The Duke of Queensberry having ended his Speech, A. C. Fames Earl of Seafield, Lord High Chancellor, spoke 1706. as follows: My Lords and Gentlemen, IT The Earl of T hath been, and is the great Happiness of this Na- Speech. tion, That the Queen Our Sovereign, hath always made it the chief Defign of Her Reign, to protect her Subjects in the Enjoyment of all their Rights and Privileges, to promote their Good, and to Eftablish their Peace and Profperity, upon fure and lafting Foundations. For thefe Ends, Her Majefty, in Her moft Gracious Letter, doth, with great Earneftnefs, Recommend to You the Concluding of the Union of the Two Kingdoms, and has plainly and fully laid before you the great Advantages that this Union must bring with it to all BTITAIN, and in particular to this Kingdom. The Lords Commiffioners named by Her Majefty for this Kingdom to treat of this Union, have endeavoured to Difcharge this great Truft,with all Fidelity, and have agreed to fuch Terms and Conditions, as, I hope, fhall be found Fuft, Honourable, and Advantageous: The Treaty has been already Received very graciously by Her Majefty, and is now ready to be Reported to you for your Confideration. I do not think it proper at this Time, to defcend into the particular Articles of the Treaty, I fhall only beg leave to fay in General, That it must be of great Advantage to have this whole fland Unite under one Government, and Conjoined entirely in Intereft and Affection, having Equality of all Rights and Privileges, with a free Communication and Intercourfe of Trade, which must certainly Eftablifh Our Security, Augment Our Strength, and Increafe Our Trade and Riches. We can never Expect a more favourable Functure for Compleating this Union, than at prefent, when Her Majefty has not only Recommended it, but Declared, That fhe will Efteem it the greatest Glory of Her Reign to have it Perfetted; And when the Parliament of England bes fhewn Their Inclinations for it, by Removing all thefe Ob ftacles that did ly in the way of the Treaty: And it must alfo be acknowledged that the Lords Commiffioners for England did Testify their good Difpofition all along in this Affair: And the Great and Glorious Succeffes wherewith GOD has Bleffed Her Majefties Arms, and theft of Her Alies A. C. Allies, give us the Hope of a Near and Advantageous 1706. Peace, whereby we will be put in the Poffeffion, and attain to the full Enjoyment of all the Liberties and Privileges of Trade, now Offer'd by the Treaty. The Treaty. The Commiffioners of both Sides, have only Treated of fuch Things as concern the Civil Government, Liberties, Privileges, Trade, and Taxes; but found themselves Limited as to the Church-Government, that being referved to each Kingdom by the respective Acts of Parliament, upon which the Treaty proceeded; And you have now not only the Laws already made, with Her Majefties most Gracious Repeated Affurances, for mainiaining and continuing Presbyterian Church-Government within this Kingdom; But this further Opportunity of making fuch Conditions and Provifions, as fhall be found Neceffary for its Security, after the Conclufion of this Union, within the Limits of SCOTLAND. Her Majefty Recommends to You to Provide the neceffary Supplies for the Troops, Garrisons and Ships; the Funds formerly given are expired, and therefore I doubt not but you will easily comply with what is fo plainly neceffary for the Prefervation of the Publick Safety, and Preventing the Defigns of Enemies now in time of War. My Lords and Gentlemen, Since We have now the Opportunity of Establishing for Our Selves and Our Pofterity, by this Union with England, all that concerns Our Religion and Liberties, together with the most valuable Privileges of Trade; I am hopeful that You will Proceed to the Confideration of the Articles of the Treaty, in fuch manner as fall bring it to the defired Conclufion, and it cannot but tend to the lafting Honour of this Seffion of Parliament, to have fo happily finished this Important and Weighty Matter. Thefe Preliminaries being over, the Treaty of of Union Union was read, and order'd to be printed, togeder'd to ther with the Proceedings of the Lords Commifliobe Printed.ners of Both Kingdoms, in relation to that matter. See the Then the Parliament was adjourn'd to that Day pendix, Seven-night; and the Lord High Commiffioner return'd to Her Majefty's Palace of Holy Rood-Houfe, attended, as in his going to the Parliament Houfe, by most of the Nobility, Barons, and Members of Num. III. Parlia Parliament, to whom his Grace gave a fplendid A. C. 1706. Before we proceed, we muft obferve, that Her Majefty's Minifters were not unfenfible of the Dif- A powerful ficulties they had to encounter in the Affair of the Party in Union; against which, the Dukes of Hamilton and Scotland Athol, the Marquis of Annandale, the Earls of Errol, against the Union. Marifchal and Buchan, the Lord Beilhaven, Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, and fome others, had form'd a powerful Party: And their Oppofition was like to be the greater, by Reafon they had prepoffefs'd with Fears and Jealoufies, the Minds of many among the Presbyterian Clergy; to whofe Opinions the Generality of the Laicks in Scotland, pay almost as fubmillive a Deference, as the Roman Bigots do to their Priefts in Popish Countries. Among other Indications of the