by counter claims on the part of the Spaniards, and they had, at best, but the slender hope of obtaining that redress by commissaries, which they had been unable to procure by plenipotentiaries. In place of confirming the quadruple alliance, this treaty, it was maintained, was contradictory to it had been made without the concurrence of the emperor, and even without inviting him to accede to it-an affront which might alienate his friendship from England, and thus cost her an ancient, powerful, and faithful ally. The emperor, indeed, did resent it so far as to prohibit British subjects from trafficking in his dominions, and began to march troops into Italy with unwonted celerity. But he wanted money-England was the only place where he could obtain it, and to prevent his doing so, a bill was brought into parliament, and passed into a law, to prevent the subjects of England from lending money to foreign powers, without the king's special license for that purpose. This session of parliament was closed on the fifteenth of May by the king in person, who, in his speech on that occasion, expressed his satisfaction, that notwithstanding of the clamour that had been raised, the conduct of parliament had been such as could not fail "to inspire men in general with a just detestation of those incendiaries, who, by scandalous libels, laboured to alienate the affections of his people, to fill their minds with groundless jealousies, and excite unjust complaints in dishonour of him and his government." His majesty was this year visited by seven Indian chiefs of the Cherokee nation, who laid their crown and regalia at his feet, and in name of their compatriots, who had vested them with powers to that effect, acknowledged themselves his subjects. These poor barbarians were quite overwhelmed with the splendour of the British court; they compared the king and queen to the sun and moon, the princes to the stars of heaven, and themselves to nothing. They gave their assent in the most solemn manner to articles of friendship and commerce, and being loaded with presents of necessaries, arms, and ammunition, were reconveyed to their own country.* History of England. The General Assembly met, according to appointment, on the fourteenth of May, 1730. The Rev. Mr. William Hamilton, professor of divinity in the college of Edinburgh, was chosen moderator, and Hugh, earl of Loudon, was appointed commissioner. Little business of moment seems to have come before this assembly. An act was passed, forbidding the recording of reasons of dissent from decisions of church judicatories, ordering them only to be kept in retentis, to be laid before superior judicatories. This act probably was intended to pave the way for what was soon adopted by the assembly itself, the refusing either to receive or record reasons of dissent from its decisions. An act was also passed for preventing the spreading of error, which recommended" to all ministers of this church to be careful in their several charges to guard against the spreading of any errors contrary to our standards of doctrine, and condemned by acts of assemblies, particularly such as strike against the fundamentals of our holy religion." This act was probably intended to quiet the clamour that had become so general with regard to professor Simpson. The next meeting of assembly was fixed for the first Thursday of May, 1731.+ Parliament was again assembled on the twenty-first of January, 1731. His majesty in his speech, reminded them that the present conjuncture was critical, and demanded their particular attention; and as the many important matters depending in the several courts of Europe were on the eve of being settled, the great event of peace or war could not fail to be very much affected by their first resolutions. The continuance of that zeal and vigour with which they had hitherto supplied him in all his engagements, they could not but observe must at this time be of the greatest importance, both to his allies, and to those who might be disposed to prevent, by timely accommodation, the fatal consequences of a general rupture. Both houses, though the opposition clamoured loudly upon the absurdity of promising to support measures with which they were unacquainted, in their addresses promised to support him in all his engage ments. Petitions having been presented to the house of commons + Acts of Assembly, 1750. representing the delay of justice, from the proceedings in courts of law being conducted exclusively in the Latin language, a bill was brought in for changing the practice, and allowing every man to plead or write his cause in plain English. Reasonable as this proposal was, it met with the keenest opposition, and from the suppression of a barbarous jargon, which had for ages been the disgrace of the profession, and an outrage upon common sense, nothing less was predicted than the loss of all that was contained in ancient records, the extinction of law, and the universal triumphs of ignorance and injustice. The measure, however, was, though with difficulty, carried, and the very reverse of these melancholy anticipations has been the effect. Law has become a more honourable and a more lucrative profession, knowledge has been greatly extended, and the stream of justice has every day since been becoming more pure. Notwithstanding the late treaty with Spain, and the promises of restitution, &c. with which the nation had been so lately amused, that people still continued the same system of insult and depredation; and complaints, petitions, and remonstrances, poured in upon the parliament from all quarters of the empire. These complaints were