9+*] pittance, for the relief of perfons to whom her power and glory was f0 much indebted; while the French King, who was reprefented to be in the moll: ruinous circum- ﬂances, had fettled a provilion on his naval captains, which nearly doubled our half-pay. Several gentlemen produced inftances upon their own knowledge, of brave of- ﬁcers, whofc fervices in the late tvar had been known to every body, and who were now languiﬂ ing with large families, or opprelied with iicknefs, in a {late 0t diftrefs that mult excite the moii melancholy reﬂections on being known.

To the furprife of many, pro- bably to the furprife of the mini- iter himfelf, he was deferted by a number of thofe, on whofe ﬁrm fupport in all cafes, whether from oﬂice or connexion, he had caufe to rely. Upon a divilion, the peti-

tion was received b a ‘Fehgth’ majority of nine, ithe numbers being 154 to 14;. A committee was accordingly ap-

pointed to examine the matter of

the petition, and after the neceffary enquiries to make a report; in con- fequence of which, after forne ad- editions propofed in the committee, which were rejected by the Houfe, the original requcli: was agreed to, and an addreiis prefented to~ the throne, for an addition of two {billings a day to the captains half- PaY- _ _

Notwithliandmg the fate of the Diﬂienters bill laft year in the Houfe of Lords, another, upon ﬁmilar principles, but with fome additions, was this feflion brought into the Houfe of Commons, The fortune

ANNUAL REGISTER, 1773.

of this bill was exactly the fame as that of the preceding year; it was carried through all its ltages in [r3 one honfe by a great majo- rity, and rejected in the fame man- ner by the other. The only re- markable circumltance that diflin- guilhed the preterit, was its bcin Qppﬂied by petitions from feverﬁ congregations, who called them- felvts Protellant Diﬁiznters, and who appear to have been principally compoled of the generally known tinder the deno: ntination of Vlethodiﬁs. The peti- tions were -

received, ariidlvflirfy. March 25th‘ were heard by council at the bar of the Houfe of Commons againft paf? ﬁng the bill.

A motion was alfo made for a committee of the whole Houfe, to conﬁder of the fubfcription, to the 39 articles of the church of Eng- land, or any other teils now re- quired of perfons in the univerfities. We have feen lall year, a petition from certain of the clergy and others, for relief in the matter of fubfcrip- tion, with an account of the re- caption it met with in the Honfe of Commons; though the mode was new changed, the tendency was nearly the fame, and the ground of argument not very dif- ferent. The motion was, however, well fupported, and produced a very conﬁderable debate; but was at length rejected by a great ma- jority, as the former had been, the numbers being 159 to 64. We fo fully difcuﬁied thefe fubjeéts when they ﬁrﬁ originated, that a repe- tition now of them would be ti}? pcrﬁuous.

QHAP-

people who are i