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vened on the sixth day of December, the king in his speech, observed, that the safety, honour, and happiness of the kingdom would in a great measure depend upon the strength which they should think proper to maintain by sea and land. He desired they would make some further progress in discharging the national debt; contrive effectual expedients for employing the poor; pass good bills for the advancement of trade, and the discouragement of profaneness and act with unanimity and despatch. The commons of this new parliament were so irritated at the king's presuming to maintain a greater number of troops than their predecessors had voted, that they resolved he should feel the weight of their displeasure. They omitted the common compliment of an address: they resolved that all the forces of England, in English pay, exceeding seven thousand men, should be forthwith disbanded; and also those in Ireland, exceeding twelve thousand; and that those retained should be his majesty's natural born subjects. A bill was brought in on these resolutions, and prosecuted with peculiar eagerness, to the unspeakable mortification of king William, who was not only extremely sensible of the affront, but also particularly chagrined to see himself disabled from maintaining his Dutch guards, and the regiments of French refugees, to which he was uncommonly attached. Before the meeting of the parliament, the ministry gave him to understand, that they should be able to procure a vote for ten or twelve thousand; but they would not undertake for a greater number. He professed himself dissatisfied with the proposal, observing, that they might as well disband the whole as leave so few. The ministers would not run the risk of losing all their credit, by proposing a greater number; and, having received no directions on this subject, sat silent when it was debated in the house of commons.

XVI. Such was the indignation of William, kindled by this conduct of his ministry and his parliament, that he threatened to abandon the government; and had actually penned a speech to be pronounced to both houses on that occasion: but he was diverted from this purpose by his ministry and confidants, and resolved to pass the bill by which he had been so much offended. Accordingly, when

it was ready for the royal assent, he went to the house of peers, where having sent for the commons, he told them, that although he might think himself unkindly used, in being deprived of his guards, which had constantly attended him in all his actions: yet, as he believed nothing could be more fatal to the nation than any distrust or jealousy between him and his parliament, he was come to pass the bill, according to their desire. At the same time, for his own justification, and in discharge of the trust reposed in him, he declared, that in his own judgment the nation was left too much exposed: and that it was incumbent upon them to provide such a strength as might be necessary for the safety of the kingdom. They thanked him, in an address, for this undeniable proof of his readiness to comply with the desires of his parliament. They assured him, he should never have reason to think the commons were undutiful or unkind: for they would, on all occasions, stand by, and assist him in the preservation of his sacred person, and in the support of his government, against all his enemies whatsoever. The lords presented an address to the same effect; and the king assured both houses, he entertained no doubts of their loyalty and affection. He forthwith issued orders for reducing the army to the number of seven thousand men, to be maintained in England under the name of guards and garrisons; and, hoping the hearts of the commons were now mollified, he made another effort in favour of his Dutch guards, whom he could not dismiss without the most sensible regret. Lord Ranelagh was sent with a written message to the commons, giving them to understand, that the necessary preparations were made for transporting the guards who came with him. into England, and that they should embark immediately, unless out of consideration to him, the house should be disposed to find a way for continuing them longer in the service; a favour which his majesty would take very kindly. The commons, instead of complying with his inclination, presented an address, in which they professed unspeakable grief, that he should propose any thing to which they could not consent with due regard to the constitution, which he had come over to restore, and so often hazarded his royal person to preserve. They

reminded him of the declaration, in which he had promised that all the foreign forces should be sent out of the kingdom. They observed, that nothing conduced more to the happiness and welfare of the nation, than an entire confidence between the king and people, which could no way be so firmly established as by intrusting his sacred person with his own subjects, who had so eminently signalized themselves during the late long and expensive war. They received a soothing answer to this address, but remained firm to their purpose, in which the king was fain to acquiesce; and the Dutch guards were transported to Holland. At a time when they declared themselves so well pleased with their deliverer, such an opposition, in an affair of very little consequence, savoured more of clownish obstinacy than of patriotism. In the midst of all their professions of regard, they entertained a national prejudice against himself, and all the foreigners in his service. Even in the house of commons his person was treated with great disrespect in virulent insinuations. They suggested that he neither loved nor trusted the English nation: that he treated the natives with the most disagreeable reserve; and chose his confidants from the number of strangers that surrounded him: that, after every session of parliament, he retired from the kingdom, to enjoy an indolent and inglorious privacy with a few favourites. These suggestions were certainly true. He was extremely disgusted with the English, whom he considered as malicious, ignorant, and ungrateful, and he took no pains to disguise his sentiments.

