WILLIAM THE THIRD.

41

four and tlie protest of the three had been laid on the tableand read by the clerk, it was resolved that a Resumption ■Bill should he brought in. It was then resolved, in oppo-sition to the plainest principles of justice, that no petitionfrom any person who might think himself aggrieved by thisbill should ever be received. It was necessary to considerhow the commissioners should be remunerated for theirservices: and this question was decided with impudentinjustice. It was determined that the commissioners whohad signed the report should receive a thousand poundseach. But a large party thought that the dissentient threedeserved no recompense; and two of them were merelyallowed what was thought sufficient to cover the expense oftheir journey to Ireland. This was nothing less than togive notice to every man who should ever be employed inany similar inquiry that, if he wished to be paid, he mustreport what would please the assembly which held thepurse of the state. In truth the House was despotic, andwas fast contracting the vices of a despot. It was proud ofits antipathy to courtiers; and it was calling into existencea new set of courtiers who would study all its humours, whowould flatter all its weaknesses, who would prophesy to itsmooth things, and who would assuredly be, in no respect,less greedy, less faithless, or less abject than the syco-phants who bow in the antechambers of kings.

Indeed the dissentient commissioners had worse evils toapprehend than that of being left unremunerated. Oneof them, Sir Richard Leviuz, had mentioned in private to

cirAP.

xxv.

1700.