Transcription

(8) Councill (wh wd be in effect ye same thing) or before his Coronation, or before the first day of ye first Parliamt next after his coming to ye Crown. But then there was a doubt how far this would be certainly effectual. It was observed yt ye Statute of ye 1st yeare of King William & Q Mary, wh requires making ye declaration against Popery in Parliamt or at ye Coronation does not say [at ye first day on which a Parliamt shall sit] but [at ye first day, on which ye first Parliamt next after his coming to ye Crown shall sit.] yt is, ye first day on which his first new Parliamt should sit. Which is a very materiall difference because as ye Law now stands, where ye Sovereign dyes ye Parliamt if there be one, otherwise ye last preceeding Parliamt are [[deletion]] [[unclear]] [[/deletion]] immediately to meet & sit, & therefore ye first day of a Parliamt meeting after ye death of ye Sovereig, will be ye same day on which he dyes, at which time no solemn Act can well be done or be ready to be done. And in ye case of our present most gracious Sovereign, his Majesty was at Hanover ye first day of ye meeting of ye Queens last Parliamt, & therefore could not possibly make ye Declaration aforesd in ye House of Peers yt day: but his Majesty did make it at ye Coronation which happened before ye first day of ye meeting of his first Parliamt. The Reason of this remark was, yt it hence appeared, yt there would always be a certain Opportunity of repealing this Law (if there should be a disposition so to do) before ye renunciation ^ [[addition]] is to be [[/addition]] made & then ye Obligation to make [[deletion]] it [[/deletion]] it would be taken off, & ye Provision intended would be defeated As upon His Majestyes happy accession to ye throne severall of ye Articles in ye Act of Settlemt were repealed, particularly that wh restrained his Maty from going abroad, & yt which required ye Resolution taken in ye Privy Councill to be signed by those who advised them, & that, which disabled Persons having offices to sit as Members of ye House of Comons: all which being restraints & clogs upon His Maty & his Government