n issued
(29 April) constituting the existing Houses of Lords and Commons the first
parliament of Great Britain for and on the part of England, whilst sixteen
peers and forty-five commoners were to be elected to represent Scotland in
the same parliament. The first meeting was to take place at Westminster on
the 23rd October.(1927) Meanwhile addresses of congratulation to the queen
arrived from various parts of the kingdom; but in consequence of the
Article of Union declaring the Presbyterian form to be the true Protestant
religion, no such address came from the University of Oxford. It was
otherwise with the city of London, where Presbyterianism had always been
in favour. On the 9th May the Common Council voted an address to her
majesty congratulating her upon the happy union of the two kingdoms, a
blessing which Heaven (they declared) had reserved for her to accomplish,
who was the true and sincere lover of piety, unity and concord.(1928)

(M958)

The Londoners entertained sincere affection for Queen Anne, and lost no
opportunity of showing their loyalty. Such an opportunity presented itself
in the spring of the following year (1708), when Scotland was threatened
by a French invasion in favour of the Pretender. The citizens hastened to
assure her that the French preparations inspired them--her majesty's most
dutiful and loyal subjects--with no terror. The repeated tenders of their
lives and fortunes were (she was asked to believe) not empty words, but
they would be ready when occasion offered to demonstrate to the world
their unfeigned loyalty in support of her majesty and the maintenance of
the Protestant succession against the Pretender and all other enemies at
home and abroad.(1929)

(M959)

Not satisfied with mere assurances of support, parliament proceeded to
pass a Bill "for the better security of her majesty's person," by virtue
of which the oath of abjuration was to be administered to all suspected
persons, and those who refused it were to be at once treated as convict
recusants. The Habeas Corpus Act was suspended, and the House of Commons
engaged to make good any extra expense her majesty might be put to by
reason of this threatened invasion.(1930) On Tuesday, the 30th March, a
letter from the Privy Council was read before the Court of Aldermen in
which the magistrates of the city were commanded to meet as soon as
possible for the purpose of tendering the oath, according to the
provisions of the recent Ac