erned in the same commerce.
Guy had been employed, together with Trevor the speaker, as the
court-agent for securing a majority in the house of commons; for that
reason he was obnoxious to the members in the opposition, who took this
opportunity to brand him, and the courtiers could not with any decency
screen him from their vengeance. The house having proceeded in this
inquiry, drew up an address to the king, enumerating the abuses which
had crept into the army, and demanding immediate redress. He promised
to consider the remonstrance and redress the grievances of which they
complained. Accordingly, he cashiered colonel Hastings; appointed a
council of officers to sit weekly and examine all complaints against any
officer and soldier; and published a declaration for the maintenance
of strict discipline, and the due payment of quarters. Notwithstanding
these concessions, the commons prosecuted their examinations: they
committed Mr. James Craggs, one of the contractors for clothing the
army, because he refused to answer upon oath to such questions as might
be put to him by the commissioners of accounts. They brought in a bill
for obliging him and Mr. Richard Harnage, the other contractor, together
with the two Paunceforts, to discover how they had disposed of the sums
paid into their hands on account of the army, and for punishing them in
case they should persist in their refusal. At this period they received
a petition against the commissioners for licensing hackney-coaches.
Three of them, by means of an address to the king, were removed with
disgrace for having acted arbitrarily, corruptly, and contrary to the
trust reposed in them by act of parliament.

Those who encouraged this spirit of reformation, introduced another
inquiry about the orphans' bill, which was said to have passed into an
act by virtue of undue influence. A committee being appointed to inspect
the chamberlain's books, discovered that bribes had been given to sir
John Trevor, speaker of the house, and Mr. Hungerford, chairman of
the grand committee. The first being voted guilty of a high crime and
misdemeanor, abdicated the chair, and Paul Foley was appointed speaker
in his room. Then sir John and Hungerford were expelled the house: one
Nois, a solicitor for the bill, was taken into custody because he had
scandalized the commons, in pretending he was engaged to give great sums
to several members, and denying this circumstance on his examination.
The re