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The Prince

of their Debates, and to let her know, if 4 D.168. she defired it, he did not doubt, they should be able to fet her alone upon the Throne of Orange's C She answered, She was the Prince's Wife, Adminiand would never be other than what she stration. 'fhould be in Conjunction with him, and under him; and should take it very unkindly of any one who fhould endeavour to separate their Interefts: And fent both the Lord Danby's Letter and her Answer to the Prince; who being now affured of the Confent of the Princefs under her Hand, fent for the Earl of Danby, together with the Marquis of Halifax, and the Earl of

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Shrewsbury, and let them know, That tho' The Prince fome were for putting the Princess into infifts upon the Throne fingly, He would neither think for Life: of holding it by Apron-ftrings; nor would he take any Share in the Government, unless it were lodged in his own Perfon for Term of Life: Though he would confent, that the Iffue of the Princefs Anne fhould fucceed before the Iffue he might have by any other Wife but the Princefs.

2 Houses

And this Refolution of his Highness, it With appears, put an End to all the Debates in whom the the Convention: For the Lords immediately concur. after agreed to the Vote of Abdication and Vacancy of the Throne; and on the feventh of February refolved, That the Prince and Princefs of Orange should be King and Queen of England, &c. for their natural Lives, and the Life of the longer Liver of them; and that the fole and full Regal Power be in the Prince only during their joint Lives. With which Refolution the Commons concurred.

How

The Prince

A.D.168. However, there were no less than eleven Spiritual, and twelve Temporal Lords that of Orange's protefted against the Refolution concerning Admini- the Abdication and Vacancy of the Throne; ftration. and within three Days their Number encreaProtefts fed to thirty feven. However, the Princess against the of Orange arriving from Holland on the twelfth Abdication. of February, both Houfes attended the Prince

İnftances of King James's

and Princess the next Day in the Banquetting-Houfe at Whitehall; when the Clerk of the Crown read the following Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, affembled at Westminster.

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Whereas, the late King James II, by the Affiftance of divers evil Counsellors, Maleadmi- Judges, and Minifters employed by him, niftration. did endeavour to fubvert and extirpate the Proteftant Religion, and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom, by affuming and exercifing a Power of difpenfing with, and fufpending the Laws, and the Execution of Laws without Confent of Parliament; by committing and profecuting divers worthy Prelates, for humbly petitioning to be excufed from concurring to the faid affumed Power; by iffuing, and caufing to be executed, a Commiffion under the Great Seal, for erecting a Court, called, The Court of Commiffioners for Ecclefiaftical Caufes ; by levying Money, for, and to the Ufe of the Crown by Pretence of Prerogative, for other Time, and in other Manner, than the fame was granted by Parliament; by raifing and keeping a ftanding Army with in this Kingdom, in Time of Peace, with

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out Confent of Parliament; and Quarter- 4.D.168. ing Soldiers contrary to Law; by causing The Prince feveral good Subjects, being Proteftants, of Orange's to be difarmed, at the fame Time when AdminiPapifts were both armed and employed con- ftration. trary to Law; by violating the Freedom < of Election of Members to ferve in Parliament; by Profecutions in the Court of King's-Bench, for Matters and Caufes cognizable only in Parliament; and by divers other illegal and arbitrary Courfes.

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And, whereas of late Years, partial, corrupt, and unqualified Perfons, have been returned, and ferved on Juries in Trials, and particularly, divers Jurors, in Trials for High Treafon, which were not Freeholders; and exceffive Bail hath been required of Perfons committed in criminal C Caufes, to elude the Benefit of the Laws, for the Liberty of the Subject; and excef'five Fines have been impofed, and illegal and cruel Punishments inflicted, and feveral Grants and Promifes made of Fines and Forfeitures, before any Conviction or Judgment; all which, are utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws, and Statutes, and Freedom of this Realm.

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And whereas the late King James II, having abdicated the Government, and the Throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the Prince of Orange (whom it hath pleafed Almighty God, to make the glorious Inftrument of delivering this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power) did (by the Advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and divers principal Perfons of VOL. XXIII. Iii

'the

4.D.168

The Prince

Admini

ftration.

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the Commons) caufe Letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, of Orange's being Proteftants; and other Letters to the feveral Counties, Cities, Universities, Boroughs, and Cinque-Ports, for the chufing of fuch Perfons to reprefent them, as were of Right to be fent to Parliament, to meet and fit at Westminster, January the 22d, 1689, in order to fuch an Establishment, as that their Religion, Laws, and Liberties, might not again be in Danger of being fubverted: Upon which Letters, Ele&ions have been accordingly made: And thereupon, the faid Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, pursuant to their refpective Letters and Elections, being now affembled in a full and free Reprefentation of this Nation; taking into their moft ferious Confideration, the best Means for the Attaining the Ends aforefaid; do in the first Place (as their Ancestors in like 'Cafes have ufually done) for the vindicating their ancient Rights and Liberties, declare,

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Declared That the pretended Power of Sufpending Illegal. Laws, or the Execution of Laws, by Regal Authority without Confent of Parliament, is illegal.

The

Rights of the People

afferted.

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That the pretended Power of Difpenfing with Laws, or the Executing of Laws by Regal Authority, as it hath been affumed and exercifed of late, is illegal.

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That the Commiffion, for erecting the 'late Court of Commiffioners for Eccefiafti'cal Caufes, and all other Commiffions and Courts

Court of the like Nature, are illegal and 4.D.16Ɛ pernicious.

The Prince

ftration.

"That Levying Money, to or for the Use of Orange's of the Crown, by Pretence of Prerogative, Adminiwithout Grant of Parliament for longer 'Time, or in any other Manner, than the fame is, or fhall be granted, is illegal.

That it is the Right of the Subject to petition the King, and all Commitments and Profecutions for fuch petitioning, are illegal.

That the Raifing and Keeping a ftanding Army within the Kingdom in Time of Peace, unless it be by Confent of Parliament, is against the Law.

That the Subjects, being Proteftants, may have Arms for their Defence, fuitable to their Condition, and as allowed by 'Law.

That the Elections of Members of Parliament, ought to be free.

That the Freedom of Speech, or Debates and Proceedings in Parliament, ought not to be impeached, or queftioned in any • Court, or Place out of Parliament.

That exceffive Bail ought not to be required, nor exceffive Fines impofed, nor • cruel and unufual Punishments inflict• ed.

'That Jurors ought to be duly impannel'led and returned; and Jurors, which pafs upon Men in Trials for High Treafon, ought to be Freeholders.

That all Grants and Promifes of Fines and Forfeitures of particular Perfons be'fore Conviction, are illegal and void.

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