THE LONDON MAGAZINE. For JULY, A Summary of the most important Affairs in the laft Seffion of Parliament. AST feffion, being the fourth of this prefent parliament, affembled at Westminster on Thurfday, Jan. 17, and was A opened, as ufual, by a moft gracious speech from the throne; (lee our Mag. for Jan. last, P. 33.) In answer to this fpeech both houses, as of late has been usual, presented long addreffes: That of the house of lords met with no oppofition, and, with his majesty's answer, may be seen in our faid Magazine, B p. 34. But that of the house of commons, which was moved for by Horatio Walpole, jun. Efq; and feconded by John Proby, jun. Efq; was ftrenuously opposed, on account of an amendment offered by the earl of Egmont, who moved for leaving out all the paragraphs relating to our foreign tranfactions, as containing at least a feeming approbation of measures they had not any way inquired into or confidered, and confequently, inconfiftent with the dignity of that house; which motion was fupported by Robert Henley, Efq; Henry Bathurst, Efq; general Oglethorpe, Sir John Hynd Cotton, Bart. Samuel Martin, Efq; George Dodington, Efq; Thomas Potter,. Efq; and Dr. Lee; but as it was infifted on by William Pitt, Efq; Henry Pelham, Efq; Horatio Walpole, Efq; and Henry Fox, Efq; that the addrefs contained no approbation of any measure, and that it was customary to return fome fort of anfwer to every thing mentioned by his ma. jefty in his fpeech from the throne, the Amendment was, upon a divifion, rejected E by 203 to 74, and the addrefs proposed agreed to, which, with his majesty's anfwer, fee in our faid Magazine, p. 34, 35, As to controverted elections determined in this feffion, there was but one, and that a very remarkable one, meaning that of D 1751. Westminster. The hiftory of this election, before its being brought into parliament, may be feen in our Magazine for 1749, P. 527, 528, 575; and 1750, p. 42, 41, 92, 188, 234, 459. In confequence of this debate, a petition of the feveral burgeffes and inhabitants of the city and liberty of Westminster, whole names were thereunto fubfcribed, in behalf of themfelves and feveral other burgeffes and inhabitants of the faid city and liberty, was prefented to the houfe, and read, on Monday, Jan. 28, complaining of an undue election and return for the faid city; and it was ordered, that the said petition should be heard at the bar of the house, on Feb. 5, then next. At the fame time, there was presented to the house, and read, a petition of Sir George Vandeput, Bart. complaining of an undue election and return for the faid city; which petition was ordered to be heard at the fame time with the former. Upon this, and without any complaint from any perfon whatsoever, a motion was made, that the Journal of the house of Feb. 22 and 23, then last, containing the entry of the proceedings of the house, in relation to the execution of the writ, which was ordered to be issued on Nov. 16, 1749, for the election of a citizen to serve in the prefent parliament for the city of Weftminster, in the room of the Right Hon. Granville Levefon Gower, Efq; commonly called lord viscount Trentham, might be read; and the fame being read accordingly, it was moved, that Peter Legh, Efq; high bailiff of the city of Westminster, should attend that house immediately, in order to give the house an account of what he did in purfuance of the directions given to him by that houfe, upon Feb. 22 and 23, then laft, in relation to the execution of the precept, iffued to him in pursuance of the said writ *. This motion (not being, I suppose, 'expected) was agreed to without oppofition; and the high bailiff being then, by acci dent, in the lobby, he was immediately 002 • See our Magazine for laßt year, p. 459. called 1749, and Dec. 31, 1750. ASTATE of the NATIONAL DEBT, provided or unprovided for by Parliament, as it flood Dec. 31, Amount of the national Increafed Paid of Amount of the national debt on Dec. 31,1749. debt on Dec. 31,1750. L. s. d. q. Dec. 31, that tim 1836275 17 101749, and EXCHEQUER. A the remainder of the original fum contributed and unfubfcribed to the Soutb-Sea company Ditto for lives, with the benefit of furvivorship, being the original fum contributed Do for 2 and 3 lives, being the fum re- 108100 between within Dec. 31, 1750. L. L. s. d. 1836275 17 10 95814 I 6 бос 95214 6 312000 37821 51 37821 5 1 Ditto at 31. per cent, 1736, charged } Ditto at 3. 