mall piece of justice to so
excellent an assembly, barely to mention a few of those great things they
have done for the service of their QUEEN and country; which I shall take
notice of, just as they come to my memory.

The credit of the nation began mightily to suffer by a discount upon
exchequer bills, which have been generally reckoned the surest and most
sacred of all securities. The present lord treasurer, then a member of
the House of Commons, proposed a method, which was immediately complied
with, of raising them to a _par_ with _specie_;[6] and so they have ever
since continued.

The British colonies of Nevis and St. Christopher's,[7] had been
miserably plundered by the French, their houses burnt, their plantations
destroyed, and many of the inhabitants carried away prisoners: they had
often, for some years past, applied in vain for relief from hence; till
the present Parliament, considering their condition as a case of justice
and mercy, voted them one hundred thousand pound by way of recompense, in
some manner, for their sufferings.

Some persons, whom the voice of the nation authorizes me to call her
enemies, taking advantage of the general Naturalization Act, had invited
over a great number of foreigners of all religions, under the name of
Palatines;[8] who understood no trade or handicraft, yet rather chose to
beg than labour;[9] who besides infesting our streets, bred contagious
diseases, by which we lost in natives, thrice the number of what we
gained in foreigners. The House of Commons, as a remedy against this
evil, brought in a bill for repealing that Act of general Naturalization,
which, to the surprise of most people, was rejected by the L[or]ds.[10]
And upon this occasion, I must allow myself to have been justly rebuked
by one of my weekly monitors, for pretending in a former paper, to hope
that law would be repealed; wherein the Commons being disappointed, took
care however to send many of the Palatines away, and to represent their
being invited over, as a pernicious counsel.[11]

The Qualification Bill,[12] incapacitating all men to serve in
Parliament, who have not some estate in land, either in possession or
certain reversion, is perhaps the greatest security that ever was
contrived for preserving the constitution, which otherwise might, in a
little time, lie wholly at the mercy of the moneyed interest: And since
much the greatest part of the taxes is paid, either immediately from
land, or fr