titled, An Act for the better Obfervation of the Lord's Day, commonly call'd Sunday; and alfo an Act of Parliament made in the ninth Year of the Reign of the late King William the Third, entitled, An Act for the more effectual fuppreffing of Blafphemy and Prophaneness, and all other Laws now in Force for the punishing and fuppreffing any of the Vices aforefaid; and also to fupprefs and prevent all Gaming whatfoever, in publick or private Houfes on the Lord's Day, and likewife that they take effectual Care to prevent all Perfons keeping Taverns, Chocolate-Houfes, Coffee-Houfes, or other publick Houfes whatsoever, from felling Wine, Chocolate, Coffee, Ale, Beer, or other Liquors, or receiving or permitting Guefts to be and remain in fuch their Houfes in the Time of Divine Service on the Lord's Day, as they will anfwer it to Almighty God, and upon Pain of our highest Displeasure. And for the more effectual proceeding herein, we do hereby direct and command all our Judges of Affize, and Juftices of the. Peace, to give ftrict Charges at their respective Affizes and Seflions, for the due Profecution and Punishment of all Perfons that hall prefume to offend in any the Kinds aforefaid, and alfo of all Perfons that contrary to their Duty, fhall be remifs or negligent in putting the faid Laws in Execution, and that they do, at their respective Affizes, and Quarter Seffions of the Peace, caufe this our Proclamation jo be read in open Court, immediately before the Charge is given. And we do hereby further charge and command every Minifter in his refpective Parish Church, or Chappel, to read or caufe to be read this Our Proclamation, at leaft four Times in every Year, immediately after Divine Service, and to incite and ftir up their refpective Auditories to the Practice of Piety and Virtue, and the avoiding of all Immorality and Prophanenefs. And to the End that all Vice and Debauchery may be prevented, and Religion and Virtue practifed by all Officers, private Soldiers, Mariners, and others, who are employ'd in our Service by Sea or Land, we do hereby ftrictly charge and command all our Commanders and Officers whatfoever, that they do take Care to avoid all Prophanenefs, Debauchery, and other Immoralities; and that by their own good and virtuous Lives and Converfations, they do fet good Examples to all fuch as are under their Care and Authority; and likewife take Care of and infpect the Behavior of all fuch as are under them, and nith all thofe who fhall be guilty of any the Offences aforefaid,

pu

aforefaid, as they will be anfwerable for the ill Confequences of their Neglect herein.

Given at our Court at St. James's, the 5th Day of January, 1714, and in the First Year of our Reign.

Soon after this, another Proclamation was publish❜d, For difcovering the Author, Printer, and Publishers, of a malicious and traiterous Libel, entitled, English Advice to the Freeholders of England: And for preventing Riots and Tumults at the ensuing Elections of Members to ferve in Parlia

ment.

GEORGE R.

W

HEREAS we have receiv'd Information, that a most malicious and traiterous Libel, entitled, Englifh Advice to the Freeholders of England has lately been printed, and difpers'd throughout our Kingdoms with the utmost Industry; nevertheless, by the Care and Vigilance of our Magiftrates, great Numbers thereof are intercepted in our City of Exon, fome being directed to Sir John Coriton, Sir Nicholas Morice, Jonathan Elford, Efq; Philip Rafh Jey, Efq; Francis Scobell, Efq; John Williams, Efq; Mr. Granville Piper, Mr. Welshman, Mr. William Cary, Mr. Prousse, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Tonkin, Mr. Cunnock Kendall, respectively, in our County of Cornwall, others thereof to the Reverend Mr. Shute, the Reverend Mr. Hughes, the Reverend Mr. Collyer, and the Reverend Mr. Bedford, refpectively, in our faid County, and others thereof to the Mayor of our Borough of Weftloe in the faid County, whereby, as well as from the Contents of the faid Libel, we are convinc'd that the fame is a wicked Contrivance, meant not only to fpread Sedition, and to inflame the Minds of our loving Subjects, but alfo by alienating their Affections from us and our Government, to promote the Intereft of the Pretender, and in order thereto, to raise Disturbances in the approaching Elections of Members to serve in Parliament : We being refolv'd, as far as in us lies, to bring the Authors, and Contrivers of fuch traiterous Defigns to condign Punishment, and to deter all others from the like Attempts for the future, have thought fit, by the Advice of our Privy-Council, to iffue this our Royal Proclamation, hereby promifing a Reward of. One Thoufand Pounds to any Perfon or Perfons, who fhall difcover the Author or Authors of the faid traiterous Libel to any one of our Principal Secretaries of State, and the Sum of Five Hun

dred

dred Pounds to any Perfon or Perfons, who fhall difcover the Printer or Printers thereof, as aforefaid, to the End that fuch Author or Printer may be profecuted according to Law; which refpective Rewards our Commiffioners for executing the Office of Treasurer of the Exchequer, are hereby directed to pay accordingly. And we do hereby ftrictly charge and command all our Magiftrates in and throughout our Kingdom of Great Britain, that they do make diligent Search and Enquiry after the faid Author, Printer, or Publifhers; and that they do apprehend and feize the said Perfons, and all others whom they shall find difperfing the faid Libel, and give proper Information thereof fo as the faid Offenders may be dealt with, as the utmoft Rigour of Justice requires.

