162) ANNUAL‘ REGISTER; 1702. 
out) any adequate cause, and upon 
slight pretences, tomake unnecessa- 
ry professions ofiattachment to the 
constitution; and of zeal for his:Ma- 
jesty’s government,.and to:concur 
in applauding his Majesty’s minis- 
ters for advising this extraordinary 
measure of a royal proclamation, 
and a recurrenceto the authority of 
parliament; a measure not called 
for, and which appears tome much 
more calculated to awake causeless 
apprehensions, and excite unneces- 
sary alarm: among a people attec- 
tionate to the King and obedient 
tothe laws, than to answer/any of 
those salutary purposes for which 
alone ministers should presume to 
use the royal name and autherity. 
Because those writings which: his 
Majesty’s ministers now considerias 
likely to disturb the public peace, 
andexcite dangerous tumults, and 
of which the prosecution is; ona 
sudden, deemed by them indispen- 
sable to the preservation of order 
and: they security of government;. 
have been permitted, for a consider- 
able. time: past, to:be openly, and, : 
as:is asserted, industriously dissemi- 
nated through every part of the 
kingdom; and thereforeif the prin- 
ciples thus propagated be so subver- 
sive of allordery and destructive of 
all government, and are atithe same’ 
time so unfortunately calculated to 
make ‘a rapid, alarming; and fatal 
progress in the minds of a peace- 
able and enlightened people, as mi- 
“nisters have in debate maintained, 
it would’ well become the-care and 
wisdom of parliament, instead of 
committing its'authority inthe mea- 
sures of executive government, and 
taking part in’the ordinary execu- 
tion of the laws; to enquire why $0 
importantia discovery was notmade 
at an earlier period ; 
and why: the 
ministers have so long. permitted 
the salutary terrors of the law to 
sleep over offences, the prosecution 
of which so highly Peet the 
public safety. 
Because, if it be expedient to 
punish the authors and publishers 
of seditious writings, I think it the 
province of the executive. govern- 
ment to determine upon that expe. 
diency, and to put the law in-: mo=_ 
tion ; and I cannot but consider ' as” 
pernicious’ in its example, and un- 
constitutional in its. principle, the 
present attempt made by the mi- 
nisters to shelter themselves} justify 
their conduct, and cover what, ac-— 
cording to their argument, has been 
theif Urininal negligence, by amea- 
sure of ‘parliament. ‘I believe the 
laws to be sufficiently efficacious for 
the ‘punishment of such offenders. 
as are described in the royal Vien 
mation';' and I see no reason w hy 
parliarient ‘should ' take” from. his 
Majesty’s ministers any part of the” : 
responsibility’ which appertains | to” 
their stations, of advising the crown, © 
and- directing its law-officers as to 
the fit seasons and proper occasions’ 
on whichany of the laws for pre- 
serving the public peace should, be 
enforced ; nor can I obsérve, with- 
out expressing my marked disap 
probation, thattheconfidence which 
the public still place in the wisdom 
and | integrity: of parliament, not- 
withstanding all the attempts made 
bythe present ministers to destroy: 
it, is insidiously laid hold:of by them: 
to create public prejudice, and ex= 
cite public indignation against those 
who are. represented as s obnoxious 
to the laws, and objects of prosecu- 
tion. A:sense of justice might have 
taught the ministers, that to fairand 
impartial trials, uninfluenced by any’ 
previous declaration, unprejudiced 
by 
ee ae 
