It is evident, that the Sovereign Independence would receive a Wound, by being made accountable to any Potentate whom foever, for the Privileges or Eafes in Trade, which one Monarch may grant in his Kingdom to another Nation, or to the Subjects of < another Monarch or Prince; fince every one knows, that this is abfolutely a Branch of the Sovereignty, and that it depends altogether on his Free Will. 'Tis known likewife, that his Majesty has not fign'd any Treaty, nor entered into any Engagement, to refufe to fome the Favours he has granted to others, because by that Means he would have deprived himself of that abfolute and • effential Freedom. Upon this uncontefted Principle, the King believes he made ufe of his lawful Right, when, after the Conclufion of the Treaty of Vienna, his Majefty granted fome Privileges and Eafements to the Subjects of the Emperor, with whom he is fo ftrictly ally'd.

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Mean while, fuch is the Uprightness of the King my Master's Intentions, (who looks upon the Publick Good as an Object preferable to all other Confiderations) that on his Part he would for once gratify your Lordship's Wifhes, and interpofe his Good Offices with his Imperial Majefty, to put an End to your Complaints, and fee if Expedients could not be found to prevent a Rupture.

The Under-written again declares, that the King his Mafter, perfifting in the Refolution to enter, in Concert with the StatesGeneral, into proper Measures for maintaining the Peace of Europe; his Majefty expects to find the fame Difpofitions in your Lordfhips; that you will anfwer up to the advantageous Idea he has conceived of your great Prudence; and that you will attribute this • Declaration as much to his ardent Defire to prevent Hoftilities, as to the particular Efteem he has for your Friendship. Done at the Hague, this ift Day of April, 1726.

The Marquis de San Philippo.

IRELAND.

N our laft, for want of Room, we were obliged to omit feveral Particulars relating to this Kingdom.

On the 8th of March his Excellency the Lord Carteret, Lord Lieutenant, went with the ufual State to the Houfe of Peers; and the Commons with their Speaker attending, his Excellency gave the Royal Affent to F

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An Act to prevent the fraudulent and clandeftine importing of Goods. An Act to prevent Marriages by degraded Clergyman and Popish Priests, and for preventing Marriages confummated from being avoided by Precontracts, and for the more effectual punishing of Bigamy.

An Act for the better regulating the Office of Sheriffs, and for afcertaining their Fees, and the Fees for fuing out their Patents and passing their

Accounts.

An Act for explaining and amending an Act, Intituled, An Act for the continuing and amending the Laws in Relation to Butter and Tallow, and the Casks in which fuch Goods are to be made up, and in Relation to the curing of Hides, and making up of Beef and Pork for Exportation, and for preventing the Deftruction of Salmon.

An Act for continuing feveral Temporary Statutes made in this Kingdom, and now near expiring, and for allowing further Time to Perfons in Offices to qualify themselves pursuant to an Act, Intituled, An Act to prevent the further Growth of Popery.

An Act for the better preferving the Salmon Fishery of this Kingdom. An Act for the more effectual tranfporting of Felons and Vagabonds. An Act for the more effectual erecting and better regulating of FreeSchools, and for rebuilding and repairing of Churches.

An Act to amend and explain an Act, Intituled, An Act to encourage Building of Houfes and making other Improvements on Church Lands, and to prevent Dilapidations.

After which his Excellency made the following Speech to both Houses.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

Have with great Satisfaction obeyed His Majesty's Commands,

in giving his Royal Affent to thofe good Laws which have been prepared by you during this Seffion; and am perfuaded they will not only contribute to the Advancement of the Proteftant Religion, but also to the Peace and Tranquility of the Country, and to the Prefervation and Increase of the Trade of this King'dom. His Majefty's Goodness in giving you the Bill, for the more eafy paffing of Sheriff's Accounts, is a fresh Inftance of his Royal Favour, and Care to promote upon every Occafion the Security and Eafe of His People.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

I am commanded by His Majefty to return you Thanks for the Supplies which you have fo chearfully given for the Support of

the

⚫ the Establishment. I muft likewife particularly acknowledge the • late Inftance of your inviolable Attachment to His Majefty's In• tereft and Service, which you have fhewn by that unanimous Re• folution, whereby you have enabled His Majesty to give an immediate Credit to the Warrants for clearing the Army, and the HalfPay Officers, and to put the Forces upon this Establishment into Condition to discourage all Attempts of our Enemies.

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My Lords and Gentlemen,

'It has been my earnest Desire, ever fince my coming to this Government, to promote every thing to the utmost of my Power, which I thought might conduce to His Majefty's Service, and the general Good of this Kingdom; and your refpective Addreifes give me Reafon to hope, that my Endeavours having proved to your Satisfaction, have not been altogether unfuccefsful.

I question not but by your Vigilance in your feveral Stations thro'out the Country, effectual Care will be taken, that those who have it in their Inclinations, may not be able to disturb the publick Peace; to the Prefervation of which Nothing can contribute more than a due and impartial Execution of the Laws, which, under God, are the chief Security of our Conftitution in Church and State; and a strict Union among Proteftants, who ought at thisTime when all Europe feems alarmed, to be particularly active against the Designs of the Pretender and his Adherents.

