The attempt of the Stuarts, in 1745, to regain the throne which they had dishonoured, gave the Jews of England an opportunity of showing their capacity for loyalty and patriotism. They helped as soldiers, and they helped as financiers in the defence of the country and the dynasty. Great numbers of Jews enrolled themselves in the hastily raised militia, whilst the older and richer merchants subscribed largely, and on far from profitable terms, towards a loan for the Government. Others, again, formed themselves into an association which agreed to take paper instead of specie in payment so long as money continued scarce in the country, and two Jews, in particular, placed vessels, which they had fitted out at their own cost, at the disposal of the Government. The good feeling which this ready patriotism on the part of the Jews evoked, showed itself in 1753 in a hearty attempt on the part of the ministry to pass through Parliament a bill permitting Jews, who had lived in England three years, to become naturalised Englishmen. The matter was very hotly discussed, and gave rise to a great expenditure both of literature and of eloquence. In Ireland, which at that date had a Parliament of its own, the Naturalisation Act, as it was called, had twice passed the Irish Commons, in March 1746, and in December 1747. But this partial victory proved almost worse than a defeat, for it attracted so much attention, and provoked so much opposition, and directly the Bill reached the Upper House, it was, on both occasions, violently thrown out. At Westminster, however, in 1753, after a struggle, the Naturalisation Bill passed the House of Lords and became law; but so strong was the feeling against it, that in the very next session (1754) it was repealed by 150 votes to 60. Even something in the way of a reaction of injustice would seem to have set in, for when, a year or two later, a certain Elias de Pass bequeathed 1,200l. for the purpose of erecting a Jewish college, we find the courts of the day deciding, and the Government upholding their decision, that such a bequest was illegal, as tending to perpetuate superstitious practices; finally the money was taken and passed on to the treasurer of the Foundling Hospital, to be applied to the support of a chaplain to preach Christianity to the inmates.