The Hiftory of the Seffion of Parliament, which began Nov. 15, 1763, being the fecond Seffion of the Twelfth Parliament of Great-Britain; with an Account of all the material Questions therein determined, and of the political Difputes thereby occafioned without Doors. Continued from p. 267.

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EBRUARY the 8th, a motion was made for leave to bring in a bill to permit the importation of falted beef, pork, and butter, from Ireland, for a time to be limited and after reading the act of the 18th of Charles II. chap. 2. and the act of the 20th of Charles II. chap. 7. the queftion being put, it was after debate carried in the negative by 121 to 119. However, as it was acknowledged in the debate, even by thofe who were against the question, that provifions of all kinds were then remarkably dear in this country, it was the fame day ordered, nem. con. that a committee be appointed to enquire into the caufes of the prefent high price of provifions, and to report their opinion thereupon to the house; and a committee was accordingly appointed. After which it was ordered, likewise nem. con. that a committee be appointed to enquire into the causes of the prefent high price of hay, straw, oats, coals, and candles, and to report their opinion thereupon to the houfe; which was appointed accordingly. But as the price of provifions continued to rife rather than fall, therefere on the 22d of March, and before a report had been made from either of thefe committees, it was ordered, that leave be given to bring in a bill, to enable his majesty, with the advice of his privy council, to order the free importation of provifions from Ireland, during the next recefs of parliament, in fuch a manner as the neceffity of the time may require, and as he, in his wifdom, fhall think convenient and needful; and that Mr. Coventry, Sir William Meredith, the lord Coleraine, Mr. Nugent, and Sir George Armytage, do prepare and bring

in the fame.

On the 28th Mr. Coventry prefented the bill to the houfe, when it was read a first time, and a fecond, the next day, and committed for the 2d of April; when a motion was made for putting off the commitment till the 6th, but, after debate, it paffed in the negative, whereupon the reJune 1764.

port was ordered to be received on the
4th; but it was from time to time put off
until the 11th, and was as followeth :
"That the high price of provisions
cumftances peculiar to the feafon, and year,
of late has been occafioned partly by cir-
and partly by the defect of laws in force
for convicting and punishing all perfons
concerned in foreftalling cattle in their pas-
fage to market."

And from the report it appeared, that
the committee had been at great pains to
come at a thorough knowledge of the fub-
ject matter they were to inquire into; for
which purpose they had examined a num
ber of butchers, salesmen, victuallers of
fhips, and merchants, who gave feveral
natural reasons, but all admitted as fol-
lows:

"That the prefent high price of provifions is not entirely or exclufively the effect of natural caufes, but an artificial price, refulting from combinations, and the want of better regulations for the fale of cattle in open markets.

In fupport of this opinion, they informed the committee of a method now practifed of buying large quantities of fheep and oxen, upon the road to market, in order to forestall the market of that day, and fix the price by the will of a few engroffers; of another fpecies of foreftallers, who buy great numbers of sheep and oxen, and, after flaughter, fell the carcaffes whole to the leffer butchers, and thereby fet the market price to them, and advance the retail price; and all the witneffes concurred, in declaring, that if these combinations and arts for gaining and keeping the command of the markets in a few hands could be obviated and prevented, the fummer and winter price of meat of all forts, would be more reasonable,

They were clearly of opinion, that, at this very time, there is no want of fat cattle, and they urged with great force, in fupport of that judgment, that through the whole month of March, when provifions have been fo very dear at London, beef, mutton, and veal, have been at a moderate and ufual price in the markets of the feveral counties within thirty miles around the metropolis.

And as foon as the above refolution of the committee upon provifions was agreed to, Sir John Glynn reported from the faid committee upon hay, ftraw, &c.

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their

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will give fome light into their Intentions, and help to elucidate what appeared obfcure.-This we hope will be the more acceptable, as it comes from an Author of Veracity and Knowledge.

Some Confiderations upon the Confequences hoped and feared from the Death of the QUEEN.

Auguft 9, 1714.

N order to fet in a clear light what I I have to fay upon this fubject, it will

be convenient to examine the state of the nation with reference to the two contending parties; this cannot well be done without fome little retrofpection into the five last years of her late Majefty's reign.

I have it from unquestionable authority, that the Dutchels of Marlborough's favour began to decline very foon after the Queen's acceffion to the throne, and that the Earl of Godolphin's held not much above two years longer; although her Majefty (no ill concealer of her affections) did not think fit to deprive them of their power until a long time after.

The Duke of Marlborough, and the Earl of Godolphin having fallen early into the interefts of the lower party, for certain reasons not feaforable here to be mentioned, (but which may deserve a place in the hiftory of that reign) they made large steps that way upon the death of the Prince of Denmark, taking in feveral among the warmest leaders of that fide, into the chief employments of the ftate.

Mr. Harley, then fecretary of Itate, who disliked their proceedings, and had very near overthrown their whole scheme, was removed with the utmost indignation, and about the fame time, Sir Simon Harcourt and Mr. St. John, with fome others, voluntarily gave up their employments.

But the Queen, who had then a great efteem for the perfon and abilities of Mr. Harley (and in proportion of the other two, although at that time not equally known to her,) was deprived of his fervice with fome regret, and upon that and other motives well known at court, began to think herfelf hardly used, and feveral ftories ran about, whether true or falfe, that her Majefty was not always treated with that duty the might expect. Mean-time the church-party were loud in

their complaints, furmifing, from the virulence of several pamphlets, from certain bills projected to be brought into parli ament, from endeavours to repeal the facramental-teft, from the avowed princiin power, and other jealoufies needless to ples, and free fpeeches of fome perfons repeat, that ill defigns were forming against the religion established.

