j 30 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

CHAP

LXX.

J6ST.

every other corporation, substituted in their place.Not content with thi> violent and dangerous in-novation , the Icing appointed certain regulatorsto examine the qualifications of ■ electors; anddirections were given them to exclude all such asadhered to the test and penal statutes Queriesto this purpose were openly proposed in all places,in order to try the sentiments of men, and enablethe king to judge of the proceedings of thefuture parliament. The power of the crown wasat this time so great; anti the revenue, managedby James’s frugality, so considerable and inde-pendent; that, if he had embraced any nationalparty, he had been ensured of success; and mighthave carried his authority to what length hepleased. But the catholics, to whom he hadentirely devoted himself, were scarcely the hun-dredth part of the people. Even the protestantnonconformists, whom he so much courted, werelittle more than the twentieth ; and what wasworse, reposed no confidence in the unnaturalalliance contracted with the catholics, and in theprinciples of toleration, which, contrary to theirusual practice in all ages, seemed at present to beadopted by that sect. The king therefore, finding

" The elections in some places, particularly in York,were transferred from the people to the magistrates, who, bythe new charter, were all named by the crown. Sir JohnReresby’s Memoirs , p. 272. This was in reality nothingdifferent from the king's naming the members. The fame actof authority had been employed in all the boroughs ofScotland.