read, a great majority in favour of it, having been obtained each time, it was thrown out on the third reading. The parliament rofe on the 8th of May.

The death of Lord Halifax, which happened foon after the rifing of parliament, occafioned fome alterations in the arrangement of the great officers of ftate. The Earl of Suffolk fucceeded to the secretaryfhip for the northern department, and the Duke of Grafton fucceeded Lord Suffolk in the privy-feal.

С НА Р. II.

Seamen voted-Petition of the clergy to be relieved from fubfcribing to the thirty-nine articles-Arguments urged on both fides-Royal marriage bill-Mr. Sullivan's bill for regulating the affairs of the East India Company-Lord Clive's defence of his conduct Reply made Select committee to enquire into the affairs of the company Bill for the relief of proteftant diffenters-Views of the minister for the reduction of the national debt-Obfervations on the condition and profpects of the nation as defcribed by Lord North-Mr. Alderman Townsend brings the question on the Middlefex election before the court of king's bench-Changes in various departments-Sudden failures in the city of London, and their confequences.

S little public bufinefs was likely to employ the two houses, parliament did not meet until the 21ft of January 1772. The ftrength of the miniftry was foon found to be increased by several members, who had, on for

mer occafions, distinguished themselves by oppofing the meafures of adminiftration, who were now induced to change their fentiments, and give their entire fupport to government. A ftate of public tranquillity imparts stability to a minister, and as it frees him from those restraints which oppofing fentiments create, it yields fcope for the exercise of his talents, and the application of them to the general interests of the state.

Twenty-five thousand seamen were voted for the fervice of the current year, and although it was objected that fo large a number in time of peace would add half a million to the public burden, it was carried without a divifion. Sound policy dictates, that our grand national security should be ever affiduously attended to, even in the moft quiet times; but failors upon paper, are destructive means of peculation. A great reform in the guard ships was promifed: the conduct with refpect to them was declared to have been fo fhameful, that for many years back they had been confidered merely as jobs; and, it was faid, that at the time of the late expected war, there were neither ships nor men fit for fervice; but that things were now fo much altered for the better, that twenty of the beft fhips in the navy were kept upon that duty, and were in fuch complete condition, and fo nearly manned, that a flight prefs would at any time enable them in a few days, to proceed to fea . that the rest of the fleet was alfo in good condition; and that in about a year, we fhould have near eighty fhips of the line fit for fervice, befides thofe that were upon foreign duty.

The halcyon days of peace, with which the nation was now bleffed, afforded a favourable opportunity for introducing reformations in the state, and modelling legal esta

blishments

blishments in conformity to the changes of times, and the fuller difcovery of truth, which had been made through a fucceffion of ages. A petition was therefore prefented to the house of Commons *, by Sir William Meredith, figned by a great number of the clergy of thechurch of England, and members of the profeffion of civil law and phyfic, praying relief from the fubfcription to the thirty-nine articles of faith,

This petition ftated it to be one of the great principles of the proteftant religion, that every thing neceffary to falvation, is fully and fufficiently contained in the holy fcriptures; that the petitioners have an inherent right, which they hold from God only, to make a full and free ufe of their private judgment in the interpretation of those fcriptures; that though these were the liberal and original principles of the church of England, and upon which the reformation from popery was founded, they had been deviated from in the laws relative to subscription; by which they are deprived of their invaluable rights and privileges, and required to acknowledge certain articles and confeffions of faith and doctrine, drawn up by fallible men, to be all and every of them agreeable to the fcriptures.

Such fubfcriptions were farther reprefented, as a great hinderance to the spreading of true religion, as they discouraged free enquiries into the real fenfe of the facred writings, tended to divide communions, and to cause mutual diflike among fellow proteftants. That the diverfity of opinions, held upon many of thefe articles, occafioned great animofity and ill-will among the established clergy; that they afforded an opportunity to unbelievers to charge them with prevarication, and with being guided by interested * February 6, 1772. E 3

and

ed and political views, in fubfcribing to articles which they could not believe, and about which no two were agreed in opinion; and that they afforded á handle to papifts, to reproach them with their inconfiftency, by departing from the principles on which they had grounded their feparation from them, and now admitting of human ordinances, and doubtful and precarious doctrines, though they pretended that the fcripture alone was certain and fufficient to falvation.

The two profeffions of civil law and phyfic, complained of the hardships they fuffered, at one of the univerfities' particularly, where they were obliged, at their first admiffion, or matriculation, and at an age fo immature for dif quifitions and decifions of fuch moment, to fubfcribe their unfeigned affent to a variety of theological propofitions, in order to be able to attain academical degrees in their refpective faculties; and that their private opinions upon thofe fubjects can be of no confequence to the public, as the courfe of their ftudies and the attention to their practice, neither afford them the means or the leifure, to examine into the propriety, or nature of fuch propofitions. They alfo lamented the misfortune of their fons, who, at an age before the habit of reflection can be formed, or their judgment matured, may be irrecoverably bound down in points of the higheft confequence, to the opinions and tenets of ages lefs informed than their own.

Sir William Meredith, after having brought up the petition, faid, that the prayer of it was of fuch importance, as highly mérited the moft ferious confideration; as grievances which affect the confcience, are of all others the most grievous; that it was repugnant to that liberality of fentiment which happily prevailed in the prefent age, to oblige people to subscribe to the truth of articles which they could

not

not believe; such injunctions tended to establish, under a religious authority, habits of prevarication and irreligion: and were productive of great licentioufnefs in the church, and had a farther tendency to deftroy Chriftian charity. The removal of thefe unworthy fhackles he affirmed, would give a firmness of strength to the establifhed church of England, which nothing could fhake; nor could any danger arife from fuck a reformation, whilft the hierarchy and the bishops exifted.

Sir Roger Newdigate was the great champion of the high church party upon this occafion. He confidered the petition as a prayer to put an end to the very being of the church of England, as he knew not where to find it, as a national church, he faid, but in its thirty-nine articles and book of common prayer. He understood, he faid, that the greater number of thofe, who had figned the petition, were cler gymen, who muff therefore have fubfcribed thefe exceptionable articles; fo that however tender their confciences are at present, they could quiet them in that inftance. It was fuch tender confciences, he faid, that fubverted the church of England in the last century; and he foretold, that fimilar confequences would now enfue, if the houfe granted the indulgence prayed for. The house, he faid, had no power to difpenfe with oaths, nothing could relieve thofe who had already fubfcribed. He maintained, that the houfe could not receive the petition, for to comply with it, would be a direct breach of the articles of union, by which England and Scotland are now knit together, Our king, as the third part of the state, is bound by oath, never to admit any alteration either in the liturgy or in the articles.

Mr. Hans Stanley spoke next, with much more inoderation, though totally against the petition. He expressed himfelf

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