A petition of the mayor, aldermen, recorder, freemen, and inhabitants, of the borough of Saint Alban, in the county of Hertford, was presented to the house by Mr. Poyntz, and read; setting forth, "That the petitioners beg leave to congratulate the house, and express their heartfelt satisfaction, at the resolutions which passed on the 8th and 10th of April last, respecting the tenth report of the commissioners of naval enquiry, and pray the house to pursue such measures as they may think just for effectually exposing, and bringing to punishment all public peculators and delinquents, and for securing in future the treasure of the nation from similar depredations: and although the petitioners most sincerely deplore the complicated difficulties of the present conjuncture, yet they confidently rely on the wisdom of parliament for relief."—Mr. F. Fane moved, that sir William Rawlins and Robert Albion Cox, Esq. should be brought to the bar for the purpose of being reprimanded and discharged. They Were accordingly put to the bar; whereupon Mr. Speaker addressed them as follows: "Sir William Rawlins and Robert Albion Cox; your conduct having undergone the severe but just animadversion of this house, followed by a sentence of ignominious imprisonment, it is fit to be understood by 730 you, and by all men, what this house has considered to be the character of your offence, and upon what grounds you are this day to be liberated. The sum of your offence is this: that you, being the sheriff and returning officer, did, at an election for the county of Middlesex, for the purpose of giving a colourable majority to one candidate in prejudice of another, wilfully, knowingly, and corruptly admit fictitious votes upon the poll; that your inconsistent and contradictory practices afforded the greatest encouragement to perjury; and that you refused to examine the validity of votes by reference to the land-tax assessments, in defiance of the laws of your country.—Graver offences than these cannot be laid to the charge of any men holding the high office with which you were then invested; an office to which you were raised by the free choice of your fellow citizens in the metropolis of this empire, and of which office you betrayed the most important duties; violating at once the freedom of elections, the privileges of this house, and the just constitution of parliaments.—Upon these charges, established by ample and conclusive evidence, you were committed to his majesty's gaol of Newgate, the common receptacle of malefactors, there to remain prisoners, amongst those over whom you had been magistrates; a signal proof of the power and the justice of this house, an indelible disgrace upon you, and a memorable example to others.—Nevertheless, it appearing now, by your petition, that your minds have been humbled to a due sense of your misconduct, and that your errors may be in some degree imputed to the ignorant or criminal advice under which you unfortunately acted, this house is willing to believe that the ends of justice are at length satisfied; it has therefore consented that you be now discharged. And you are discharged accordingly; paying your fees."—Ordered, on the motion of Lord Marsham, that Mr. Speaker's reprimand be entered on the journals.—Mr. Leycester informed the house, that the house of lords had been waited on with its message, requiring the attendance of lord Harrowby to give evidence before the select committee, to which their lordships replied, they would send an answer by messengers of their own.—The house then proceeded to ballot for a select committee, to enquire into the several papers presented to the house respecting the repairs of the Romney and La Sensible, whilst under command of sir Home Popham in the Red Sea 731 —A committee was appointed to examine on whom the ballot had fallen, according to the lists put in the glasses.