1704. The Lords "fecuring ourselves and all Europe; and that there will be * no contention among you, but who shall moft promote "the public welfare. "Such a temper as this, in all your proceedings, cannot "fail of fecuring your reputation both at home and abroad. "This would make me a happy queen, whofe utmost "endeavours would never be wanting to make you a happy "and flourishing people." The two houses immediately voted congratulatory addreffes; and, the next day, the following one was prefented by the Lords: c WE, your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament af"fembled, beg leave to return our humble and hearty "thanks to your majefty for your moft gracious speech to 66 your parliament. The kindness and indulgence your majefty hath ex"preffed for all your fubjects; your care to create a perfect "union among us, by forewarning us of the mifchiefs of "divifions; your goodnefs in declaring your own happi"nefs to depend upon that of your people; your defire to "fee that happiness fettled upon a lafting foundation; "your ftrict regard to treaties; your juftice to public en"gagements, abroad as well as at home; and, your noble concern for the fupport of the liberties of Europe, comprehend all the royal qualities, that can be defired in a fove"reign; and when they are all fo manifeftly united in your "royal perfon, we, and the whole nation fhould be inex"cufable to God and the whole world, to this age and to "pofterity, if we should not endeavour effectually to accom plifh all thofe great and excellent defigns, which your "majefty hath fo wifely and graciously recommended. "We, for ourfelves, faithfully affure your majefty, that 6c we will do all in our power to bring this feffion to a "happy and fpeedy conclufion, and to improve, to the ut"moft, the blefed opportunity, that God hath put into "our hands. Upon this occafion of approaching your majefty, we "defire humbly to congratulate the great and glorious fuccefs of your majesty's arms, in conjunction with thofe of your allies, under the command of the duke of Marlbo"rough. We can never enough admire your wisdom and "courage, in fending that feafonable and neceflary affiftance ❝ to "to the empire; and we cannot too much commend the "fecrecy and bravery, with which your orders were ́exe"cuted. "What remains for us to do, is, to befeech God, that "the like fuccefs may attend your majefty's arms, till you "fee the proteftant religion and the liberty of Europe, fet"tled upon a firm and lafting foundation; and that your "majefty may live many years, to have the pleasure and "glory of beholding thofe parts of the world happy in "the enjoyment of those bleffings, which your majefty "fhall have procured for them." To this the queen anfwered, "I am very fenfible of the great duty and affection you have expreffed in the several "particulars of this addrefs; and I return you my hearty "thanks for your congratulation of our great fuccefs, and "for the affurances of your readiness to concur in profe"cuting it effectually." The address prefented by the commons, the fame day, was thus expreffed: Moft gracious Sovereign, 1704. WE, your majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, TheComthe knights, citizens, and burgefles, in parliament mons Ad"affembled, do beg leave to return to your majefty our dress. "moft humble and hearty thanks for your majefty's most gracious fpecch from the throne; and to congratulate your majefty upon the great and glorious fuccefs, with "which it hath pleafed God to blefs your majesty in the "intire defeat of the united force of France and Bavaria, "by the arms of your majefty and your allies, under the "command, and by the courage and conduct of the duke "of Marlborough; and in the victory obtained by your "majefty's fleet, under the command, and by the courage "of Sir George Rooke. "Your majefty can never be difappointed in your expec"tation from us, your faithful commons, who all come difpofed to do every thing neceffary for the effectual profe"cution of the war; and therefore your majefty may depend upon our providing fuch fupplies, and giving fuch fpeedy difpatch to the public bufinefs, as may enable your "majefty to purfue thefe advantages fo happily obtained "over the common enemy, which we can never doubt but your majefty's wifdom will improve to the procuring a 66 66 lafting 1704. "lafting fecurity for England, and a firm fupport for the "liberty of Europe. "We are truly fenfible, that nothing can be more effen"tial for the attaining those great ends, than to be intirely "united at home. We fhall therefore use our utmost en"deavours, by all proper methods, to prevent all divifions "among us, and will have no contention, but who shall "moft promote and establish the public welfare both in "church and state. Thus your majefty's reign will be "made happy, and your memory bleffed to all pofterity." The queen" returned them thanks for the affurances "they gave her of dispatching the supplies, and avoiding all "divifions; both which, as they were extremely acceptable "to her, fo they would be advantageous to themselves, and "beneficial to the public.' Remarks The lords addrefs was univerfally applauded; but that of on the ad- the commons gave great offence; particularly, because it dreffes. fpoke in the fame terms of the duke of Marlborough's victories and the advantages gained by Sir George Rooke (1). It was also observed, that the promise, which they made to the queen, "of using their utmost endeavours to prevent "all divifions, was in a manner restrained by the addition of "all proper methods, which many looked upon as ominous." However, after the commons had taken the fervices of the army and navy into confideration, and, by an unanimous vote, on the 2d of November, defired the queen "to bestow Pr. H. C. " her bounty upon the feamen and land-forces, who had "behaved themselves fo gallantly," they proceeded to the fupply. The feveral fums they granted for the navy, the army, and other neceffary expences, amounted to four millions, fix hundred and feventy thousand, four