t; nevertheless, they expelled him from
the house for a high crime and misdemeanor, in misapplying several sums
of the public money; and he thought proper to resign his employment. A
long address was prepared and presented to the queen, attributing the
national debt to mismanagement of the funds; complaining that the old
methods of the exchequer had been neglected; and that iniquitous frauds
had been committed by the commissioners of the prizes. Previous to this
remonstrance, the house, in consequence of the report of the committee,
had passed several severe resolutions, particularly against Charles lord
Halifax, auditor of the receipt of the exchequer, as having neglected
his duty, and been guilty of a breach of trust. For these reasons
they actually besought the queen, in an address, that she would give
directions to the attorney-general to prosecute him for the said
offences; and she promised to comply with their request. On the other
hand, the lords appointed a committee to examine all the observations
which the commissioners of accounts had offered to both houses. They
ascribed the national debt to deficiencies in the funds: they acquitted
lord Halifax, the lords of the treasury, and their officers, whom the
commons had accused; and represented these circumstances in an address
to the queen, which was afterwards printed with the vouchers to every
particular. This difference blew up a fierce flame of discord between
the two houses, which manifested their mutual animosity in speeches,
votes, resolutions, and conferences. The commons affirmed, that no
cognizance the lords could take of the public accounts would enable them
to supply any deficiency, or appropriate any surplusage of the public
money; that they could neither acquit nor condemn any person whatsoever,
upon any inquiry arising originally in their own house; and that their
attempt to acquit Charles lord Halifax was unparliamentary. The lords
insisted upon their right to take cognizance originally of all public
accounts; they affirmed, that in their resolutions, with respect to
lord Halifax, they had proceeded according to the rules of justice. They
owned however that their resolutions did not amount to any judgment
or acquittal; but that finding a vote of the commons reflected upon a
member of their house, they thought fit to give their opinion in their
legislative capacity. The queen interposed by a message to the lords,
desiring they would despatch the busin