Your majefty may be affured that we will, with chearfulness and difpatch, raife fuch fupplies as fhall be found neceffary for the current fervice of the year. And, being thoroughly fenfible of your majetty's paternal concern for the relief and welfare of your people, in recommending to us the improvement of the public revenue, and the diminution of the national debt, on which the future fafety of Great Britain muft depend, we will apply ourselves, with the utmost zeal and affiduity, to carry into execution every proper measure which may contribute to these great and falutary purposes, and which the ftate of your majefty's dominions, and the circumftances of the times, fhall require.

We acknowledge, with the livelieft gratitude, the gracious expreffions of your majefty's tender affection, and of your conftant care for the mutual benefit and fupport of all your fubjects. And we affure your majefty, that, animated with these fentiments, we will endeavour to deferve the confidence which your majefty is pleafed to repofe in us, by purfuing every public advantage; and will proceed therein, with that temper and firmnefs, which will beft conciliate and infure due fubmiffion to the laws, and reverence to the legislative authority of Great Britain.

His majefty's most gracious answer.

Gentlemen,

I return you my thanks for this very dutiful and affectionate addrefs; and I receive with the greatest pleafure your congratula

I feel for my faithful fobjects, makes me anxious to provide for every poffible event, which may affect their future happiness or fecurity.'

fa

My late indifpofition, though not attended with danger, has led me to confider the fituation, in which my kingdoms, and my mily, might be left, if it should please God to put a period to my life, whilft my fucceffor is of tender years.

The high importance of this fubject to the public fafety, good order, and tranquillity; the paternal affection which I bear to my children, and to all my people; and my earnest defire, that every precaution fhould be taken, which may tend to preserve the conftitu. tion of Great Britain undisturbed, and the dignity and luftre of its crown unimpaired; have determined me to lay this weighty bufinefs before my parliament. And, as my health, by the blefling of

God,

God, is now restored, I take the earlieft opportunity of meeting you here, and of recommending to your moft ferious deliberation the making fuch provifion, as would be neceffary, in cafe any of my children thould fucceed to the throne, before they thall refpectively attain the age of eighteen

years.

To this end, I propofe to your confideration, whether, under the prefent circumftances, it will not be expedient to veft in me the power of appointing from time to time, by inftruments in writing, under my fign manual, either the queen, or any other perfon of my royal family ufually refiding in Great Britain, to be the guardian of the person of fuch fucceffor, and the regent of thefe kingdoms, until fuch fucceffor fhall attain the age of eighteen years; fubject to the like reftrictions and regulations, as are specified and contained in an act, paffed upon a fimilar occafion, in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of the late king, my royal grandfather: the regent. fo appointed to be affifted by a council, compofed of the feveral perfons, who, by reafon of their dignities and offices, are conftituted members of the council eftablished by that act, together with those whom you may think proper to leave to my nomination.

The joint addrefs of the boufe of lords

and boufe of commons.

Moft gracious Sovereign,

Wful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal, and VOL. VIII.

E, your majefty's moft dati

commons,in parliament affembled, prefume to approach your facred perfon, with our warmeft acknowledgements of the peculiar goodnefs expreffed in your moft gra cious fpeech from the throne.

We humbly intreat your majefty's acceptance of our heartieft congratulations upon your recovery from your late indisposition. Your majetty's return to your parliament has diffipated all those anxious fenfations, which the occafion of your abfence had excit. ed; and as the re-establishment of your invaluable health is an object to your faithful people of the fincereft joy and exultation, your majefty has fhewn a moft atfectionate regard to their fatisfac. tion, in condescending to take the earlieft opportunity of giving them fo pleafing a proof of it.

This great mark of your majefty's attention demands our mott fincere and dutiful thanks; but we have before us a ftill more engaging inftance of your watchful follicitude for our future fecurity and happiness.

