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the bar, and gave them a full and explicit account of the different mobs, the extent of the injury committed, &c. in that county; which statement was authenticated in a letter received thence by a member of the House.

The Commons immediately resolved, that a humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to give directions to the several magistrates throughout the kingdom to put the laws in speedy and vigorous execution against such persons as may have been in any way concerned in the late rebellious and tumultuous riots, still carrying on in divers parts of the kingdom, by persons disaffected to his Majesty and his government; that an account be taken of such justices of the peace as have failed in the discharge of their duty on these occasions, that they may forthwith be deprived of their commissions of the peace; that magistrates who may have, in like manner, failed in the discharge of their duty, be proceeded against according to law; that an account be taken of losses and injuries sustained by his Majesty's subjects during the late riots, that the sufferers may have full compensation;-and to assure his Majesty that all expense on this account shall be made good when the next supplies are granted by Parliament.' His Majesty was also requested to put the laws against Papists and Non-jurors in effectual execution. A Committee No. III. 2 B

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was appointed to draw up the address, which was reported on Monday, and, being agreed to, was presented by the House in a body to his Majesty, next day; who promised to comply with the various requests.

The House had, at this time, under their consideration, a bill for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishment of the rioters,' which being past, was agreed to by the Lords on the 20th of July. His Majesty's assent was received on the same day. The following is its tenor:-it is hereby enacted, that if any persons unlawfully, riotously, and tumultuously assemble together, to the disturbance of the public peace, shall, at any time after the last day of July, 1715, unlawfully, and with force, demolish or pull down, or begin to demolish or pull down, any church or chapel, or any building for religious worship (certified and registered according to the statute made in the first year of the reign of the late King William and Queen Mary, entituled, An act for exempting their Majesty's Protestant subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the penalties of certain laws) or any dwelling-house, barn, stable, or other out-house, that then every such demolishing or pulling down shall be adjudged felony without benefit of clergy,' and, that the inhabitants of every town, county, or hundred, where such dam

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age shall be done, shall be liable to yield compensation to the person or persons injured or damnified, by such demolishing or pulling down, wholly or in part;' which was to be recovered in a manner mentioned in the act. It was immediately printed and circulated throughout the kingdom, and by its vigorous execution proved very efficient in restraining and suppressing riots. It was near the end of July before they abated, when, in terms of the act, some of the rioters were capitally executed at Worcester, and other places.

We now return to narrate the zealous proceedings of the Parliament against the late Tory ministry. On the 7th of July, Mr Walpole, from the Committee of Secresy, exhibited several articles of impeachment against the Earl of Oxford, for high treason, and other high crimes and misdemeanours. These articles chiefly relate to the treaty of peace, and are, in effect, that he entered into a traitorous correspondence with the ministers of France, advised a separate treaty of peace, and received proposals for that purpose, without any legal authority; that he assisted the French in disuniting the grand alliance, in manifest violation of the public faith of the nation, thereby ruining the designs of Britain and her confederates, for bringing down the exorbitant power of France, the grand invader of the liberties of Europe, and basely betraying and giving up our trade and

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commerce to France and Spain, particularly our Spanish trade and the fishing in Newfoundland; that he advised the cessation of arms, and got it proclaimed at a time when the articles of peace in relation to Great Britain were not adjusted; that he advised the French ministry, and suggested plans to them for wresting Tournay from the Dutch, to weaken their barrier, contrary to the Queen's instructions; that he yielded up the Spanish monarchy to Philip, contrary to the articles stipulated in the grand alliance, to several addresses of Parliament, and to the Queen's declaration from the throne, in which she declares, that no peace could be safe or honourable to Britain, or to Europe, if Spain and the West Indies were alloted to any branch of the House of Bourbon;' that he assisted Philip of Spain, with whom we were at war, against the Emperor of Germany, our ally; that he advised her Majesty to that unprecedented act of creating twelve new peers in one day, to the injury of our Constitution and the freedom of Parliaments; that he made the throne, which ought to be the fountain of truth, the fountain of falsehood, by advising her Majesty to declare to Parliament, in answer to an address of the Lords, December 11th, 1711, that she would be sorry if any one could think that she would not use her utmost endeavour to recover Spain and the Indies from the House of Bourbon,' while he actually gave them

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to Philip, and acknowledged him as sovereign in the treaty, and while advising and carrying on a separate peace with France, he advised the Queen to deceive the Parliament, when addressing it on the 17th January, 1711; her Majesty hoped that the world would now see how groundless these reports were, which have been spread abroad by men of evil intentions, to serve the worst designs, as if a separate peace had been negotiated, for which there has not been the least colour given; she also declared to the States General of the United Provinces, that, as she had acted in concert with them during the course of the war, she resolved to do so in concluding a peace;' notwithstanding which, they were excluded by a separate treaty. Besides these, other advices of the Earl were adduced, by which the integrity of the throne was violated, and the nation grossly deceived.

Mr Walpole at the same time stated to the House, that the Committee of Secresy had almost ready other articles against the Earl. The articles stated briefly above being read, were laid on the table, and ordered to be read a second time next morning.

They were accordingly read a second time, and the other articles from the Committee, with amendments, ordered to be engrossed. A clause was also added, giving the Commons liberty to exhibit any further articles against the said Earl, and