t after state criminals. The question being put, it was
carried for the impeachment. The earl was accordingly impeached at the
bar of the upper house; a committee was appointed to prepare articles;
and a bill was brought in, to indemnify the masters in chancery from the
penalties of the law, upon discovering what consideration they had paid
for their admission to their respective offices. The trial lasted twenty
days; the earl was convicted of fradulent practices; and condemned in a
fine of thirty thousand pounds, with imprisonment until that sum should
be paid. He was immediately committed to the Tower, where he continued
about six weeks; but upon producing the money he was discharged; and sir
Peter King, now created baron of Oakham, succeeded him in the office of
chancellor.

DEBATES ABOUT THE DEBTS OF THE CIVIL LIST.

His majesty, on the eighth day of April, gave the house of commons to
understand, that having been engaged in some extraordinary expenses, he
hoped he should be enabled to raise a sum of money, by making use of the
funds lately established for the payment of the civil list annuities,
in order to discharge the debts contracted in the civil government.
Mr. Pulteney, cofferer of the household, moved for an address, That an
account should be laid before the house of all monies paid for secret
service, pensions, and bounties, from the twenty-fifth day of March, in
the year one thousand seven hundred and one, to the twenty-fifth of the
same month in the present year. This address being voted, a motion
was made to consider the king's message. Mr. Pulteney urged, that this
consideration should be postponed until the house should have examined
the papers that were the subject of the address. He expressed his
surprise that a debt amounting to above five hundred thousand pounds
should be contracted in three years; he said, he did not wonder that
some persons should be so eager to make good the deficiencies of the
civil-list, since they and their friends enjoyed such a share of that
revenue; and he desired to know whether this was all that was due, or
whether they should expect another reckoning? This gentleman began to
be dissatisfied with the measures of the ministry; and his sarcasms
were aimed at Mr. Walpole, who undertook to answer his objections. The
commons took the message into consideration, and passed a bill, enabling
his majesty to raise a sum, not exceeding one million, by exchequer
bills, loans,