26 die Decemb', 1688, post Meridiem.
Address to Prince of Orange.
MR. Hamden reports from the Committee to whom
it was referred to prepare an Address to be presented to his Highness the Prince of Orange, that they
had met, and agreed upon an Address: Which he delivered in at the Table; and was read by the Clerk:
And then Mr. Hamden acquainted the Assembly, That
the Committee had found, upon Debate, that it would be
very inconvenient for the respective Officers that were to
execute the Prince's Letters, to give Ten Days Notice, at
the least, of the intended Elections; as also, to give Notice in all the Churches within their several Counties; and
that, in their Opinions, it would be fit, that some shorter
Time of Notice were assigned; and that the Publication
at the Market-towns would be sufficient, without sending
Messengers about to every Parish.
Whereupon the Assembly, taking the said Particulars
into Consideration, did resolve,
That the Time of Notice for electing Members to
serve for Counties, should be Five Days at the least; and
of the Cities, Universities, Boroughs, and Cinque Ports,
Three Days at the least; and that the Publishing of the
Prince's Letters in the Churches of the several Counties,
should be wholly omitted: And the Clerk was ordered to
amend the same at the Table: Which was done accordingly; and the Address, thus amended, being put to the
Question, was agreed to, and ordered to be ingrossed;
and is as followeth:
WE who have served as Members of the Parliaments during the Reign of the late King Charles
the Second, together with the Court of Aldermen, and
Members of the Common-council of the City of London
assembled at your Highness' Desire, in this extraordinary
Conjuncture, do, with an unanimous Consent, tender to
your Highness our most humble and hearty Thanks, for
your coming into this Kingdom, exposing your Person to
so great Hazards, for the Preservation of our Religion,
Laws, and Liberties, and rescuing us from the Miseries
of Popery and Slavery:
And do desire your Highness, that, in pursuance of
those Ends, and for the Preservation of the Peace of
the Nation, your Highness will take upon you the Administration of publick Affairs, both Civil and Military,
and the disposal of the publick Revenue.
We do also desire that your Highness will take into
your particular Care the present Condition of Ireland, and
endeavour, by the most speedy and effectual Means, to
prevent the Dangers threatening that Kingdom.
All which we desire your Highness to undertake, and
execute until the Meeting of the intended Convention,
the Two-and-twentieth of January next.
We do likewise desire your Highness to cause Letters to
be written, and subscribed by your Highness, to the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal, being Protestants, and to the several Counties, Universities, Cities, Boroughs, and Cinque
Ports, of England, Wales, and to the Town of Berwick
upon Tweed: The Letters for the Counties to be directed
to the Coroners of the respective Counties, or any One of
them, and, in Default of Coroners, to the Clerk of the
Peace of the respective Counties; and the Letters for the
Universities to be directed to the respective Vice-chancellors; and the Letters to the several Cities, Boroughs,
and Cinque Ports, to be directed to the chief Magistrate
of each respective City, Borough, and Cinque Port, containing Directions for the choosing, in all such Counties,
Cities, Universities, Boroughs, and Cinque Ports, within
Ten Days after the Receipt of the said respective Letters,
such a Number of Persons to represent them, as are of
Right to be sent to Parliament.
That for such Elections, and the Times and Places
thereof, the respective Officer shall give Notice in Manner
following; that is to say, as to the Elections for the
Counties, Notice to be published in all Market-towns in
the respective Counties; by the space of Five Days, at
least, before such Election; and Notice of the Elections
for the Cities, Universities, Boroughs, and Cinque Ports,
to be published in the respective Places, by the Space of
Three Days before, at the least.
That the said Letters, and the Execution thereof, be
returned by such Officer and Officers who shall execute
the same, to the Clerk of the Crown in the Court of
Chancery, so as the Persons so to be chosen, may meet
and sit at Westminster on the Two-and-twentieth Day of
January next.
This we humbly offer your Highness, as our best
Advice, in this Exigency of Affairs, for attaining the Ends
of your Highness's Declaration, and as the best Means
tending to such an Establishment, as that our Religion,
Laws, and Liberties, may not be in Danger of being again
subverted.
Ordered, That the said Address be ingrossed.
Ordered, That the Earl of Wilts, Sir Rowland Gwyne,
and Mr. Herbert, do wait on the Prince, to know his
Pleasure, what time his Highness will please to appoint
for this Assembly to present their Address.
And then the Assembly adjourned till Ten a Clock
To-morrow Morning.