Of this bill the only objectionable part was the preamble, which asserted, not only that the judgment was illegal, a proposition which appeared on the face of the record to be true, but also that the verdict was corrupt, a proposition which, whether true or false, was not proved by any evidence at all.
The Lords were in a great strait.

They knew that they were in the wrong.
Yet they were determined not to proclaim, in their legislative capacity, that they had, in their judicial capacity, been guilty of injustice.
They again tried a middle course.

The preamble was softened down: a clause was added which provided that Oates should still remain incapable of being a witness; and the bill thus altered was returned to the Commons.
The Commons were not satisfied.

They rejected the amendments, and demanded a free conference.

Two eminent Tories, Rochester and Nottingham, took their seats in the Painted Chamber as managers for the Lords.