A. D. 1708. - 5 



ceeded to borrow large fums of money for the fupport of their fcheme. 

 But, in a few year^; after, a difcovery was made of many and great 

 frauds committed by their fervants, fuch as, loans on fiditious pawns, 

 embezzlements, Sec. which occafioned a parliamentary inquiry; the re- 

 fult of which was, that by fuch frauds and mifmanagements, the corpo- 

 ration had not effeds fuflicient to pay even but a fmall part of the mo- 

 ney they had borrowed at intereft of a great number of perfons, many 

 of whom were thereby reduced to great diflrefs ; the whole amounting 

 to L487,895 : 14 : loi, to anfwer which, there remained no more in 

 money and other effeds, than L34,i50 ; 13 : I7, excepting what might 

 be recovered from the debtors of the corporation, which (fays the ftatute 

 after-named) was then uncertain. Hereupon, the houfe of commons 

 expelled fuch of their members- as were directors thereof; moft of whom 

 had, in other refpe6ts, retained till then fair charaders. And, in the 

 year 1733, the parliament, [6 Geo. II, c. 2,S^ granted a lottery for 

 L5co,ooo for the relief of ^ch of the fufferers as Ihould appear to five 

 mafters in chancery, therein named, to be obieds of compalfion ; out 

 of which L25 per cent was deduded, and in the following year diftri- 

 buted amongll the fufferers, amounting, after all the expenfe of this 

 lottery was deduded, to gfg per pound of their lofs, by an ad of the 

 8th of King George 11. c. 11. in 1734. Since which time, that ill-con- 

 duded corporation retains nothing but its empty name. 



1709. — The general naturalization in England of foreign proteftants, 

 has been varioufly reafoned upon by many perfons, in different periods. In 

 the beginning of the year 1709, a bill was ordered into the houfe of com- 

 mons for that end ; in favour of which, it was argued, that very great 

 benefits would thereby accrue to Britain ; that the king of Prufiia, by 

 inviting the French refugees to fettle in his dominions, had fertilized :i 

 barren and ill-peopled country, improved its trade and manufadures, 

 and incrcafed his own revenues, &.c. The preamble of the ad, [7 ^-Inii, 

 c. 5.] for naiurali/iing foreign protefiants, therefor, oblcrvcs, that, 

 V'hereas the increafe of people is a means of advancing the wealth and 

 flrenglh of a nation; it was therefor enaded, — 1) that all perfons born 

 out of the ligeance of her majefly, who fliall take and fiiblbribe the 

 oaths, and the declaration of the 6th of this reign, fiiall be deemed, ad- 

 judged, and taken to be her majefly's natural-born fubjects : provided 

 they fiiall have received the facrament of the Lord's lupper in fome 

 proiefiant or reformed congregation within this kingdom of Great 

 Britain within three months before their taking the faid oaths, and 

 fliall produce a certificate figned by the perfon adminiftering the faid 

 facrament, and attefied by two credible witnefi'es. 



II) That the children of all natural-born fubjeds, though born out 



of the ligeance of her majefty, her heirs, and fucceflbrs, fhall be deemed' 



a. 



