e session, the lords would adjudge him innocent;
that the resolutions of the commons on their late votes, contained most
unjust reflections on the honour and justice of the peers; that they
were contrived to cover their affected and unreasonable delays in
prosecuting the impeached lords; that they manifestly tended to the
destruction of the judicature of the lords; to the rendering trials on
impeachments impracticable for the future, and to the subverting the
constitution of the English government; that therefore, whatever ill
consequence might arise from the so long deferring the supplies for
this year's service, wore to be attributed to the fatal counsel of the
putting off the meeting of a parliament so long, and to the unnecessary
delays of the house of commons. On the twenty-third day of June, the
articles of impeachment against Edward earl of Orford were read in
Westminster-hall; but the house of commons having previously ordered
that none of the members should appear at this pretended trial, those
articles were not supported, so that his lordship was acquitted and the
impeachment dismissed. Next day the impeachments against the duke of
Leeds, which had lain seven years neglected, together with those against
the earl of Portland and lord Halifax as well as the charge against
lord Haversham, were dismissed for want of prosecution. Each house
ordered a narrative of these proceedings to be published; and their
mutual animosity had proceeded to such a degree of rancour as seemed to
preclude all possibility of reconciliation. The commons, in the whole
course of this transaction, had certainly acted from motives of faction
and revenge; for nothing could be more unjust, frivolous, and partial,
than the charge exhibited in the articles of impeachment, their
anticipating address to the king, and their affected delay in the
prosecution. Their conduct on this occasion was so flagrant as to
attract the notice of the common people, and inspire the generality of
the nation with disgust. This the whigs did not fail to augment by the
arts of calumny, and, in particular, by insinuating that the court of
Versailles had found means to engage the majority of the commons in its
interest.

PETITION OF KENT.

This faction had, since the beginning of this session, employed their
emissaries in exciting a popular aversion to the tory ministers and
members, and succeeded so well in their endeavours, that they formed a
scheme of obtai