These fears were all confirmed by the populace, as one man, into the party trial of Dr. Sacheverel, which drew the against the miniftry and parliament.

the Queen had still a referve of favour for
The miniftry were very fufpicious, that
Mr. Harley, which appeared by a pas-
fage that happened fome days after his
removal: For, the Earl of Godolphin's
Kensington, the Earl a few hours after
coach and his happening to meet near
reproached the Queen, that the privately
admitted Mr. Harley, and was not with-
jefty's affeverations to the contrary.
out fome difficulty undeceived by her Ma-

tleman, by the Queen's command, and
Soon after the Doctor's trial, this gen-
the intervention of Mrs. Mafham, was
cefs, fpirited by the addreffes from all
brought up the back-stairs; and that Prin-
parts, which fhewed the inclinations of
her fubjects to be very averse from the
proceedings in court and parliament, was
refolved to break the united power of the
Marlborough and Godolphin families,
and to begin this work, by taking the
difpofal of employments into her own
hands: for which an opportunity_hap-
pened by the death of the Earl of Effex,
lieutenant of the tower, whofe employ-
the great difcontent of the Duke of Marl-
ment was given to the Earl Rivers, to
borough, who intended it for the Duke
of Northumberland, then colonel of the
Oxford regiment, to which the Earl of
Hartford was to fucseed. Some time af-
to the Duke of Shrewsbury in the ab-
ter the chamberlain's staff was difpofed of
fence, and without the privity of the Earl
of Godolphin. The Earl of Sunderland's
removal followed, and lastly that of the
High Treasurer himself, whofe office was
put into commiffion, whereof Mr. Har-
ley (made at the fame time chancellor of
the exchequer) was one. I need fay no-
thing of other removais, which are well
enough known and remembered: let it
fathice that, in eight or nine months time,
the whole face of the court was altered,
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and

and very.
few friends of the former mini-
fty left in any great stations there.

I have good reafons to be affured, that when the Queen began this change, fhe had no intentions to carry it so far as the church-party expected, and have fince been fo impatient to fee. For, although fhe were a true profeffor of the religion eftablished, yet the firft motives to this alteration did not arife from any dangers The apprehended to that or the government; but from a defire to get out of the dominion of fome, who the thought had kept her too much and too long in pupilage. She was in her own nature extremely dilatory and timorous; yet upon fome occafions, pofitive to a great degree. And when the had got rid of thofe who had, as the thought, given her the most uneafinefs, the was inclined to ftop, and entertain a fancy of acting upon a moderating scheme, from whence it was very difficult to remove her. At the fame time I must confefs my belief, that this imagination was put into her head, and made ufe of as an encouragement to begin that work, after which her advifers might think it easier to prevail with her to go as far as they thought fit. That these were her Majesty's difpofitions in that conjuncture, may be confirmed by many inftanIn the very heigth of the change, The appeared very loth to part with two great officers of ftate of the other party; and fome, whofe abfence the new minifters most earnestly wifhed, held in for above two years after.

ces.

Mr. Harley, who acted as first minifter before he had the staff, as he was a lover of gentle measures, and inclined to procraftination, fo he could not, with any decency, prefs the Queen too much against her nature; becaule it would be like running upon the rock where his predeceffors had split. But, violent humours running both in the kingdom and the new parliament, against the principles and perfons of the low-church party, gave this minifter a very difficult part to play. The warm members in both houfes, efpecially among the commons, preffed for a thorough change, and so did almost all the Queen's new fervants, especially after Mr. Harley was made an earl and high treasurer. He could not in good policy own his want of power, nor fling the blame upon his mistress. And, as too much fecrefy was one of his faults, he

would often, upon thefe occafions, keep his nearest friends in the dark. The truth is, he had likewife other views, which were better fuited to the maxims of state in general, than to that fituation of affairs. By leaving many employments in the hands of the difcontented party, he fell in with the Queen's humour, he hoped to acquire the reputation of lenity, and kept a great number of expectants in order, who had liberty to hope, while any thing remained undifpofed of. He feem. ed alfo to think, as other minifters have done, that fince factions are neceffary in fuch a government as ours, it would be prudent not altogether to lay the prefent one proftrate, left another more plaufible, and therefore not fo eafy to grapple with, might arife in its ftead.

However, it is certain that a great part of the load he bore was unjustly laid on him. He had no favourites among the Whig-party, whom he kept in upon the fcore of old friendship or acquaintance; and he was a greater object of their hatred than all the reft of the miniftry together.

The Hiftory of the Administration of a late

Minifter, by the Rev. Dr. JONATHAN SWIFT, Dean of St. Patrick's Dublin. An Account of the Court and Empire of JAPAN.

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Written in 1728.

EGOGE was the thirty-fourth Emperor of Japan, and began his reign in the year 341 of the Chriftian æra, fucceeding to Nena, a Princess who governed with great felicity.

There had been a revolution in that empire about twenty-fix years before, which made fome breaches in the hereditary line; and Regoge, (1) fucceffor to Nena, (2) although of the royal family, was a diftant relation.

There were two violent parties in the empire, which began in the time of the revolution above mentioned; and, at the death of the Empress Nena, were in the highest degree of animofity, each charging the other with a defign of introdu cing new Gods, and changing the civil conftitution. The names of these two parties were Hufiges and Yortes (3).

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The

(1) K. George. (2) Q. Anne. (3) Whig and Tory.

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