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HIS feffion was opened on the 13th day of January 1774, by the King, with the following Speech;

My LORDS and GENTLEMEN,

THE unufual length of the last feffion of Parliament made me defirous of giving you as long a recefs as the publick fervice would admit. I have, therefore, been glad to find myself under no neceffity of calling you from your respective counties at an earlier feafon: and I doubt not but you are now met together, in the beft difpofition, for applying yourselves to the dispatch of the publick business.

You will, I am perfuaded, agree with me in regretting, that the peace, fo long expected and fo very defirable, is not yet effected between Ruffia and the Porte; but it is with real fatisfaction I can repeat, that other foreign powers continue ftill to have the fame pacific difpofitions with myself. I can have no other wish than to fee the general tranquillity restored for the establishment, and fubfequent prefervation of which, no endeavours of mine, confiftent with the honor of my Crown, and the interests of my people, shall ever be wanting. VOL. VII,

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In this fate of foreign affairs, you will have full leifure to attend to the improvement of our internal and domeftick fituation; and to the profecution of measures more immediately respecting the prefervation and advancement of the revenue and commerce of the kingdom. Among the objects which, in this view, will come under your confideration, none can better deferve your attention than the fate of the Gold Coin; which 1 muft recommend to you in a more particular manner, as well on account of its very high importance, as of the peculiar advantages which the present time affords, for executing with fuccefs, fuch meafures as you may find it expedient to adopt with respect to this great

national concern.

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The degree of diminution which that coin had actually fuffered, and very rapid progress which the mischief was daily making, were truly alarming. It is with much fatisfaction that I have feen the evil, in a great meafure, checked, by the regulations made in the last feffion of Parliament. I trust, however, that you will not stop here, nor think that you have difcharged your duty, either to your country or your fellow fubjects, without using your best endeavours for putting the Gold Coin upon fuch a footing, as may not only completely remove the prefent grievance, but render the credit and commerce of the kingdom fufficiently fecure from being again expofed to the like danger.

GENTLEMEN of the HOUSE of COMMONS,

I have ordered the proper Eftimates for the current year to be laid before you; and rely on your readiness to grant me fuch fupplies as fhall be found requifite in the prefent fituation of affairs.

My LORDS and GENTLEMEN,

The experience I have had of your paft conduct leaves me no room to doubt, either of your zeal or prudence, in your endeavours to promote the welfare of your country. You will not fuffer any parts of the publick fervice to escape your attention; but, various and extenfive as thofe are, you will be careful to felect, for your immediate deliberation, fuch of them as fball appear to be most important: and you propofe no measures, that will ferve either to fecure or advance the happiness and profperity of my people, in which you may not always depend on my moft hearty concurrence.

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When the King had retired, the ufual motion for an Addrefs was made, and unanimously agreed to.-There was no debate upon it.

On the 22d of February, 1774, the Appeal concerning Literary Property came on for the decifion of the House. The cafe had been argued at great length, and the Judges had given their opinions. The motion now was to reverse a decree of the Court of Chancery which had been made in favour of the perpetuity of this property.

LORD

LORD CAMDEN spoke strongly against the decree. He Lord Camwas confident, he faid, that the bookfellers claim of copy-right den. was totally unsubstantial, derived only from the bye-laws of the Stationers Company, countenanced but by the proceedings of the Star-chamber; and fo far from having a foundation in common law, that it was diametrically repugnant to the principles of the Act for the better fecurity of Literary Property, which paffed in the reign of Queen Anne. His Lordship went fo far as to give his opinion, that literature not being tangible, could not be a property. He was very free in his obfervations on the booksellers, whom he exprefsly ftiled the monopolizers of letters, and the extinguishers of genius. But the chief grounds on which he built his argument for reverfing the decree, was the nullity of this property in our law-books, recommending it to the Judges, in their future decifions, to follow the steps of the Great Lord Hardwicke, whofe name he should ever mention with reverence, who never fuffered himself to be deluded by the wiles of fophiftical reafoning, but at the close of the whole always afked for a cafe in point.-He recommended, however, an Act of Limitation.

The LORD CHANCELLOR fpoke against his own decree ; Lord Chanfhewed the fpecious grounds which he went upon before, and cellor. confeffed his conviction by a different opinion from that he had before given.

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LORD LYTTELTON spoke in favour of authors; and, in Lord Lyt. oppofition to Lord Camden's doctrine, urged, that the science of literature, though not tangible, was nevertheless property; and that it must receive a very sensible shock from the reverse of the decree, fhould it unfortunately take place. He spoke very ingeniously on the fubject; traced the origin of the arts and sciences from Greece to Rome, Arabia, &c. and at laft feated them in Great Britain. He introduced a high panegyric on his present Majefty and the King of Pruffia, under whofe patronage they fo much flourished; and represented them as the only crowned heads who were either men of learning themselves, or encouragers of literature.

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The BISHOP OF CARLISLE made ufe of fimilar argu- Carlisle. ments with those of Lord Camden against the property; and concluded by wishing, that an Act might be brought to give authors and booksellers an equitable space of time for their works and no longer.

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LORD EFFINGHAM rofe laft, and begged to urge the li- Lord Effingberty of the prefs, as the ftrongeft argument against this property; adding, that a defpotic Minifter, hearing of a pamphlet which might strike at his measures, may buy the copy, and by printing twenty copies, fecure it his own, and by that means

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the publick would be deprived of the most interesting inform

ation.

Lord Mansfield did not speak.

Ordered, that the Decree be reverfed without cofts of fuit.

Lift of those Noblemen who divided on the above question for reverfing the Decree.

A Bill was brought from the Commons, entitled « An A& for the better regulating the Government of the Province of the Maffachufet's Bay, in New England," which occafioned feveral long and warm debates. But the Lords ftill keeping their House shut, and not even admitting the Members of the House of Commons, unless to deliver Bills, and then to depart immediately, it is not known that any account of these debates has been preferved any where *.

On the third reading of the Bill, the following Proteft was entered:

* At the beginning of the next feffion, which was the first feffion of a new Parliament, and with which feffion THE PARIAMENTARY REGISTER Commences, the Duke of Manchester recommended to the House a relaxation of the standing order excluding all ftrangers from admiffion below the Bar of the House; and also recommended the admiffion of the Members of the House of Commons, as formerly. Both recommendations were agreed to; and, from that time, the WHOLE proceedings of BOTH Houfes of Parliament are to be found in THE PARLIA MENTARY REGISTER,