The relief ought to be immediate; and the way to give immediate relief was to limit the duration of Parliaments, and to begin with that Parliament which, in the opinion of the country, had already held power too long.
The forces were so evenly balanced that a very slight accident might have turned the scale.

When the question was put that the bill do pass, eighty-two peers were present.

Of these forty-two were for the bill, and forty against it.

Proxies were then called.

There were only two proxies for the bill; there were seven against it; but of the seven three were questioned, and were with difficulty admitted.