§ XVII. The commons having effected a dissolution of the army, voted fifteen thousand seamen, and a proportionable fleet, for the security of the kingdom: they granted one million four hundred and eighty-four thousand fifteen pounds, for the services of the year, to be raised by a tax of three shillings in the pound upon lands, personal estates, pensions, and offices. A great number of priests and Roman catholics, who had been frighted away by the revolu tion, were now encouraged by the treaty of Ryswick, to return, and appeared in all public places of London and Westminster, with remarkable effrontery. The enemies of the government whispered about, that the treaty contained

a secret article in favour of those who professed that religion; and some did not even scruple to insinuate, that William was a papist in his heart. The commons, alarmed at the number and insolence of those religionists, desired the king, in an address, to remove by proclamation all papists and nonjurors from the city of London and parts adjacent, and put the laws in execution against them, that the wicked designs they were always hatching might be effectually disappointed. The king gratified them in their request of a proclamation, which was not much regarded: but a remarkable law was enacted against papists in the course of the ensuing session. The old East India company, about this period, petitioned the lower house, to make some provision that their corporation might subsist for the residue of the term of twenty-one years, granted by his majesty's charter: that the payment of the five pounds per cent. by the late act for settling the trade to the East Indies, might be settled and adjusted in such a manner, as not to remain a burden on the petitioners; and that such further considerations might be had for their relief, and for the preservation of the East India trade, as should be thought reasonable. A bill was brought in upon the subject of this petition; but rejected at the second reading. Discontents had risen to such a height, that some members began to assert, they were not bound to maintain the votes andcredit of the former parliament; and, upon this maxim, would have contributed their interest towards a repeal of the act made in favour of the new company; but such a scheme was of too dangerous consequence to the public credit, to be carried into execution.c

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§ XVIII. That spirit of peevishness which could not be gratified with this sacrifice, produced an inquiry into the management of naval affairs, which was aimed at the earl of Orford, a nobleman whose power gave umbrage, and whose wealth excited envy. He officiated both as treasurer of the navy, and lord commissioner of the admiralty, and seemed to have forgot the sphere from which he had risen to title and office.* The commons drew up an address, complaining of some unimportant articles of mismanagement in the

e Burnet. Kennet. Lamberty. State Tracts. Tindal. Ralph.

* An 1699.

conduct of the navy; and the earl was wise enough to avoid further prosecution, by resigning his employments. On the fourth day of May the king closed the session, with a short speech, hinting dissatisfaction at their having neglected to consider some points which he had recommended to their attention; and the parliament was prorogued to the first of June. In a little time after this prorogation, his majesty appointed a regency; and on the second day of June embarked for Holland.

§ XIX. In Ireland nothing of moment was transacted. The parliament of that kingdom passed an act for raising one hundred and twenty thousand pounds on lands, tenements, and hereditaments, to defray the expense of maintaining twelve thousand men, who had been voted by the commons of England, when the assembly was prorogued. A new commission afterwards arrived at Dublin, constituting the duke of Bolton, and earls of Berkeley and Galway, lords justices of Ireland. The clamour in Scotland increased against the ministry, who had disowned their company, and in a great measure defeated the design from which they had promised themselves such heaps of treasure. Notwithstanding the discouragements to which their company had been exposed, they fitted out two of four large ships which had been built at Hamburgh for their service. These were laden with a cargo for traffic, with some artillery and military stores; and the adventurers embarking, to the number of twelve hundred, they sailed from the frith of Edinburgh, with some tenders, on the seventeenth day of July in the preceding year. At Madeira they took in a supply of wine, and then steered to Crab Island in the neighbourhood of St. Thomas, lying between Santa Cruz and Porto Rico. Their design was to take possession of this little island; but, when they entered the road, they saw a

d About the latter end of March, the earl of Warwick, and lord Mohun were tried by the peers in Westminster hall for the murder of captain Richard Coote, who had been killed in a midnight combat of three on each side. Warwick was found guilty of manslaughter, and Mohun acquitted.

Villers, earl of Jersey, who had been sent ambassador to France, was appointed secretary of state, in the room of the duke of Shrewsbury. This nobleman was created lord chamberlain; the earl of Manchester was sent ambassador extraordinary to France; the earl of Pembroke was declared lord president of the Council; and lord viscount Lonsdale keeper of the privy seal.

e Consisting of the lord chancellor, the lord president, the lord privy seal, the lord steward of the household, the earl of Bridgewater, first commissioner of the admiralty, the earl of Marlborough, the earl of Jersey, and Mr. Montagu.

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