derstanding and considering them; and that no one may
be excluded from information, by the curiosity or delays of another. But
the importance of this affair seems not to be so very great as to
require a rigorous observance of the rules; and it were to be wished,
for the ease and expedition of our deliberations, that gentlemen would
rather yield points of indifference to one another, than insist so
warmly on circumstances of a trivial nature.

Sir Robert WALPOLE then desired that the clerk might read the petition,
which being immediately done, he proceeded in the following manner:--

Sir, having sat above forty years in this assembly, and never been
called to order before, I was somewhat disconcerted by a censure so new
and unexpected, and, in my opinion, undeserved. So that I am somewhat at
a loss, with regard to the train of arguments which I had formed, and
which I will now endeavour to recover. Yet I cannot but remark, that
those gentlemen who are so solicitous for order in others, ought,
themselves, invariably to observe it; and that if I have once given an
unhappy precedent of violating the rules of this house, I have, in some
measure, atoned for my inadvertence, by a patient attention to reproof,
and a ready submission to authority.

I hope, sir, I may claim some indulgence from the motive of my offence,
which was only a desire of accuracy, and an apprehension that I might,
by mistaking or forgetting some passages in the petition, lose my own
time, and interrupt the proceedings of the house to no purpose.

But having now, according to order, heard the petition, and found no
reason to alter my opinion, I shall endeavour to convince the house that
it ought not to be granted.

The petition, sir, is so far from bearing any particular relation to the
clause now before us, that it does not, in any part, mention the
expedient proposed in it, but contains a general declaration of
discontent, suspicion, apprehensions of dangerous proceedings, and
dislike of our proceedings; insinuations, sir, by no means consistent
with the reverence due to this assembly, and which the nature of civil
government requires always to be paid to the legislative power.

To suspect any man, sir, in common life, is in some degree to detract
from his reputation, which must suffer in proportion to the supposed
wisdom and integrity of him who declares his suspicion. To suspect the
conduct of this senate, is to invalidate their decisions, and su