THE WORKS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D, VOLUME THE TENTH. MDCCCXXV. CONTENTS Debate on the bill for prohibiting the exportation of corn. Debate on a seditious paper. Debate on incorporating the new-raised men into the standing regiments. Debate on taking the state of the army into consideration. Debate respecting officers on half-pay. Debate on an address for papers relating to admiral Haddock. Debate regarding the departure of the French and Spanish squadrons. Debate on addressing his majesty for the removal of sir R. Walpole. Debate on cleansing the city of Westminster. Debate on the bill to prevent inconveniencies arising from the insurance of ships. Debate on the bill for the encouragement and increase of seamen. Debate on the bill for the punishment of mutiny and desertion. Debate on addressing the king. Debate on supporting the queen of Hungary. Debate on choosing a speaker. Debate on the address. PREFATORY OBSERVATIONS TO THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES. The government of this country has long and justly been considered the best among the nations of Europe; and the English people have ever evinced a proportionate desire for information in its proceedings. But in the earlier days of our constitution, we shall find that much jealousy on the part of our rulers debarred the people from access to the national deliberations. Queen Elizabeth, with a sagacity that derived no assurance from the precedents of former times, foresaw the mighty power of the press, as an engine applied to state purposes, and accordingly aroused the spirit of her subjects, by causing the first gazettes to be published in the year of the armada [Footnote: See sir J. Mackintosh's Defence in the Peltier case.]: and D'Ewes's journals of her parliaments contain the earliest reports of parliamentary debates.