I cannot put an End to this Seffion, without expreffing how agreeable it has been to me to obferve, from Time to Time, the many Marks of Loyalty and Affection which you have shewn to His Majefty's Sacred Perfon, to His Royal Family and Government: And I fhall not fail, on my Return into His Majesty's Prefence, to make a faithful Report to His Majesty of the dutiful • Behaviour of His loyal Subjects of Ireland.

And then the Parliament was prorogued to the 14th Day of April. His Excellency's Time being expir'd, he fet out for England, where he is fince arrived; and the Lord Primate, Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, were appointed Regents. And they have fince prorogued the Parliament to the 11th of August next.

GREAT BRITAIN.

THEY continue their Naval Preparations in England with a great deal of Vigor, in order to fit out the third Squadron defigned for the Mediterranean. Since our laft, Six Men of War have been put into Commiffion, and a great Number of Men imprefs'd for the Service. 'Tis talk'd too that three Regiments are fent for from Ireland, and that a Draught will be made out of each Regiment of Guards, and that all thefe are to be fent on board.

His Excellency Horatio Walpole, Anibaffador to his most Christian Majefty, is returned to the Court of France.

On the 26th of this Month his Majety went to the House of Peers, and being attended by the Houfe of Commons, gave the Royal Affent to

An Act for continuing the Duties upon Malt, Mum, Cyder, and Perry, in that Part of Great Britain called England; and for granting to His Majefty certain Duties upon Malt, Mum, Cyder, and Perry, in that Part of Great Britain called Scotland, for the Service of the Year 1726; and for the more effectual preventing Frauds and Abuses in the Shipping of Malt for Exportation to foreign Parts; and for afcertaining the Price of Ale to be fold in Scotland; and for making good the Deficiency of the Lottery Tickets of the Year 1724; and for making forth Duplicates of Exchequer Bills, Lottery Tickets, and Orders, loft, burnt or otherwise deftroyed.

An A&t for granting an Aid to His Majesty, by laying a Duty upon all Victuallers and Retailers of Beer and Ale within the Cities London and Westminster, and the Weekly Bills of Mortality, and for prohibiting their fending Beer or Ale out of their Houses to diftant Places in any Pots or Veffels less than a Gallon. And alfo for adding One Hundred additional Hackney Chairs to thofe already Licenfed. And for applying certain Arrears of former Land-Taxes towards the Supply granted to His Majefty for the Service of the Year 1726, and for appropriating the Supplies granted in this Seffion of Parliament.

And to Twenty more Publick Bills (moft of 'em for repairing High-ways) and Eighteen private Bills.

Upon an Application from the Deans of Westminster, and ChriftChurch in Oxford, and the Master of Trinity-College in Cambridge, his Majefty hath been pleafed to change the Time of Election at WeftminfterSchool; and by Letters of Difpenfation under the Royal

Signet,

Signet, has appointed that the faid Election fhall be held and kept for the future on the fixth Monday after Eafter-Day, which talls this Year on the 16th of May.

DEATHS of Perfons of Note.

N the 5th of this Month died of a Fever, Sir Clement Wearg, his Majesty's Sollicitor-General, and Member of Parliament for Helfton in Cornwall. He was indefatigable in his Studies, and in the Difcharge of his Office; and his Illness was in a great Measure attributed to his too great Application to Business.

About the fame Time died the Honourable Henry Townshend, a younger Son of the Lord Viscount Townshend.

As did alfo John Hiccocks, Efq; late one of the Mafters in Chancery. On the 9th died at Cambridge, the Rev. Dr. Grigg, Master of Clare-Hall, in that University.

The fame Day died at his Seat at Shire-Oake in the County of Nottingham, Sir Thomas Hewet, Surveyor-General of His Majesty's Works, a Place reckon'd worth 500 l. per Annum.

Died about the fame Time Col. Cudleigh, Lieutenant-Governour of Chelsea-College.

And alfo Mrs. Sophia How, fome Time fince Maid of Honour to her Royal Highness.

On the 14th died her Grace the Dutchess of Wharton; fhe was Daughter to Col. Holmes, of the Isle of Wight.

Lately died at Edinburgh, very much regretted, Michael Kincaird, Efq; formerly Ufher to Prince George of Denmark.

About the Middle of the Month died in Staffordshire, Dame Ann Egerton, only Daughter and Heir of Francis Wolverton, of Stafford in that County, Efq; and fecond Wife of Sir John Egerton, Bart.

On the 19th died the Reverend Mr. Jeremiah Collier, Author of the Great Historical and Geographical Dictionary.

On the 22d died the Reverend Dr. Gardiner, Warden of Alloul's College in the University of Oxford.

The fame Day died Mr. Serjeant Nott, one of those who was called to that Degree by his Majefty.

On the 25th died Sir William Lagolsby of Buckinghamshire, Bart. and having left no Iffue behind him, the Title is extinct.

Died at his Lordship Seat of Wardour-Caftle in Wiltshire, the Rt. Hon. Thomas Arundel Lord Arundel and Count of the facred Roman Empire. About