were animated. In a word,
persecution, as usual, extended the heresy. The ministry, perceiving
this universal dissatisfaction, and dreading the revolution of a new
parliament, which might wrest the power from their faction, and retort
upon them the violence of their own measures, formed a resolution
equally odious and effectual to establish their administration. This was
no other than a scheme to repeal the triennial act, and by a new law
to extend the term of parliaments to seven years. On the tenth day of
April, the duke of Devonshire represented, in the house of lords, that
triennial elections served to keep up party divisions; to raise and
foment feuds in private families; to produce ruinous expenses, and give
occasion to the cabals and intrigues of foreign princes; that it became
the wisdom of such an august assembly to apply proper remedies to
an evil that might be attended with the most dangerous consequences,
especially in the present temper of the nation, as the spirit of
rebellion still remained unconquered. He therefore proposed a bill for
enlarging the continuance of parliaments. He was seconded by the earls
of Dorset and Rockingham, the duke of Argyle, Lord Townshend, and the
other chiefs of that party. The motion was opposed by the earls
of Nottingham, Abingdon, and Paulet. They observed, that frequent
parliaments were required by the fundamental constitution of the
kingdom, ascertained in the practice of many ages; that the members of
the lower house were chosen by the body of the nation, for a certain
term of years, at the expiration of which they could be no longer
representatives of the people, who, by the parliament's protracting
its own authority, would be deprived of the only remedy which they have
against those who, through ignorance or corruption, betrayed the trust
reposed in them; that the reasons in favour of such a bill were weak and
frivolous; that, with respect to foreign alliances, no prince or state
could reasonably depend upon a people to defend their liberties and
interests, who should be thought to have given up so great a part of
their own; nor would it be prudent in them to wish for a change in
that constitution under which Europe had of late been so powerfully
supported; on the contrary, they might be deterred from entering into
any engagements with Great Britain, when informed by the preamble of
the bill, that the popish faction was so dangerous as to threaten
destruction to the gove