The secret history of White-Hall, from the restoration of Charles II down to the abdication of the late K. James writ at the request of a noble lord, and conveyed to him in letters, by ̲̲̲late secretary-interpreter to the Marquess of Louvois, who by that means had the perusal of all the private minutes between England and France for many years : the whole consisting of secret memoirs, which have hitherto lain conceal'd, as not being discoverable by any other hand / publish'd from the original papers, by D. Jones, gent.

LETTER V. (Book 5)

Of the Methods proposed, and Arguments used to King James, for carrying on the Dispensing power.

My Lord,

THAT the King intends to Assume a Power into His Hands of Dispen∣sing with Penal Laws against Recusants, I believe your Lordship may be sensible of by this time, since it's manifest, that not∣withstanding

the Parliaments Remon∣strance to the contrary, he retains the Popish Officers still in his Service; and that it is so far from being a Secret here, that I can oblige your Lordship with some of those Methods and Arguments suggest∣ed to him, by the Agency of this Court, to carry it onward, wherein it's more then whis∣per'd here, he has fully acquiesced. It was thought advisable, considering the violent Humour of the Nation against the admissi∣on of such Persons, either into Military or Civil Offices, and that all the Cry was, That the King had not kept his Word, but did thereby Infringe their Laws and Li∣berties, to bring the matter into Westmin∣ster-Hall, to have the Dispensing Power there Argued upon a particular Case; but, to make sure of the Judges before-hand, to Favour such a Procedure; the King was told, could he gain such a Point, his bu∣siness were done for ever; tho', at the same time, it was his undoubted Preroga∣tive to dispense with Laws, being an Essen∣tial right, and an usage in England as anci∣ent as the Kingdom; that it was in being at all times, and in all Reigns, that there were several Acts, wherein there had been Provision made for such a Reservation to the King; that the Term of Nonobstante, which was so common, was always a Dis∣pensing with some Law; that the Commu∣tation of Punishments are no less a proof

thereof; And how much more were Remissions, Pardons, the Restoration of Criminals to their Goods again, &c? That there were Presidents to be met with, wherein the King's of England had suspended the Effects of Laws, not only by Dispensations, regarding particular and sin∣gle persons, but by a general Suspension, in regard to the whole Kingdom: That his Brother had done so in cases of the Statute relating to Carriages, whereof there was not the least complaint in Par∣liament: neither was it so much as once said, that he had thereby exceeded the Just bounds of His Authority: That the same had been done by Henry the Seventh, his Great Ancestor, and Solomon of En∣gland, in respect to the Act that prohibit∣ed the Continuation of Sheriffs in their Of∣fice above One Year, which, in Council, was declared null, and impracticable; be∣cause that thereby the King was divested of of his Regal Power in disposing his Subjects. I do not question, my Lord, but you will soon hear of the effects of such Council, but whether to your satisfaction therein, I have as great reason to doubt, as I have a desire to promote it, and ever shall, to the best of my power, who am

My Lord,

your very humble servant.

Paris, Nov. 13. 1685. N. S.