III. 1666. it was refolved, that the farming of this CHAP. revenue would not conduce to his majefty's fervice. This is the more remarkable as the whole of the Irish revenue was afterwards farmed, first to lord Ranelagh, and then to fir James Shaen, contrary to the refolution of parliament. But as this was a most important measure, the inftrument fcarce, and much depended upon it; and as the revenue was turned out of its usual course, the great Treasury offices being thereby rendered finecures, (from which state fome of them, as the lord high treasurer and vice treasurers *, never returned to their original deftination, contrary to an act of the tenth of Henry the feventh, chapter the first,) I shall give a copy of this lease or grant in the Appendix. On the 19th of March a committee was appointed to wait upon the lord lieutenant, relative to a meeting which had been proposed with a committee of the privy council, relative to the management of the hearth-money tax, and the framing * Vol. i. p. 387. of CHAP. of a bill for that purpose. This fpecies of III. conference feems to have been a novel pro1666. ceeding, from the difficulty of adjusting the ceremonial of their meeting; and feveral difficulties feemed to have been purposely thrown in the way, it having been principally intended for the purpose of propofing fome clauses in an act of parliament. The council at this time framed bills altogether, and a negative alone on them, and their feveral provifos, was left to parliament; only a general propofition for a bill, by way of addrefs to the lord lieutenant and council, came from parliament; nor was it till after the Revolution, it is faid, that heads of bills were presented: these last, in fact, refembled acts of parliament, or bills, with only the small difference of "We pray that "it may be enacted," inftead of "Be it "enacted." The prefent form of bills in Ireland fince one thousand seven hundred and eighty is, under the chief baron Yelverton's law, the fame as in England. On the 6th of April the house considered of the most effectual method of preserving trees, III. trees, and the great wafte and decay of CHAP. timber in the country. On the 12th of April a propofition was made for a conference, to propose a joint application from the two houses to the lord lieutenant, that he would have a bill framed and transmitted to England according to Poyning's law, for taking away all privileges, except freedom from arrefts, from members of either house for their fervants or attendants; and to propofe that their perfons should be always free: the bill to last for two years, if parliament should continue fo long. A law to this effect took place in England fo late as the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one, and was adopted the next feffion in Ireland. In a most admirable speech of lord Mansfield's upon this bill, he afferted, that this was reftoring privilege to its original defign. Freedom from arrefts was always allowed during the fitting of parliament, and forty days before and forty days after; but freedom from law-fuits was an 1666. III. 1666. CHAP. extenfion or excrefcence of this privilege, and originated from the speaker, in the reign of Charles the first, writing to the judges of affize at York, to stay process against certain members of parliament. The place of meeting at this conference was the old Cuftom-house. This odd circumftance proves how very ill they were accommodated at Chichester House ; and from a paffage in the journals in one thousand fix hundred and fixty-two, there is fome reason to think that that mansion was applied to other purposes befide their accommodation, and that parliament were not the fole occupiers. This bill about privileges was fent to the lords on the 11th of July, though it does not appear upon the ftatute book; perhaps it was only a temporary act, or poffibly it was rejected in the house of lords. On the 30th of July an addrefs was voted in favour of the speaker, fir Audley Mervyn, ftating his great merit, his labo 1666. rious attendance, and the confequent lofs of CHAP. his legal practice, as prime ferjeant; and praying, that fix thousand pounds might be iffued to him from the Treasury, which they pledged themselves to make good. This defire was not complied with; and it was the cause of the first tack, or private grant in a money bill, in one thousand fix hundred and ninety-feven, as before mentioned, the parliament juftly confidering themselves as bound in honour, to make it good to his representatives. On the 31st of July a long account was entered in the journals, of the difpofition of twenty-three thousand three hundred pounds, which was for the whole expences of the acts of fettlement and explanation, the parliamentary commiffioners, &c. &c. and had been raised by a poll on the feveral counties in the kingdom. On the fame day a committee was appointed to wait upon the lord lieutenant for VOL. II. L three |