2. The way, now, is this:--when a gentleman of the House of Commons, or a nobleman of the House of Lords, thinks of any thing that will be good for the nation, he mentions it to the rest and they all consult about it, every one giving his opinion whether he thinks it good or not; and if the greater number think it will be good, it is settled that it shall be done, if both Houses of Parliament and the sovereign agree to it; for whichever House of Parliament begins and agrees to a measure, it is sent to the other House for approval:--this is called passing the bill. 3. When both Houses have done what they consider good and necessary, it is submitted to the queen or king, who generally approves of it also; and then it becomes a law. 4. Another rule made at the Revolution was, that the parliament should meet every year, and that there should be a new election at least once in three years, to give the people an opportunity of choosing other members, if they had not approved the votes of the old ones; but, in the reign of George the First, this arrangement was altered to seven years, and so it has continued ever since. 5. It was also agreed that none but a Protestant should ever be king or queen of England; and all these, with many other regulations, were written down, and signed by king William, and this is called the Bill of Rights. 6. No one was to be persecuted on account of his or her religion; but the Catholics were not allowed to hold landed property, or to be members of parliament; and it was not till the reign of George the Fourth that people of the Catholic faith were restored to their ancient rights and privileges. 7. Soon after William was made king, he had to go to Ireland, to fight against James the Second, who had landed there with a French army, thinking the Irish would assist him to recover the throne. But he was defeated in a battle fought on the banks of the river Boyne, and obliged to go back to France, where he lived in retirement for the rest of his life. 8. His daughter, Mary, the wife of king William, was a very amiable woman, and much beloved by the English. It was she who induced the government to convert the palace at Greenwich into an asylum for poor old sailors; and the king gave money for the purpose. 9. The East Indian trade was very much increased during this reign, so that all things that came from China and India, such as tea, silk, cotton, spices, porcelain or china ware, and many other beautiful and useful things, became more easy to be procured in this country.