And half a score more, tuck’d up in a halter; But don’t forget to hang Luttrell and Proctor, For ’tis such rogues as these that corrupted the nation, And caus’d these disturbances, strife, and vexation. Then the King would be freed from all of roguish party, And let those fill their places who are loyal and hearty.’” CHAPTER VIII. PETITIONS AND REMONSTRANCES TO THE THRONE, 1769-70. Petitions and remonstrances began to make ministers tremble lest finally the sympathies of the throne might be turned into the proper channel, and the king be led to espouse the cause of the people, who, to do them justice, remained loyal under both the critical emergencies described as occurring under Charles II. and George III., and which had more than a casual resemblance. The remonstrances of the citizens were persistently laid before the king, although every obstacle was interposed in the way of their presentation by petty indignities imposed upon those bold enough to approach the presence with objects thus distasteful to the royal ideas of sovereign right-- “Make prayers not so like petitions As overtures and propositions.” (_Hudibras._) On July 5, 1769, the Livery of London presented a petition to the king; the lord mayor, Samuel Turner, Sir Robert Ladbrooke,[56] Alderman Beckford, and other friends of popular liberty being charged with this statement of grievances, of which the following extracts must suffice:-- “We should be wanting in our duty to your Majesty, as well as to ourselves and our posterity, should we forbear to represent to the throne the desperate attempts that have been, and are too successfully, made to destroy that constitution to the spirit of which we owe the relation which subsists between your Majesty and the subjects of these realms, and to subvert those sacred laws which our ancestors have sealed with their blood. “Your ministers, from corrupt principles and in violation of every duty, have, by various enumerated means, invaded our invaluable and inalienable right of trial by jury. “They have, with impunity, issued general warrants, and violently seized persons and private papers. “They have rendered the laws non-effective to our security, by invading the Habeas Corpus. “They have caused punishments and even perpetual imprisonment to be inflicted, without trial, conviction, or sentence. “They have brought into disrepute the civil magistracy, by the appointment of persons who are, in many respects, unqualified for that important trust, and have thereby purposely furnished a pretence for calling in the aid of the military power.