st France; she exhorted them to
provide competent supplies for maintaining such a number of forces as
might be necessary for disappointing the enemy's designs, and preserving
the present happy settlement; and she earnestly recommended to their
consideration an union of the two kingdoms. The duke of Queensberry and
the carl of Marchmont having enforced the different articles of this
letter, committees were appointed for the security of the kingdom,
for controverted elections, for drawing up an answer to her majesty's
letter, and for revising the minutes. Meanwhile the duke of Hamilton and
his adherents sent the lord Blantyre to London with an address to
the queen, who refused to receive it, but wrote another letter to the
parliament expressing her resolution to maintain their dignity and
authority against all opposers. They, in answer to the former, had
assured her that the groundless secession of some members should
increase and strengthen their care and zeal for her majesty's service.
They expelled sir Alexander Bruce for having given vent to some
reflections against presbytery. The lord advocate prosecuted the faculty
of advocates before the parliament for having passed a vote among
themselves in favour of the protestation and address of the dissenting
members. The faculty was severely reprimanded; but the whole nation
seemed to resent the prosecution. The parliament passed an act for
recognising her majesty's royal authority; another for adjourning the
court of judicature called the session; a third declaring this meeting
of parliament legal, and forbidding any person to disown, quarrel with,
or impugn the dignity and authority thereof, under the penalty of
high treason; a fourth for securing the true protestant religion and
presbyterian church government; a fifth for a land tax; and a sixth,
enabling her majesty to appoint commissioners for an union between the
two kingdoms.

THE QUEEN APPOINTS COMMISSIONERS TO TREAT OF AN UNION.

The earl of Marchmont, of his own accord, and even contrary to the
advice of the high commissioner, brought in a bill for abjuring the
pretended prince of Wales; but this was not supported by the court
party, as the commissioner had no instructions how to act on the
occasion. Perhaps the queen and her English ministry resolved to keep
the succession open in Scotland as a check upon the whigs and house of
Hanover. On the thirtieth day of June the commissioner adjourned
the parliamen