mmittee whilst allowing himself to witness the actual
payment of the money to the Speaker, Sir James excused himself by saying
that he had accompanied Sir Robert Clayton, at the latter's request,
professedly for the purpose of thanking the Speaker for his pains about
the Orphans' Bill; that this being done, the Chamberlain, who had gone
with them, pulled out a note or bill which he handed to the Speaker, but
as to the nature of the note or bill Houblon declared himself to have been
ignorant until subsequently informed by the Chamberlain. Other members of
the Corporation Committee also gave evidence as to the warrant for payment
of the money having been originally made out with a blank space left for
the name of the payee. The report further declared that sums of money had
been paid to Paul Godrell, clerk of the House of Commons, to the city
solicitor, the solicitor-general and the chairman of the Corporation
Committee in respect of the Orphans' Bill, whilst the orphans themselves
had been prevailed upon to give security for the payment of five per cent.
on their whole property to certain other parties who professed to be able
to render valuable services in the event of the Bill being passed.(1819)

(M911)

By the time that the reading of the committee's report to the House was
finished it was growing dusk, and candles were called for. A resolution
was then moved and put to the house by Trevor himself, that the Speaker,
by receiving a gratuity of 1,000 guineas from the city of London after
passing of the Orphans' Bill, had been guilty of a high crime and
misdemeanour. The resolution was passed, and four days later (16 March)
Trevor was expelled the House.(1820)

(M912)

A month later (18 April) the House of Lords were busy investigating the
conduct of the Marquis of Normanby in accepting, and of the Corporation of
the City in granting, a lease of a certain plot of land lying behind
Clarendon House, part of the City's estate known as Conduit Mead. It was
shown by oral and documentary evidence that a longer lease than usual had
recently been granted (Jan., 1695) to the marquis as "a gratification," he
being a person of distinction who had shown himself very friendly to the
interests of the City and likely to continue so.(1821) Negotiations for a
lease had been commenced so far back as January, 1694, "before the
Orphans' Bill was on the anvill in the House of Commons."(1822) It was not
denied that the City entertained th