House of Lords Journal Volume 20: 11 September 1717

Anno 4° Georgii Regis.

DIE Mercurii, 11 Septembris.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

The Lord Chancellor acquainted the House, "That His Majesty had been pleased to cause a Commission to be issued, under the Great Seal, for the further proroguing this Parliament."

The House was adjourned during Pleasure.

The House was resumed.

Then Six of the Lords Commissioners (in their Robes) being seated on a Form placed between the Throne and the Woolsack; the Lord Chancellor in the Middle; and the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Roxburgh on his Right Hand; and the Lord Steward, Earl of Sunderland, and the Lord Viscount Stanhope, on his Left; commanded the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to let the House of Commons know, "The Commissioners desire the Attendance of that House, to hear His Majesty's Commission read."

And the Commons being come, the Commission was read, by the Clerk, as follows:

Commission for proroguing the Parliament.

"Georgius R.

"Georgius, Dei Gratia, Mag. Britan. Franc. et Hib'niæ Rex, Fidei Defensor, &c. Præcharissimo Filio & perquam Fideli Consiliario Nostro Georgio Principi Walliæ, Reverendissimo in Christo Patri & Fideli Consiliario Nostro Will'o Archiepiscopo Cantuar. totius Angl. Primati & Metropolitano, Prædilecto & Fideli Consiliario Nostro Will'o Domino Cowper Cancellario Nostro Mag. Britan. Charissimis Consanguineis & Consiliariis Nostris Evelyn Duci Kingston Custodi Privati Sigilli Nostri, Hen'co Duci Kent Senescallo Hospitii Nostri, Tho. Holles Duci Newcastle Camerario Hospitii Nostri, Carolo Duci Bolton, Joh'i Duci Marlborough Capitaneo Generali Copiarum Nostrarum, Joh'i Duci Roxburgh Uni Primariorum Secretariorum Nostrorum, Carolo Comiti Sunderland Primario Secretario Nostro, Jacobo Comiti Berkeley, Jacobo Vicecomiti Stanhope, & Prædilecto & Fideli Consiliario Nostro Tho. Domino Parker Capitali Justiciario Nostro ad Placita coram Nobis tenend. assign. Salutem. Cum nuper, pro quibusdam arduis & urgentibus Negotiis, Nos, Statum & Defensionem Regni Nostri Mag. Britan. & Ecclesiæ concernentibus, præsens hoc Parliamentum Nostrum apud Civitatem Nostram Westm. Decimo Septimo Die Martii, Anno Regni Nostri Primo, inchoari & teneri ordinaverimus; quo Die idem Parliamentum Nostrum inchoatum & tentum fuerat; & abinde, per separalia Adjournamenta, usque ad & in Vicesimum Sextum Diem Junii, Anno Regni Nostri Secundo, adjournatum & continuatum fuerat; & abinde, per separal. Prorogationes, Adjournamenta, & Continuationes, ad & in Diem Mercurii, Undecimum Diem hujus instantis Septembris, prorogatum, adjournatum, & continuatum fuerat, apud Civitatem Nostram Westm. prædictam, ibidem tunc tenendum & prosequendum: Sciatis tamen, quod, certis urgentibus Causis & Considerationibus Nos specialiter moventibus, idem Parliamentum Nostrum ulterius prorogandum duximus. De Fidelitate igitur, Prudentia, & Circumspectionibus vestris plurimum confidentes, de Avisamento & Assensu Concilii Nostri, assignavimus vos Commissionarios Nostros; dantes vobis, & aliquibus Tribus vel pluribus vestrum, Tenore Præsentium, plenam Potestatem & Auctoritatem, hoc instante Die Mercurii, ad præsens Parliamentum Nostrum, Nomine Nostro, usque ad et in Diem Mercurii, Nonum Diem Octobris nunc prox. sequen. apud prædictam Civitatem Nostram Westm. ulterius prorogandum & continuandum, ibidemque tunc tenendum & prosequendum; & ideo vobis mandamus, quod circa Præmissa diligenter intendatis, ac ea in Forma prædicta effectualiter expleatis. Damus autem universis & singulis Archiepiscopis, Ducibus, Marchionibus, Comitibus, Vicecomitibus, Episcopis, Baronibus, Militibus, Civibus, Burgensibus, & Commissionariis pro Comitatibus & Burgis, ac omnibus aliis quorum interest ad dictum Parliamentum Nostrum conventuris, Tenore Præsentium, firmiter in Mandatis, quod vobis, in Præmissis faciendis, agendis, & exequendis, pareant, obediant, & intendant, prout decet. In cujus Rei Testimonium, has Literas Nostras fieri fecimus Parentes.

Teste Meipso, apud Westm. Undecimo Die Septembris, Anno Regni Nostri Quarto.

"Per ipsum Regem, propria Manu signat.

"Wrighte."

Then the Lord Chancellor said,

Parliament prorogued.

My Lords, and Gentlemen,

"By virtue of His Majesty's Commission now read, to us and others directed, we do, in His Majesty's Name, and by His Royal Authority, prorogue this Parliament to Wednesday the Ninth Day of October next, to be then here held: And this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Wednesday the Ninth Day of October next."