knowledged penfions (to which parliamentary jealoufy claims a right of making a large addition on account of the general belief, amounting with many perfons to an internal conviction of confiderable difbursements for fecret and unacknowledged purposes) is confidered; I hold it my duty, as a member of the legislature, to withhold the additional means, afforded by this bill, of corrupting the integrity of Parliament.

RADNO R.

VOTES of May 7, 1777.

Ordered, Nemine contradicente,

That Mr. Speaker be defired to print the Speech made by him to His Majesty, in the House of Peers, this day, upon his presenting to His Majesty the Bill for the better support of His Majesty's household, and of the honour and dignity of the crown of Great Britain, which then received the Royal Affent.

The SPEECH of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Fletcher Norton.

Moft Gracious Sovereign,

"The Bill which it is now my duty to present to your Majefty, is intituled, An "Act for the better support of his Majefty's house"bold, and of the honour and dignity of the

crown of Great Britain: to which your "Commons humbly beg your Royal Affent. "By this Bill, fir, and the refpectful circumstances which preceded and accompanied "it, your Commons have given the fulleft "and cleareft proof of their zeal and affection

"for your Majefty. For in a time of public "diftress, full of difficulty and danger, their "conflituents labouring under burthens almost too "heavy to be borne, your faithful Commons "poftponed all other bufinefs; and, with as "much dispatch as the nature of their pro"ceedings would admit, have not only grant"ed to your Majefty a large prefent fupply, "but alfo very great additional revenue;→

great beyond examples great, beyond your "Majefty's highest expence.

"But all this, fir, they have done, in a "well-grounded confidence, that you will "apply wifely what they have granted liberally; "and feeling what every good subject must "feel with the greatest fatisfaction, that, under the direction of your Majefty's wisdom, the affluence and grandeur of the Sovereign "will reflect dignity and honour upon his "people."

VOTES of May 9, 1777.

Refolved, That the Speaker of this Houfe, in his Speech to his Majefty, at the bar of the House of Peers on Wednesday laft, and which

was

was defired, Nemine contradicente, by this Houfe, to be printed, did exprefs, with just and proper energy, the zeal of this House, for the fupport of the Honour and Dignity of the Crown, in circumftances of great public charge.

Ordered, That the thanks of this House be returned to Mr. Speaker for his faid Speech to His Majesty.

VOTES of Feb. 21, 1777.

A Petition of the Trustees of the British Museum was brought up and read.

Ordered, That the faid Petition be referred to the confideration of a Committee of the whole House.

VOTES of April 28, 1777.

Ordered, That the Account of Annual Expence and Income of The British Museum, from the first of January 1768, to the 31st "of December 1776, be referred to the faid "Committee [to confider further of the Supply granted to His Majefty]."

Mr. Wilkes faid,

Mr. Speaker,

Before the Petition of the Truflees of the British Museum is referred to the confideration of the Committee of Supply, I beg the indulgence of the House to fubmit a few general ideas on that fubject, entirely independent of party and politics. The encouragement of all ufeful knowledge, and the protection of the arts and sciences, with a particular attention to our own manufactures, appear to me, fir, juft objects of public regard, and highly deserving parliamentary confideration, efpecially in this great commercial country. Among the many proofs of the improvement of our national tafte, and love of polite literature, the establishment of the British Museum claims the pre-eminence. It rose under the favourable aufpices of this House, has been carefully watched over by us, and I hope will still continue to receive our friendly protection and fupport. Various branches of learning have already derived fingular advantages from that rich repofitory, and I think it may be made yet more extenfively ufeful to