referred to a select committee, and being found to be but too well founded, an address was presented to his majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to continue his endeavours to procure restitution for the damages already sustained, and especially to prevent such depredations for the future, otherwise British subjects could not be said to enjoy the full and uninterrupted exercise of their trade and navigation, even with their own colonies. The exclusion of pensioners from the house of commons, the national debt, &c. continued through the session to be fruitful topics of debate, tending to divide and to agitate the nation, without producing any direct result. The session was closed on the seventh of May, his majesty informing them at the same time, that every apprehension of war had vanished, a treaty having been happily signed at Vienna, between him and the emperor, which had been communicated to the courts of France and Spain, as parties to the treaty of Seville, the due execution of which it principally regarded. The engagements into which he had entered on this occasion, he remarked were all strictly agreeable to that necessary concern, which the British nation behoved at all times to take in preserving the balance of power, as a mean of securing the tranquillity of Europe.* The General Assembly of the church of Scotland, according to previous appointment, convened at Edinburgh, May the sixth, 1731. The Rev. James Smith, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, was chosen moderator. Hugh, earl of Loudon, being commissioner. The business of the assembly, for some time past, had very much devolved upon the commission, rid ing committees, &c. &c. and the high hand with which many harsh decrees, particularly with regard to the settling of vacant churches, had been by these commissions, committees, &c. carried into effect, had created an universal ferment through the country. This tyrannical exercise of power was odious to the body of the people, and was strenuously opposed by the most popular of the clergy, so that some measure had become necessary for quieting the minds of the people, and preserving the respectability of the church. For this purpose, it was overtured at this assembly, that in all cases where the planting of parishes devolved upon presbyteries, they should proceed upon the call of the heritors, being protestants, and the elders. This overture was transmitted to presbyteries, that they might return their opinion to the next assembly, whether it should be turned into a standing act, presbyteries in the meantime being enjoined to observe it. "And in case presbyteries shall neglect to send up their opinion upon it, the General Assembly do appoint the overture to be laid before the next General Assembly, to be passed into a standing act or not, as they see cause."+ A petition from some brethren of the synod of Perth, and members from the synod of Angus, the presbyteries of St. Andrews, Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Kincardine, Elion, and Aberlour, was presented to this assembly, craving, that a warning might be emitted against errors in doctrine, and the growth of infidelity, which was referred to the commission. ‡ Parliament was again assembled on the thirteenth day of † Acts of Assembly, 1731, History of England, &c. January, 1732, when his majesty assured both houses, that the tranquillity of Europe was completely established by the late treaty of Vienna. He remarked to the commons, that the estimates for the current year, would be considerably less than those of some former years, and he recommended cool discussion and unanimity in all their proceedings. His government, he observed, had no security but in what was equally conducive to their happiness, and to the protection of his people, nor had their prosperity any foundation, but in the defence and support of his government. Like the last, this session was fruitful in little but debates, ending in nothing. A third attempt was made this session to exclude pensioners from the house of commons, but the bill was again rejected by the lords. No less than five members of the house were, during this session, expelled for acts of the most sordid knavery, which, by the moralists of that day, was considered as a striking proof of national degeneracy, and the sure indication of approaching ruin. The session was closed on the first of June, and his majesty set out for Hanover, leaving the queen regent in his absence. The General Assembly of the church of Scotland, was convened at Edinburgh on the fourth of May, 1732, the Rev. Niel Campbell, principal of the college of Glasgow, moderator, and William, marquis of Lothian, commissioner. For several years there had been a great and growing dissatisfaction among both ministers and members of the Scotish church, which had occasioned many remonstrances, dissents, and protestations in the assemblies, commissions, and inferior judicatories. These, however, had produced no other effect but a tyrannical act, forbidding them to be on any account recorded. A A paper had been given in to the assembly, 1731, complaining especially of violent settlements, but it was refused a hearing; which induced a number of ministers to draw up a representation and petition to this assembly, requesting that something might be done to stem the tide of innovation that was threatening to subvert the very foundations of the Scotish church. This representation, though it was respectfully and formally presented and signed by forty-two ministers, met with no better reception than those that had preceded it, it was not so much as allowed |