10s. per cent. 1731 on the finking fund Ditto 1738, charged on ditto The land tax and duties on malt, being &c. An ACCOUNT of the produce of the finking fund in the year 1750, and to the payment of what debis contracted before Dec. 25, 1716, the faid fund bas been applied. L. s. dg.. Per contra Cr. By money iffued between Dec. 31, 1749, and Dec. 31, 1750, viz. 159625 17 10 In full of a million granted 2 L. s. d. q. fund } 684691 492 for the year 1749 Ditto of the additional + Memorandum. The subscribers of 100l. to the lottery 1745, were allowed an annuity of one life of or. a ticket, which amounted to 22500l. but is now reduced by lives fallen in to 21670l. 10s. And the fubfcribers to the lottery 1746, were allowed an an-Ditte of the duty on t nuity of one life of 185. a ticket, which amounted to 45000l. but is now reduced by lives fallen in to 431271. 10s. which annuities are an increase of the national debt, but cannot be added thereto, as no money was advanced for the fame. houfes and windows, To pay annuities at 4/ L. s. d. 9. 3150753 19 10 per cent. 1749, to Mi- Balance Dec. 31, 1750 2 296 A Description of RUTLANDSHIRE. July A DESCRIPTION of RUTLAND- R tho' not large, is the county town, where the affizes and feffions are held. The buildings are pretty good, especially the church, the free-fchool and hofpital. The castle is gone to decay, and is now used for holding the affizes, &c. The market is on Saturday, but not very confiderable. They have a cuftom here, being an ancient privilege belonging to the royalty of the town, when a nobleman comes on horseback within its precincts, to take a fhoe from his horfe, which he forfeits by way of homage, unless he redeems it with money Which homage has been acknowledged by feveral, as appears by the horse fhoes, which are nailed on the fhire-hall door. And over the judge's feat, there is a horse-shoe C curioufly wrought, 5 foot and long, and of a proportionable breadth. UTLANDSHIRE has Leicefterfhire on the weft and north, Lincolnshire on the north and east, A and Northamptonshire, from which it is parted by the river Welland, on the fouth. It is a pleafant county, tho' the fmalleft in England, extending but about 10 miles from eaft to weft, and 12 from north to fouth, and being not above 40 in B circumference. It is divided into five hundreds, contains about 1,000 acres, and 3300 houses, has 48 parishes, but two market-towns, and fends only two members to parliament, who are the knights of the fhire, and at prefent are lord Burghley and the Hon. James Noel, Efq; The air of this county is clear, temperate, and healthful; and the foil, which is reddish, fruitful both for tillage and pafturage, efpecially about the vale of Catmofe, affording plenty of corn, and feeding good herds of cattle, and flocks of theep, whole fleeces, Camden fays, are in many places of a reddish hue, occafioned by the earth being of that colour. It is well clothed with wood, and watered with pleasant ftreams, the chief of which are the Welland be. E fore mentioned, and the Gwash or Wash, which runs almost thro' the middle of the county, and separates it into two parts. It has more parks, in proportion to its extent, than any county in England. It was never over-peftered with monafteries, nor much ftrengthened with castles. It is in the diocefe of Peterborough, and gives title of duke to the family of Manners, defcended, by the mother's fide, from Richard Plantagenet, duke of York. The market-towns are, 1. Okeham, or Oakham, 68 computed, and 94 meafured miles N. W. from London, ftuate in the pleasant and fruitful vale of Catmofe; and, D F G 2. Uppingham, about 6 miles S. of Okeham, feated on an eminence, from whence it had its name, tho' the afcent be but fmall, and scarcely amounting to a hill. It is a neat, well built town, and is accommodated with a very good free-fchool and an hofpital. Its market, which is on Wednesday, is eteemed better than that of Ókeham, being well frequented, and ferved with live cattle, corn, and other provifions. Burley, or Burley on the Hill, over against Okeham to the east, is pleasantly fituated, and overlooks the vale beneath. This, with several other lordships adjoining, was purchafed by the late earl of Nottingham, to which he made vaft improvements by new buildings, and other ornaments; all which, with its high fituation, the adjoining park, inclosed by a wall of 5 or 6 miles in compafs, and many other advantages, place it among the principal feats of the kingdom. Market Overton, corruptly fo called, from Marga, marle or lime ftone, ftands on a high hill in the north, and is thought to be the Maradunum of Antoninus, fuch plenty of Roman coins being found here, as but few places in thefe parts afford. JOUR. |