The conftant tenor of your just and conftitutional government, diftinguifhed and endeared to your kingdoms by an unwearied application to the advancement of their interefts and prosperity, had already filled our minds with a most cordial fenfe of gratitude. The new proof, which your majefty is now pleased to give us, of your truly paternal goodness, by extending your concern for the ftability, dignity, and luftre of your crown, with all the happy effects. of your love to your royal children, and to your faithful fub.

jets, beyond the period of your own continuance among them. []

muft

muft infpire us with ftill higher degrees, if poffible, of reverence and affection.

Whilft we contemplate, with admiration, that magnanimity which enables your majefty to look forward, with a cool compofure of thought, to an event, which whenever it fhould please God to permit it, muft overwhelm your loyal fubjects with the bittereft diftrace tion of grief; we cannot but be deeply affected with that compalfionate fentiment of your royal heart, which fuggefts a provifion for their comfort under to fevere an affliction.

May it please the Divine Providence to exempt us from the fatal neceflity of fuch a confolation! Your majefty has fhewn, from the first day of your aufpicious reign, to confcientious a regard to the laws and liberties, the religious and civil rights of your kingdoms, that we fhould be inentible and unworthy of the hap. pines we ourselves enjoy, if we did not ardently with to tranfmit it under the fame gracious care and protection to our children.

Yet, feeling, as we do, the importance of every meature that nay tend to the perpetuating, in all events, our happy conflitution; in deference to your majetty's re-, commendation, aud under a full conviction of that confummate prudence, and beneficent intention, which were the motives of it, we will not fail to apply ourfelves to the immediate difcution of the high and momentous object which your majetty has been pleaf. ed to propofe to our confideration.

Oar deliberations concerning it will be animated by the hopes of fecuring to our pofterity, under the bleffing of Almighty God, and in concurrence wth your majefty's falutary defigns, the ineftimable bleflings of a legal proteftant fucceffion to the crown of these realms in your royal family; and will be influenced by a juft confidence in your princely wisdom, and paternal concern for your people.

We shall go into this confultation with a fenfible anxiety arifing from the subject of it; but we humbly affure your majefty, that we will conclude it, with all the difpatch compatible with its fingu. lar importance; repeating, at the fame time our earnest fupplications that, through the mercy of God upon this proteftant church and nation, a precaution, fo expedient in profpect, may become ufelefs in the event, by your majefty's living to form, under your own inftruction, a fucceffor worthy to inherit the allegiance and affections of a free people, by a long and mature attention to the example of your royal virtues.

His majesty's most gracious answer.

My Lords and Gentlemen, Your affectionate congratulations upon my recovery, and the fenfe which you exprefs of your happiness under my government, give me the greatest fatisfaction.

Be affured, I have not a more fincere concern, or a more carneft defire, than to fecure to my faithful people, both now and hereafter, the religious and civil bleffings of our invaluable conftitution.

Abfra

Abira of the act, paffed in purfu ance of the foregoing fpeech of his majefty, to provide for the adminiftration of government, in cafe the crown should defcend to any of his children, being under the age of eighteen; and for the care and guardianfbip of their perfons.

HE preamble to this act men

of a tender concern in his majefty for his faithful fubjects, and an anxious defire to provide for every poffible event which may effect their happiness or fecurity, in regard to the adminiftration of the government, as fet forth in his majefty's fpeech, it is enacted;

That power be invefted in his majefty of appointing, from time to time, by three infiruments un der his fign manual, a guardian to his fucceffor, in cafe the crown fhall defcend to any of his children being under the age of eighteen years, fuch guardian to have the care and management of the tuition of the person of fuch minor, and to execute the office of regent of this kingdom; and to be either the queen or princefs dowager of Wales, or one of the defcendants of the late king ufually refiding in Great Britain.

That a number in fucceffion, by way of substitution, in cafe of death,may be nominated to fucceed in the guardianship and regency; but no more than one perfon to act as fuch at one time; and fuch perfons to be difqualified from acting as guardians and regents by non refidence, or by marrying a papift.

