Expence of 350,000 l. per Annum for England; and I will fuppofe there might be about 3000 Men more for Scotland? Is the Riot-Act, which establishes Paffive-Obedience and Non-Refiftance by a Law, even in Cafes of the utmoft Extremity, the fame Thing as leaving the People at Liberty to redrefs Themfelves, when They are grievoufly opprefs'd, and thereby oblige the Prince, in fome Measure, to depend on their Affections?

But to return from whence I have digrefs'd, and pafs to the next Reign. In That of Queen Anne a very expenfive War against France involved the Nation in a heavy Debt, (which I hope will be a Warning to us from engaging haftily in another) and occafion'd the granting feveral Duties and Taxes, which are received by the Crown, and charged as Funds to pay Intereft on feveral great Sums, that have been borrow'd. This Circumftance is certainly of no Advantage to the Caufe of Liberty, as it makes the Crown the immediate Steward and Receiver of the annual Income of near fifty Millions of the People's Property; befides increafing its Influence and Weight by the vast Number of Officers, employ'd in collecting, overfeeing and paying thefe Funds and Revenues. I muft farther add, that there was a Claufe in an Act of Parliament repeal'd in this Reign, which till then had been highly valued, as what would tend very much to the Security of our Liberties. I mean that Claufe of the 12th of King William above-mention'd, by Virtue of which, after the Deceafe of the Queen, no Perfon having any Place could fit in the House of Commons. I mention This without any Delign to caft the leaft Reflection on that excellent Princess, who pas'd many good Laws for the Security of Liberty, as will appear from what I am going to mention; for by the fame At, in which that Clause was repeal'd, there was another inferted, bywhich all Perfons, holding the feveral Offices therein fpecify'd, were incapacitated from fitting in the House

of

of Commons; as well as all Perfons, holding any new Places, created fince 1705. By the fame Act all Perfons, who, after their Election into Parliament, fhall accept any Office of Profit whatsoever under the Crown, (except in the Army or Navy) are declared incapable of fitting in the Houfe, unless re-elected. In confenting to thefe Claufes, her Majefty gave us immediate Poffeffion of the Benefit of them; whereas That of the 12th of King William, though it was more extenfive, yet was not to take Place till a Time remote, and fo was repeal'd before it came in Force. In the 5th Year of her Reign, fhe pass'd the Qualification-Act, which requires that every Member for a Borough fhall have 300 l. per Annum, and for a County 600 1. per Annum ; a Law, which was intended to confine the Election to fuch Perfons as are independent in their Circumstances; have a valuable Stake in the Land; and muft therefore be the moft ftrongly engaged to confult the publick Good, and leaft liable to Corruption. This Law has been of great Service to us, and is fo ftill; though far from being effectual; but it would be in a great Measure needlefs, if we were once made fecure against Bribery at Elections and Corruption after Elections; because the People, when left to Themfelves, would naturally chufe the chief and best Sort of the Gentry to reprefent Them.

But I propofe, as I faid before, to pursue thefe Kind of Remarks no farther than those two Reigns. will only add, that if any Part of thefe good Laws, which still subsist, and were form'd for the Preservation of the Freedom of Parliaments, have not their due Force, by Reafon of fome conceal'd Evafions, which in Length of Time may have been found out; what can be more reafonable than to apply an effectual Remedy? Is it not of a hundred Times more Confequence to prevent fuch Evafions than any little Frauds in the Customs? If the Laws formerly contrived, for fecuring to us free Parli aments and frequent Elections, have been repeal'd; it is natural to defire that a proper Opportunity may offer

N 3

itself

itself for recovering what we once enjoy'd by express Law, as well as by the Nature of our Conftitution. And farther, if the publick Debts are fuch an Incumbrance and Embarassment to us, that we could not engage with Vigour in a War, even upon our own Account, and for our own immediate Interefts, if Occafion required, or if they are fo circumstanced, that they may render our Liberties lefs fecure; what can be more fit and reasonable than to make Use of the Means we have in our Hands to leffen thefe Debts, by managing the national Expence with all poffible Frugality, and fhunning all Occafions of increafing them. Sure, no good Ally can expect that we fhould act for his Intereft, with lefs Caution than we use for our own; or that we should be more quick in making Reprifals upon the Aggreffors against Him, than we are upon Thofe against Ourselves!

