Whitehall, July 19. 1695. This afternoon came in several mails from Ireland, the last bringing letters of the 6th. of September.

Dublin, September 6. 1695.

ON the 29th. of August (the day to which the two Houses were adjour∣ned,) my Lord Deputy went again to the House of Lords, with the usual Solemnity, and the Commons being sent for up, and ap∣pearing at the Bar, Mr. Rochfort, His Majesties Attorney-General, made the following Speech:

May it please Your Excellency.

IN Obedience to Your Excellency's Commands the Commons of Ireland ha∣ving met in their House, have done me the Honour to Elect me their Speaker.

And though I am Commanded to acquaint your Excellency with their Choice, yet the due sense I have of my own Imperfections, and my smal Experience in Parliamentary Affairs, oblige me humbly to Address to your Excellency to excuse me from this weighty Employment, which is proper only for a Person of Extraordinary Abilities.

For notwithstanding the Obligations I am under to the Service of His Ma∣jesty, and the promoting the Publick Good of this Nation; and the just Re∣spect and Deference I pay to the Judgment of the House of Commons in E∣lecting me their Speaker.

I cannot but declare my unwillingness to accept the Honour, since I am sen∣sible of my insufficiency to discharge the Trust.

And therefore I humbly intreat your Excellency to direct them to return to their House, and make Choice of a more fit Person for that Service.

Then my Lord Chancellor, by his Excellency's Command, said,

Mr. Attorney,

HIs Excellency Commands me to let you know, That if you had been a Stranger unknown to him before this time, yet what you have now said to disable your self, shows you are too well Qualified for the Service, to which the Commons have de∣signed you, for him to allow your Excuse.

He is satisfyed from this, and the Experience he has had of your Prudence and Judgement in many Occasions, That the Commons have well considered their own Service, in the Choice they have made of you for their Speaker; And therefore Disal∣lows your Excuse, and Confirms their Choice, and Commands you Cheerfully to at∣tend their Service.

Mr. Speaker's Answer.

May it please your Excellency,

YOur Excellency having been pleased to declare your Approbation of the Choice of the Honourable House of Commons, and laid your Com∣mands on me to attend their Service as their Speaker: I take the Confidence to assure your Excellency, that the present Conunjcture of Affairs in this King∣dom does seem to be so happy, that our Enemies have no ground to hope, nor our Friends any reason to fear, the least Breach or Disunion among us. For I am perswaded that every Member of both Houses has fully resolved to lay a∣side all private Interests, and unanimously to endeavour with all possible Ap∣plication and Integrity to promote the publick Welfare of their Country.

And nothing certainly can be a greater assurance to us all of the happy Suc∣cess of this Parliament, than his Majesties Wisdom, and gracious Pleasure in appointing your Excellency the Chief Governour of this Kingdom; who in∣herit your Fathers unparallelled Loyalty to the Crown, and your noble Bro∣ther's Extraordinary Affection of this Country.

And 'tis the general Hope, and the Expectation of us all, that what the late Earl of Essex, when he was in this Government, so obligingly design'd, so prudently contriv'd, and so prosperously begun for the publick Good and In∣terest of this Nation; your Excellency may have the Glory of accomplishing, and we the Happiness of enjoying.

As concerning my self, the Commons of Ireland have been pleased to make Choice of one of their Country, and of joint Interest with them, to be their Speaker, That by my own Experience of His Majesties extraordinary Fa∣vours to this Kingdom, I might the more affectionatly return their most hum∣ble Acknowledgements for them.

And though I am sensible of my being unworthy of so great an Honour, and insufficient to dischare so weighty a Trust; yet I shal make it my business to supply in some measure my want of due Qualifications, by the Faithfulness of my Services, and the Sincerity and Heartiness of my Endeavours for the Publick.

And I am the less concerned for my great and many Imperfections, when I consider that this Honourable House of Commons is composed of Persons of so publick Spirits, and of so eminent Abilities, as will not need a Speaker of extraordinary Wisdom to direct their Counsels, or of Experience to manage their Debates, or of Eloquence to move their Affections to the Service of His Majesty, and the Good of their Country.

And now having in Obedience to your Excellency's Commands, and by the Favour of the Commons of Ireland, taken upon me the Office of their Speaker, I beg leave of your Excellency to begin to discharge some part of my Trust, by humbly Demanding in the Name of the Commons of Ireland,

That they may have Freedom of Speech and Debate.

And not be molested in their Persons, Goods, or Attendants.

His Excellency being with-drawn, and the Commons return'd to their House,

The Lords Ordered, that the Thanks of this House be given to the Lord-Deputy for his Excellent Speech; And a Committee having drawn up an Ad∣dress for that purpose, it was agreed to by the House, and presented to his Ex∣cellency the 31th of August in the Morning.

The Commons also Ordered a Committee to draw up an Address of Thanks to his Excellency for his Speech on the 27th of August, and having agreed to it, presented the same to his Excellency the 31th in the Afternoon.