That the inftruments of nomination be fealed with the king's

feal; and the feals of the archbithop of Canterbury, lord chancellor, and prefident of the council; and to be feverally depofited with them: but, upon the revocation or alteration of fuch inftruments by the king, or death of any of the depofitaries, or removal of any of the faid officers of ftate, to be delivered up; and on the demife of the king, during fuch

affemble, and the said inftruments are to be produced and read.

That a perfon guilty of opening any of the faid inftruments, without his majesty's order, or refufing to deliver up the fame to the privy council, thall incur the penalties of premunire.

That one of the inftruments being produced thall be eff &tual to give authority to the perfon no. minated regent: and all acts of regal power, done otherwife than by confent and authority of the regent, are declared void.

That the council of regency, for affifting the regent, shall confift of their royal highneffes his majefty's brothers, Edward Auguftus, duke of York and Albany, William Henry, duke of Glocefter and Edinburgh, prince Henry Frederick, and prince Frederick William, and his royal highnefs his majefty's uncle William Auguftus, duke of Cumberland (the faid prince Henry Frederick, and prince Frederick William, to be members of the faid council of regency, when they fhall respectively attain the age of 21 years, and not fooner) and alfo of the perfons and officers following, viz. the archbishop of Canterbury for the time being; the lord chancellor or lord keeper, or the firft commiflioner namedia [S] z

any

any commiflion for the cuftody of the great feal of Great Britain for the time being; the lord treasurer of Great Britain, or the firft commiffioner in that office for the time being; the lord prefident of the council for the time being; the lord privy feal for the time being; the lord high admiral of Great Britain, or the first commiflioner for executing that office; the two principal fecretaries of ftate for the time being; and the lord chief juftice of the court of King's or Queen's Bench for the time being. But, if any of the king's brothers, or his uncle, fhall die, during his majefty's reign, or thall be nominated regent on his demife; his majefty, by three inftruments under his fign manual, fealed and depo. fited as aforefaid, and revocable at pleature, may appoint fome other perfon to be of the council; and fuch inftruments of nomination are to be produced unopened to the privy council.

That the council meet as the regent fhall direct, and five (where it is not otherwife fpecially provided) may a&.

That an oath of office be taken by the regent, and by each member of the council, to be administered by the privy council, and entered in the council books; the regent and council to qualify them felves as for offices or places of truft; the regent taking and fubfcribing the oaths and declaration before the privy council; and receiving the facrament in one of the royal chapels.

That upon his majesty's demife during the minority of his fucceffor, the privy council fhall meet, and caufe fuch fucceffor to be proclaimed, pursuant to the act 12

William III. upon pain of incur. ring the penalties of high treafon.

That the confent of the majority of five or more of the council be neceffary to make good all creations, pardons, gifts, grants, dif pofitions, inftructions, orders, or authorities.

That the regent shall not make war or peace; ratify treaties; or prorogue, adjourn, or diffolve the parliament; without the confent of the majority of the council; nor give the royal affent to any act for altering the fucceffion to the crown, as eftablifhed by act 12 William III. or for repealing or altering the act of 13 Charles II. or of 5 Anne.

That the members appointed by the council, in virtue of their dignity or office, be no longer of it, than they continue in fuch dignity or office; the great officers of ftate appointed of the council, to continue in their offices, in cafe of the defcent of the crown during fuch minority, for fix months after; unless removed by confent of the majority of the council; or upon addrefs of both houfes of parliament.

That the archbishop of Canterbury, and lord chief juffice of the King's Bench, may be removed in like manner, from the council, as alfo any other members who are not conftituted fuch in virtue of their dignities or officer

That vacancies in the council, by removal, death or refignation, or by fucceeding to the office of regent, or by death of the king's younger brothers, being under age, be filled up within two months by the regent and council.

Nothing herein contained fhall take away the rights of the privy council; but the regent may fim