family, his partiality to Scotchmen, was prefently discovered, he filled the firft office under him with his tutor, and this minion foon obtained fuch an afcendency over him that every place of profit or truft, in a fhort time was filled with his relations, creatures, or dependents fuch proceedings in the K-foon became very alarming, and this unjuft and partial diftribution of places, was prefently the only topic of public converfation; the eyes of the public were foon opened by a weekly publication, expofing every measure of the minion; at length he became fo enraged that he drew up a Sh which is called the K-g's S--h filled with the most apparent falds, this Sh a few days after was taken notice of and diffected by the writer before mentioned; not as the Sh of the King, but as the Sp-h of his favourite L-d B-e. The Khowever was weak enough to take it upon himself. The author (at least the fuppofed author) was apprehended by an illegal warrant, and confined close prifoner in the Tower; however he had recourfe to the laws of his country, and was difcharged a few days after by an honeft man, who was then one of the Judges of England. K― highly displeased at his enlargement, ordered his Atorney-General, a proftituted lawyer (Sir Bull-face double fee) to indict him as a libeller, the most unjust means were made ufe of to convict

The

him, a jury was packed for that purpose, and an arbitrary Scot fat in judgement against him, he was found guilty, and has fince fuffered a cruel imprisonment, and been four times unjustly expelled the H-e of C▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ns.

The people diffatisfied and enraged at these defpotic proceedings; and being defirous of feeing an injured man, affembled at the place where he was confined. The K- and his minion provoked to think he should be fo much the object of public adoration, ordered, a party of the Scotch Regiment of Guards, to march to the prifon and fire upon the people there affembled in a peaceable manner, which they did by order of a proftituted Justice of the Peace, without the leaft remorfe and killed feven or eight perfons. Thofe Scotchmen were foon after thanked by the K- for the foul and premeditated murders they committed. One of thefe murderers it is true was taken and tried, but the K-employed his prostituted lawyers in this infamous bufinefs as in the former, and he was acquitted. Two others principally concerned in these murders, were fuffered to escape (as justice Killam declared) and to defert the regiment they belonged to without being once advertifed as murderers or deferters, and are now breathing the foul northern air with a penfion of fifty pounds a year.

Some

Some months after this maffacre, a vacancy happened for Middlefex, and the K- was determined to have one of his minions creatures brought into the H-e of C n's and being

very doubtful of fuccefs, the defign of hiring a number of ruffians in order to intimidate the honeft freeholders from voting for another candidate was communicated to the K- and he paffed his R word, more than three weeks before the election came on to the D-e of N. d and Sir BP that no perfon fhould fuffer who acted according to the directions given by them or their agents. It can therefore no longer remain a mystery how Balf and M'Quirk obtained their pardon, nor can the public be any longer furprized at the determination of the infamous Company of Ss, who were called together for the purpofe of enquiring into the cause of Mr. C- -s death.

m- -rs

With refpect to the Middlefex Election in April laft, the Authors of the Whisperer declare to the public, that the K- was confulted upon that matter several days before the Election, and it was then determined by him and his m― that Lu- Il fhould be brought into the H-e of Cns if he had only three votes. These are fome of the equitable and just me fures of government in this R-n. Such have been the halcyon of Ge the T-d.

THE

THE

LORDS FIRST PROTEST,

On Friday, the 2d of February, the following Queftion was moved.

That the House of Commons in the exercife of its judicature on matters of election, is bound to judge according to the law of the land, and "the known and established law and cuftom of “Parliament, which is part thereof."

Upon a Refolution that the above Question fhould not be put, here appeared the following Proteft against that Refolution,

I°

DISSENTIENT.

B

ECAUSE the Refolution propofed was in our judgment highly neceffary to lay the foundation of a proceeding which might tend to quiet the minds of the people, by doing juftice at a time, when the decifion of the other Houfe which appears to us inconfiftent with the principles of the conftitution, and irreconcilable to the law of the land, has fpread fo univerfal an alarm, and produced a general difcontent through out the kingdom. 2° Becaufe

VOL. I.

E

2° Because although we do not deny that the determination on the right to a feat in the House of Commons is competent to the jurifdiction of that House alone, yet, when to this it is added that whatever they in the exercife of that jurifdiction think fit to declare to be law, is therefore to be confidered as law, because there lies no appeal; we conceive ourselves called upon to give that propofition the strongest negative; for if admitted, the law of the land (by which courts of judicature, without exception, are equally bound to proceed) is at once overturned, and refolved into the will and pleasure of a majority of one Houfe of Parliament, who, in affuming it, affume a power to overule at pleasure the fundaimental right of election, which the conftitution has placed in other hands, thofe of their conftituents: and if ever this pretended power should come to be exercised to the full extent of the principle, that House will be no longer a reprefentatative of the people, but a feparate body altogether independant of them, felf-exifting and felf-elect

ed.

3 Because when we are told that expulfion implies incapacity and the proof infifted upon is, that the people have acquiefced in the principle by not re-electing perfons who have been expelled, we equally deny the pofition as falfe, and reject the proof offered as in no way fupporting the pofitions