hundred and eighty-fix pounds; which they refolved to levy by a land Supplies are grant ed. (1) The duchefs of Marlborough in the account of her conduct (p. 146.) makes the following obfervation on this occafion: My lord of Marlborough, before he had had fufficient opportunity of fhewing the greatness of the general, had, for his firft fucceffes in the war, been complimented by this very houfe of commons, as the re tax triever of the glory of the Englifh nation, being then reputed a high-churchman. But now, that he was thought to look to wards the moderate party, his compleat victory at Blenheim was, in the addrefs of congratulation to the queen, ridicullously paired with Sir George Rooke's drawn battle with the French at fea. tax of four fhillings in the pound, by continuing the duties 1704. on malt, by raifing eight hundred and feventy-feven thoufand, nine hundred and thirty-one pounds, by fale of annuities, and by feveral other ways and means. They made fo great a difpatch, that, on the 9th of December, the landtax bill received the royal affent, on which occafion the queen made a fhort fpeech to both houfes, wherein, in particular, the returned thanks to the commons for their early difpatch of fo great a part of the neceffary fupplies, which fhe looked upon to be a fure pledge of their affections for her fervice. in. It was generally wifhed, and indeed expected, in the The occacourt, as well as in the city and country, that the " bill to fional bill "prevent occafional conformity," which was the occafion is again of great divifions and contests in the two former feffions of brought this parliament, would not have been revived again at this Pr. H. C. juncture, when all parties ought to have fufpended their ani- III. 395mofities, and joined in celebrating the fucceffes of her ma- Burnet. jefty's arms. But, notwithstanding all the endeavours used by the miniftry to engage the leading-men of the highchurch party to reftrain their zeal, till they might have an opportunity of gratifying it, without obftructing the public bufinefs, the parliament had not fat long, before Mr. William Bromley moved in the house of commons for leave to bring in that bill. This motion met with great oppofition from all the moderate party, among whom appeared many courtiers, particularly Mr. Henry Boyle, chancellor of the Exchequer, who fpoke ftrenuously againft it. But, though it was carried in the affirmative, yet the chief of the highchurch party debated feveral days in their private affemblies, whether they should bring in the bill or not? Though many Nov. 23. urged ftrong reafons for the negative, yet the bill was brought in, but moderated in feveral claufes; for thofe, who prefled it, were now refolved to bring the terms as low as poffible, in order once to carry a bill upon that head. Upon the first reading of it, after a warm debate, the question was carried for a fecond reading. This vigorous ftruggle against the bill, even in the houfe of commons, made the patrons of it justly apprehenfive, that it would never pafs by itfelf thro' Endeathe lords; and therefore, after a long confultation in their vours to chief meeting, and (as was then whispered) by the fug- tack it to geftion of Mr. fecretary Harley, in whom they ftill repofed the landgreat confidence, but who defigned to decoy them into a tax bill. Inare, they refolved to attempt the tacking of it to the landtax bill. Accordingly, on the fecond reading of the occa- Nov. 28. E VOL. XVI. fional Pr. H. c. 1704. fional bill, Mr. Bromley made a long fpeech, wherein, a mong other things, he urged, "that the practice of occa fional conformity was fuch a fcandalous hypocrify, as was "no way to be excufed upon any pretence whatsoever. "That it was condemned even by the better fort of Dissen"ters themselves. That the employing perfons of a differ"ent religion from that established by law had never been "practifed by any wife government, and was not allowed even in Holland. That the facramental-teft was appoint"ed by the wisdom of the legislature to preferve the efta"blished church; which church feemed in as much danger པ་ from the diffenters at this time, as it was from the papifts, "when the act was made. That this law, being fo neceflary, and having been twice refused in the house of lords, the only way to have it pass, was to tack it to a "money-bill. That it had been an antient practice to tack bills, that were for the good of the fubject, to moneybills, it being reasonable, that, while grievous taxes were laid upon the fubject, for the fupport of the crown, the crown fhould, in return, pafs fuch laws, as were for the benefit of the people. That the great neceffity there was "for the money-bill's paffing, was rather an argument for than against this proceeding, For what danger could there be, that the lords, who pretended to be fuch great patriots, fhould rather lofe the neceffary fupplies, than "pass an act fo requifite for the prefervation of the church. "That, however, if they should suppose them fo unreason 1 able, the matter was not yet fo bad, for it was only but "proroguing the parliament for a few days, and then the "commons might pafs the land-tax bill again without the "tack.". He concluded with moving, "That the bill to 86 prevent occafional conformity might be tacked to the "land-tax bill." This motion occafioned a long and warm debate. The defign of the party was, that the lords fhould be put under a great difficulty; fince if they fhould untack the bill, and feparate one from the other, then the house of commons would have infifted on a maxim, which was now fettled among them as a fundamental principle never to be departed from, that the lords cannot alter a money-bill, but muft either pass it, or reject it, as it is fent to them.-On the other hand, the lords could not agree to any fuch tack, without departing from that folemn refolution, which was in their books figned by moft of them, never to admit of a tack to a money-bill; and, if they yielded now, they taught the house of commons the way to impofe any thing on them. at |