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82*] ANNUAL REGISTER
cover being made, the effect naturally followed; and in the succeeding session, the votes of the house, a thing before unknown, and contrary to its orders, were printed in the public news papers, without notice or enquiry; and this the point in contest was apparently given up by the house.
That apathy, (if it may be considered as such,) which seemed to extend its influence through a considerable part of the nation, had not yet in any considerable degree pervaded the capital. On the contrary, many late proceedings had much increased the discontent in that great metropolis, and the citizens were not at all backward in shewing it. They said that government had set its face particularly against the city of London, in a manner that had been unknown since the Revolution; that this was evidently in return for the public sprinted disapprobation she had shown of oppressive and pernicious measures, and the constitutional methods she had tried to obtain a redress of grievances, which affected the nation in general, as much as they did her in particular ; that administration had for some time acted, as if they were in an actual state of warfare with her, and were determined to make her feel the worst consequences that could attend an opposition to the power; that to this only was attributed, the late disgrace which she met with in the persons of her magistrates ; and that from this also proceeded that extraordinary measure of the Durhamyard embankment, by which, as they said, injury and injustice were added to insult, and a stranger, who had not the smallest claim, not did not even pretend to any right, was invested in an estate worth 40,000l. which was torn out of her property in the bed of the river. 
In such a state of temper and opinion, nothing was left undone to manifest resentment, nor untried, to give it effect. A committee was even appointed, to carry on a prosecution against the speaker of the House of Commons, for the commitment of the magistrates, and the most eminent counsel were consulted upon that occasion. As this design failed of effect, and it was found that no action could be brought upon the subject, and that the courts would not admit it if there could, recourse was again had to the hopeless resort, of an address, remonstrance, and petition to the throne.
The day before the delivery of this address, a letter was received by the lord mayor, from the lord chamberlain, taking notice, that as the papers had mentioned the time of his setting out for St. James's, and the livery might be induced to attend him, he had his majesty's commands to acquaint him, that i being unprecedented to admit the livery upon such occasions, as well as impracticable to introduce so numerous a body, no person beyond the number allowed by law to present petitions to the throne, would be admitted, except his lordship, the aldermen, common council, and city officers. Copies of this letter were immediately posted up in the most public parts of the city, to save the livery the trouble of assembling at Guildhall, as they intended; and a committee of ten persons, the number allowed by law to present a petition, was appointed from that body to attend the lord mayor into the King's preference. 
clare,

For the YEAR 1772: [*83
In this remonstrance they declare, that besides a continuance of those unparalleled grievances, which they had already submitted to his majesty, the same arbitrary power, which had violated the sacred right of election, had in the last session, proceeded to the most extravagant outrages against the constitution of the kindgdom, and the liberty of the subject. Tha they had ventured to imprison their chief magistrate and one of their aldermen, for disobeying their illegal orders, and for not violating the holy sanction of this oaths to that great city, as well as their duty to their country ; that they had prevailed on this majesty to suffer this royal name to give a pretended authority to an illegal proclamation ; and that at length they proceeded to the enormous wickedness of erasing a judicial record, in order to stop the course of justice, and to frustrate all possibility of relief by an appeal to the laws. They then represent the advantage that had been taken, of passing the embankment bill during the unjust confinement of the representatives; whereby, without the presence of an abuse, they had superseded the conservancy of the river Thames, in the livery which the city had enjoyed since the conquest, and deprived the citizens of a property which had been granted by divers charters, and confirmed by the authority of Parliament. They conclude with a prayer, that his majesty would restore their rights, and give peace to this distracted nation, by a speedy dissolution of parliament, and by removing for ever from his presence and councils, the present wicked and despotic ministers.

The king's answer, considering the extraordinary terms of the remonstrance, did not seem to convey all the asperity, which might have been expected some late instances. His Majesty declared his readiness to redress any real grievances, and that city of London would always find him disposed to listen to any of their well founded complaints; but expresses a concern, to fee a part of his subjects still so far misled and deluded, as to renew insect reprehensible terms, a request, with which he had repeatedly declared he could not comply. 
With respect to the state of parties, nothing very extraordinary had taken place. The desertion to the ministry of several of the late Mr. Grenville's friends, together with those droppings off from the other parties which must naturally ensue in a long course of opposition, where all honors and rewards are held on one side, had considerably weakened the state of opposition in general. Many gentlemen also, who had neither departed from their principles, nor abandoned their friends, seeing every thing carried by so great and deceive a majority, grew face and remiss, in a tedious and wearisome attendance, which they deemed to be useless; and thought it was of very little consequence to the public, whether the numbers were more or less on a minority list, when every one could have been told beforehand, that there would be at any rate, a majority of not much less than two to one,
One event that took place during the recess, and probably another, that was suspected, and has since been acknowledged, were the apparent
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