The Universal Magazine

Vol. XII. - 1753

Jewish Naturalization Act

Experiments

Electricity

Globes

&c.

Original 1753 volume, January - June. Volume is more than a bit of a mess but the two colored globe plates are exceptional and there are others of scientific content - electrical experiments, a microscope, &c. - that are curious as well. All natural history plates (birds &c.) are missing, a few others are torn, pages are generally toned and worn, and the old binding is quite beat-up with rear board nearly detached. But historic bits beyond the engravings include a short but potent statement on the Jewish Naturalization Act, Mathew Prior, a recipe to kill bugs using mercury (quicksilver), and a great deal more. 

“The Jewish Naturalisation Act 1753 was an Act of Parliament (26 Geo. 2, c. 26) of the Parliament of Great Britain, which received royal assent on 7 July 1753 but was repealed in 1754 (27 Geo 2, c. 1) due to widespread opposition to its provisions. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, the Jews had shown particular loyalty to the government. Their chief financier, Sampson Gideon, had strengthened the stock market, and several of the younger members had volunteered in the corps raised to defend London. Possibly as a reward, Henry Pelham in 1753 brought in the Jew Bill of 1753, which allowed Jews to become naturalised by application to Parliament. It passed the Lords without much opposition, but on being brought down to the House of Commons, the Tories made protest against what they deemed an "abandonment of Christianity." The Whigs, however, persisted in carrying out at least one part of their general policy of religious toleration, and the bill was passed and received royal assent (26 Geo. II., cap. 26). The public reacted with an enormous outburst of antisemitism, and the Bill was repealed in the next sitting of Parliament, in 1754.)” -wkpdia

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