“Mr. Seymour made a bold speech against many of the elections; and would have had those members who (he pretended) were obnoxious, to withdraw, till they had cleared the matter of their being legally returned: but no one seconded him. The truth is, there were many of the new members whose elections and returns were universally censured, many of them being persons of no condition, or interest in the nation, or places for which they served, especially in Devon, Cornwall, Norfolk, etc., said to have been recommended by the Court, and from the effect of the new charters changing the electors, as in Lord Bath’s famous western tour, when that nobleman is said to have quietly put down the names of all the officers of the Guards into the charters of the Cornwall boroughs; whence Seymour told the House in his speech that if this was digested, they might introduce what religion and laws they pleased, and that though he never gave heed to the fears and jealousies of the people before, he was now really apprehensive of Popery. “By the printed list of members, of 505 there did not appear to be above 135 who had been in former Parliaments, especially that lately held at Oxford.” Under the same date, 1685, Burnet mentions that complaints came up from all parts of England of the injustice and violence used in elections. James II. got on no better with his parliaments than his predecessor; on his abdication at the Revolution, a convention parliament was assembled, which ratified the late changes, and offered the sovereignty to William of Orange and Mary his consort. The political squibs upon this topic are not wanting in point:-- “ON THE CALLING OF A FREE PARLIAMENT. JANUARY 15, 1668-9. “A Parliament with one consent Is all the cry o’ th’ nation, Which now may be, since Popery Is growing out of fashion. The Belgic troops approach to Town, The Oranges come pouring, And all the Lords agree as one To send the papists scouring.” The Whigs, who had effected the Revolution which placed William III. on the throne, were now in the enjoyment of place and power, to the mortification of the discomfited Tories, whose vexation on the aspect of affairs, which gave them no prospect of a return to office, found expression in satirical attacks upon their more successful adversaries. “THE WHIGS’ ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY.