4<)2 Prevention of Duelling.' 



stnnJlns Parliament, and a standiiif; 

 army, arc coinertiliie, and fit instru- 

 ments to support caoli other's power." 



THU ELPrr.N'NIAL ACT. 



1st George I. Strtl.. II. e. 38. 

 \^lii'roas in and hv an Aci c>r Parlia- 

 ment, made iii tlieGtli >cur of the reign 

 of their late Majesties kinj;-AVilliaui and 

 Queen Mary, (of ever blessed memory,) 

 entitled, " An Aet for the frequent iiiect- 

 ins? and calling: of parliaments;" it was, 

 .imonsf other things, enacted, that from 

 thencelbrt!) no I'arliamei'.t whatsoever, 

 that should at any time then after be 

 called, assembled, or held, should have 

 any continuance loni;;er than for three 

 years Oiily at the farthest, to he accounted 

 from tiie day on which, by the writ of 

 summons, the said I'ariianient should 

 be appointed to meet: a^id wlieieas it 

 lias been found by experience, that tlie 

 said clause hath proved very g^rievous 

 and burthensome, by occasioning much 

 greater and more continued expences in 

 order to cleetious of n)i mhers to serve 

 in Fariiament, and more violent and 

 lasting heats and animosities among the 

 subjects of this realm, than were ever 

 known before the said clause was en- 

 acted; ami the said provisian, if itshouhl 

 coiitimte, may proh;ibly, at this junc- 

 ture, when a restless and jiopish faction 

 are designing and emh avouring to re- 

 jticw the rebclHon witiiin this kingdom, 

 uiid an invasion from abroad, be destruc- 

 tive to the peace and security of the 

 government: be it enaeled.lky l!ie king's 

 Tucsl excellent ;'\iaiesty, by and with the 

 advice and consent, of tiie lord; spiritual 

 and temporal, and commons, in Pailia- 

 mcnt assembled, and by the authority of 

 the .same, that this present Parliament, 

 and .-^ll Parliaments thai shall at any 

 time hereafter 'be called, assembled, or 

 held, shall and may res[)ecfivcly have 

 continuance for seven years, and no 

 longer, to be accounted fron> the day on 

 which, K> the writ nf summons, this (ire- 

 KCiit Parliament lialh been, or any future 

 Pi-.rliameiit s!i:;!i l)e, ai)p()i:ited to meet, 

 imicss tins pr vseut, or any such Parlia- 

 ment hereafter be sunnnotied, shall be 

 sooner dissolved by his .Majesty, bis 

 heir.s, or s:«:cccssors. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 



TW\ll CKF, can he little doubt but tliat 

 M. those persons who, on true Clnis- 

 tian princii)'<s, are desirous of prevent- 

 ing tiie mode of settling nati^mal ditfer- 

 e'liccs by going to war, should cease; 



-Parli anient arij lieform. [Jan, 1, 



must also wish to see the disgraceful 

 and wicked custom, commoBly called 

 duelling, put a stop to. 



Whether the Society mentioned in 

 your Magazine for " Promoting Peace" 

 can, consistently with their plan, cirea- 

 latc pamphlets on this subject, must be 

 left to their consideration ; btit, as kill- 

 ing men in duels is a sort of ^^ arfare, 

 perhaps they might, without any great 

 stretch of their plan, do so. 



Some years ago a book (I believe a 

 Prize Essay,) was published against this 

 crime ; where it was printed, or where 

 now to be had, I know not, but shall 

 be glad to be informed. 



The abominable practice here men- 

 tioned might, there is reason to believe; 

 with nmch less exertion than is neces-- 

 sary to remove other evils, be entirely 

 got rid of — it wants to be disgraced: 

 the law is very strong against it, the 

 parties, if death ensues, being guilty of 

 murder. Hoping this subject may be 

 brought before the public, and some 

 effectual means be taken to stop the 

 progress of this sort of murder, I shall 

 conclude. A Friend to Peacc. 



Nov. 22, 1816. 



*,* The Society against War have just 

 primed tlieir Third Tract; and, as it 

 applies to DUELLING as ucll as to war, 

 it will not fail to gratify our correspon- 

 dent, and all men who picfrr the gratifi- 

 cation of tlieii moral feelings to llie indid- 

 gencc of their passions. — Editor. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



PLANS of a Parli.imentary Reform 

 are now become so numerous, and 

 so many are continually i.ssuing from 

 the )iress, that for the most part they 

 are not worth the attention of the public. 

 With resi'Cct to triennial elections, I 

 tiiink them far belter than annual eli>o* 

 lion.s, or than one-third part vacating 

 their seals every year; for there would 

 arise a diJliculty w/(0 were to dctcrmiiiey 

 and then ichat part should vacate ; tiir,- 

 in the comae of three year.s, there are 

 so many elections by one member dying, 

 anoliier aeeej)ting the Chiltern li'un- 

 dreds, another a place undc^r govern- 

 ment, and another promoted to the 

 House of Peers, that th^re woidd be 

 very great confusion. Wlien the mi- 

 nisters vacated their seats, it would not 

 make much <iitlcreuce, for they are 

 always sure of being re-elected, as they 

 would lake ea^-e of a rotten borough in 



casgi 



