ght plate to the mint to be coined; that persons might pay
in their whole next year's land-tax in clipped money, at one convenient
time to be appointed for that purpose; that commissioners should be
appointed in every county to pay and distribute the milled and broad
undipped money, and the new coined money in lieu of that which was
diminished. A bill being prepared agreeably to these determinations,
was sent up to the house of lords, who made some amendments which the
commons rejected; but in order to avoid cavils and conferences, they
dropped the bill and brought in another without the clauses which the
lords had inserted. They were again proposed in the upper house and
over-ruled by the' majority; and on the twenty-first day of January the
bill received the royal assent, as did another bill enlarging the time
for purchasing annuities and continuing the duties on low wines. At the
same time the king passed the bill of trials for high treason, and
an act to prevent mercenary elections. Divers merchants and traders
petitioned the house of commons that the losses in their trade and
payments, occasioned by the rise of guineas, might be taken into
consideration. A bill was immediately brought in for taking off the
obligation and encouragement for coining guineas for a certain time; and
then the commons proceeded to lower the value of this coin, a task in
which they met with great opposition from some members, who alleged
that it would foment the popular disturbances. At length, however,
the majority agreed that a guinea should be lowered from thirty to
eight-and-twenty shillings, and afterwards to six-and-twenty. At length
a clause was inserted in the bill for encouraging people to bring plate
to the mint, settling the price of a guinea at two-and-twenty shillings,
and it naturally sunk to its original value of twenty shillings and
sixpence. Many persons, however, supposing that the price of gold would
be raised the next session, hoarded up their guineas; and upon the same
supposition, encouraged by the malcontents, the new coined silver money
was reserved, to the great detriment of commerce. The king ordered mints
to be erected in York, Bristol, Exeter, and Chester, for the purpose of
the re-coinage, which was executed with unexpected success, so that
in less than a year the currency of England, which had been the worst,
became the best coin in Europe.

At this period the attention of the commons was diverted to an object