If the minifterial Advocates would be thought to have any Senfe of Liberty, or Revolution-Principles, left unextinguish'd in their Breafts, let Them come fairly to thefe Points, without Sophiftry, or Prevarication; but if, instead of This, They are refolved to drudge on in their old Road of calling Jacobite and Republican, They muft expect to continue in the fame Contempt They are at prefent, and only make their Patron ridiculous, as well as Themselves.

I am, SIR, &c.

SATURDAY.

N° 376. SATURDAY, Sept. 15, 1733.

Referved my Paper this Week for a Defence of myself against the great Mr. Walfingham, who undertook to confute the Craftsman very fully, and to convict me of having afferted a falfe Fact, with Relation to the DISSENTERS; viz. that the honourable Perfon, his Patron, oppofed the Repeal of the SCHISM-BILL; whereas, fays He, I am affured that He voted for that Repeal in every Step of its Progrefs through the Houfe of Commons. Accordingly, He promised to clear up this Point in his next Paper; but when the Day came, He deferted his Colours in a cowardly and fcandalous Manner, without making any Apology for deceiving his Readers, or charging me with Want of Truth and Candour. This hath been a common Practice with Mr. Walfingham, when any knotty Point occurr'd, as I could prove in feveral Inftances; and therefore fhall leave Him to the juft Contempt and Indignation of Mankind, as a low Tool, who will affert any Thing to ferve a prefent Purpose.

As to the SCHISM-BILL, I have fince made fome farther Enquiries into the Truth of the Fact, which I related, and think myself able to justify what I said ; but as the venerable Mrs. Osborne is now engaged upon that Subject, I chufe to wait for her Thoughts, and Shall then make fuch Remarks upon them, as I think proper and neceffary,

In the mean Time, I fhall prefent my Readers with an ingenious Letter from one of my Correspondents, which I dare fay will entertain Them very agreeably.

To

To CALEB D'ANVERS, Efq;

Mr. D'AN VERS,

T might not, perhaps, be difagreeable to fome of

then, efpe cially at this Seafon of the Year, give Them a little Relaxation from Politicks; and though you are obliged to keep a watchful Eye over the Enemies of the Publick, you may however have a little Time to relieve yourfelf; for as the GRAND CRIMINAL, with whom You bave fought a good Fight, is really dead in Law; That is, hath been convicted, condemn'd, and hang'd in Effigie; and if He continues to hold Power, holds it without Dignity; which is a contemptible Situation ; - let his Ens Rationis, good Mrs. Osborne, doze on in Quiet a little; and permit his great and eloquent Penfioner, Efq; Walfingham, to harangue without Oppofition. Give us a Paper or two on fome uncommon Subject; at leaft, fuch as has not been generally treated. Your ordinary Writers of Effays, fuch as Dame Osborne herfelf, when fhe takes the Name of Socrates, weary me to Death by labouring to convey, in an inelegant and difagreeable Style, thofe Ideas, which every Man, who reads, has received from good Writers, and from whom these fecond-hand Effayifts borrow all that is good and ufeful.

For this Reafon, I write to you now on a Subject quite foreign to the general, political Purpose and Defign of your Paper. It is a fhort Effay on the Game of CHESS; the only Game, perhaps, which is play'd at for nothing; and yet warms the Blood and the Brain as much as if the Gamefters were contending for the deepeft Stakes. No Perfon cafily forgives Himself, who loses, though to a fuperior Player. No Perfon is ever known to flatter at this Game, by underplaying himfelf; which is very furprizing, becaufe Flattery of