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My Lords, when there is a present Defect of One to exercise the Admi¦nistration of the Government, I con∣ceive, the Declaring a Vacancy, and Provision of a Supply for it, can never make the Crown Elective.
The Commons apprehend there is such a Defect now; and, by consequence a present Necessity for the Supply of
the Government, and that will be next for your Lordships Consideration, and theirs afterwards.
If the attempting the utter Destructi∣on of the Subject, and Subvertion of the Constitution, be not as much an Abdication as the attempting of a Father to Cut his Son's Throat, I know not what is.
My Lords, the Constitution, notwith∣standing the Vacancy, is the same; the Laws that are the Foundations and Rules of that Constitution are the same: But if there be in any particular In∣stance, a Breach of that Constitution, that will be an Abdication; and that Abdication will infer a Vacancy.
It is not that, the Commons do say, the Crown of England is alway and per∣petually Elective; but it is more neces∣sary that there be a Supply when there is a Defect, and the Doing of that will be no Alteration of the Monarchy from a Successive One to an Elective.