other. They who have uniformly denied the power of the whole legiſlature to alter the deſcent of the crown, and whoſe anceſtors, in rebellion againſt his Majeſty's family, have defended that doctrine at the hazard of their lives, now tell us, that privilege of parliament is the only rule of right, and the chief ſecurity of the public freedom.—I fear, Sir, that, while forms remain, there has been ſome material change in the ſubſtance of our conſtitution. The opinions of theſe men were too abſurd to be ſo eaſily renounced. Liberal minds are open to conviction.—Liberal doctrines are capable of improvement.—There are proſelytes from atheiſm, but none from ſuperſtition.—If their preſent profeſſions were ſincere, I think they could not but be highly offended at ſeeing a question concerning parliamentary privilege unneceſſarily ſtarted at a ſeaſon ſo unfavourable to the houſe of commons, and by ſo very mean and inſignificant a perſon as the minor Onſlow. They knew that the preſent house of commons, having commenced hoſtilities with the people, and degraded the authority of the laws by their own example, were likely enough to be reſiſted per fas & nefas. If they were really friends to privilege, they