And whereas there is nothing which we fo earnestly defire, as to fecure the Peace and Profperity of our Kingdoms, and to preferve to all our loving Subjects the full Enjoyment of their Rights and Liberties, as well religious as civil, and in a moft particular Manner the Freedom of Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament, and being fatisfy'd that the fame hath been of late Years greatly invaded by the Encouragements which have been given to Tumults, Riots, and other indirect Practices in the Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament; and it being moft apparent, that fuch evil-minded Perfons are now fomenting and carrying on the fame dangerous Practices, we do hereby declare our highest Refentment and Difpleafure against all fuch illegal Proceedings, ftrictly prohibiting the fame, as being moft injurious to our Government, and to the fundamental Rights of our People. And we do farther charge and Command all our Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, chief Magistrates in our Cities, Boroughs, and Corporations, and all other our Officers and Magiftrates throughout our Kingdom of Great Britain, that they do, in their feveral and respective Stations, take the most effectual Care to fupprefs and prevent all Riots, Tumults, and other Disorders, which shall be raised or made by any Perfon or Perfons whatsoever, at or in the approaching Elections of Members to ferve in Parliament, and that they do put the Laws in Execution against all Offenders in that Behalf. And we do further require and command all and every our Magiftrates aforefaid, that they do from Time to Time tranfmit to one of our Principal Secretaries of State due and full Informations of all fuch Perfons who fhall be found effending, as aforefaid, or in any Degree aiding or abetting

abetting therein; it being our Royal Refolution to punish the fame according to the utmost Severity of Law.

Given at our Court at St. James's the Eleventh Day of
January, 1714, in the first Year of our Reign.

On the 15th of January, the King in Council fign'd the following Proclamation for calling a new Parlia

ment.

GEORGE R.

T having pleas'd Almighty God, by most remarkable

Crown of this Kingdom, notwithstanding the Designs of evil Men, who fhew'd themselves difaffected to our Succeffion, and who have fince, with the utmost Degree of Malice, mifreprefented our firm Refolution, and uniform Endeavours, to preserve and defend our most excellent Conftitution both in Church and State, and attempted by many falfe Suggestions to render us fufpected to our People; we cannot omit, on this Occafion of first fummoning our Parliament of Great Britain (in Juftice to ourfelves, and that the Miscarriages of others may not be imputed to us, at a Time when falfe Impreffions may do the greatest and irrecoverable Hurt before they can be clear'd up) to fignify to our whole Kingdom, that we were very much concern'd, on our Acceffion to the Crown, to find the publick Affairs of our Kingdoms under the greatest Difficulties, as well in respect of our Trade, and the Interruption of our Navigation, as of the great Debts of the Nation, which we were furpriz'd to obferve, had been very much increas'd fince the Conclufion of the laft War: We do not therefore doubt, that if the ensuing Elections fhall be made by our loving Subjects with that Safety and Freedom which by Law they are entitled to, and we are firmly refolv'd to maintain to them, they will fend up to Parliament the fittest Persons to redress the prefent Disorders, and to provide for the Peace and Happiness of our Kingdoms, and the Eafe of our People for the future, and therein will have a particular Regard to fuch as thew'd a Firmnefs to the Proteftant Succeffion, when it was most in Danger: We have therefore found it neceffary, as well for the Caufes aforefaid, as for other weighty Confiderations concerning us and our Kingdoms, to call a new Parliament, and we do accordingly declare, that with the Advice of our Privy Council, we have this Day given Order to our Chancellor of Great Britain, to

issue out Writs in due Form for the calling a new Parliament, which Writs are to bear Tefte on Monday the Seventeenth Day of this Inftant January, and to be returnable on Thursday the Seventeenth Day of March next following.

Given at the Court at St. James's the Fifteenth Day of January, 1714, in the first Year of our Reign.

The fame Day the King fign'd the following Proclamation, declaring his Majefty's Pleafure for continuing Officers in Great Britain and Ireland.

GEORGE R.

WE

Hereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Sixth Year of the late Queen Anne, our most dear Sifter, entitled, An Act for the Security of her Majesty's Perfon and Government, and of the Succeffion to the Crown of Great Britain in the Proteftant Line, it was enacted, amongst other Things, that no Office, Place, or Employment, Civil or Military, within the Kingdoms of Great Britain, or Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick upon Tweed, Ifles of Ferfey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, fhould become void by Reafon of the Demife of her faid late Majefty, her Heirs, or Succeffors, Kings or Queens of this Realm, but that every Perfon and Perfons, in any of the Offices, Places, and Employments aforefaid, fhould continue in their refpective Offices, Places, and Employments for the Space of fix Months next after fuch Death or Demife, unless fooner remov'd and discharg'd by the next Succeffor, to whom the Imperial Crown of this Realm was limited and appointed to go, remain, and defcend: And in Regard that that Time hath been found not to be fufficient for refettling all the faid Offices, we, for the preventing the Inconveniences that may happen by the fame becoming void, in our princely Wifdom and Care of the State, (referving to our Judgment hereafter the Reformation and Redress of any Abufes in Mifgovernment, upon due Knowledge and Examination thereof) are pleas'd, and do hereby order, fignify, grant, and declare, that all Persons that, at the Time of the Decease of her faid late Majefty were duly and lawfully poffefs'd of, or invefted in any Office, Place, or Employment, Civil or Military, within the Kingdoms of Great Britain or Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick upon Tweed, Ifles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, and which

have