Temper of the Scotch Minifters, at this Critical Juncture, it was taken notice, that fome Days before, the Meeting of the Parliament, one of the Duke of Hamilton's Chaplains, propofed, in the General Affembly of the Clergy, That before an Affair of fo great Importance, as the Union was, came to be debated before the Eltates of the Kingdom, they ought to enter into an Affociation for the Prefervation of the Presbyterian Difcipline, and Church-Government, which was vifibly in Danger, if the Treaty concluded by the Commiflioners of Both Kingdoms, was ratified by the refpective Parliaments. Another Minifter moved, That a Day of Fafting and Humiliation fhould be appointed,to feek the Lord for Counfel in this arduous Affair, and Time of Danger: But the foberer part of the Affembly wifely confidering, That the Drift of those two Motions was only to create Fears and Diftractions among the People; the fame were rejected by the Majority of Voices. . . ' On the 10th of October, the Parliament met again, and after fome Debate, Sir Alexander Bruce, being admitted as Earl of Kincardin, Mr. Fletcher of Salroun acquainted the Houfe, That he was inform'd that the Magiftrates of Edinburgh had fummon'd all the Printers to appear before them, and acquainted them that they would lay a Penalty of 500 Marks upon fuch as fhould publifh any thing in Print, till it was seen by the faid Magiftrates, which A. C. Union. he faid, feveral Gentlemen complain'd of, as the Beginning of an Inquifition, and an Invafion upon the Liberty of the Subject. He was feconded by Duke Proceedings Hamilton: But the Lord Chancellor protesting that about the he knew nothing of the Matter; adding, that if there was any fuch thing the fame fhould be redrefs'd, the Bufinefs went no further; and the Parliament adjourn'd to the 12th, when Mr. Stuart mov'd, that a Day of Fafting and Prayer be fet apart for feeking the Direction of the Almighty in the Affair of the Union; and was feconded by the Party, who endeavour'd to fpin out Time. They were anfwer'd, That the Bufinefs of the Union was brought fo near a Period, that they ought to ufe no Delays, but rather all imaginable Difpatch, to con'clude the fame; and that instead of a Faft, they had Reafon to appoint a Day of publick Thanksgiving, for the fair Opportunity the Scotch Nation had, of fecuring their Religion and Liberties, and improving their Fortunes and Estates, by an entire Union with England. The Motion for a Faft being dropt, it was propos'd, That the Articles of Union, agreed on by the Commiffioners nominated on behalf of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, be again read; as alfo the Minutes of the Proceedings of the faid Commiffioners: After fome Reafonings, it was agreed, That the faid Articles of Union fhould be read, and ordered, that all Records relating to former "Treaties betwixt the two Kingdoms, be laid on the Table; and that in the Intervals of Parliament, they might be feen in the Low Parliament Houfe. The Articles of Union being accordingly, read again, it was agreed, that the Parliament fhould proceed to theConfideration of the faid Articles the next Sitting, which was put off till the 15th of the fame Month; when it was moved by the Court-party,that according to the last Minutes, the Parliament fhould now proceed to the Confideration of the Articles of Union. But the Oppofite Faction propofed, that the Members of Parliament might yet be allow'd eight days longer, to confider more deliberately the Articles and Minutes. After fome Debate, it was put to the Vote, Proceed prefently to the Confideration of the Articles of Union, or continue the Confideration thereof till the firft Sitting next Week, and it was carried 1706. Carried Proceed, by the Majority of 116 Voices, A. C. against 52. Then the firft Article of Union, and the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Commiffioners for the Treaty, relating thereto; and her Majefty's Commillion to the Commiffioners for the Treaty, on behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland, were all read, and after fome reafoning thereon, the further Confideration thereof was delay'd till the next Sitting. Upon occafion of the Vote Preceed, being carried, the Duke of Hamilton, made fome Reflections on the Earl of Roxburgh, who was at the Head of a flying Party, that went over to the Court fide; faying, "He was formerly against an Union with England, and he wonder'd ,he fhould now alter his Opinion: The Earl of Roxburgh replied, That formerly he thought the English were against the Intereit of Scotland, but now he was convinc'd of the contrary; particularly by their late Proceedings, in relation to the "Union, fo that none could blame him, for having a good Opinion of the Englife; And then he enlarg'd upon the Great Advantage, Reasonableness, and even Neceffity of the Union, in the prefent juncture. The Lord Roxburgh fhew'd the fame The Earl of fame Zeal, and made his pregnant Parts fhine, Roxburgh throughout the whole Seffion of this Parliament, Zealous for which contributed very much to the happy Conclu- the Union. fion of it. On the 17th of October, the Parliament proceeded to the further Confideration of the Arricles of Union, and the fecond Article, and the Minutes of the Treaty relating thereto were read: As was alfo the English Act of Parliament made in the first Year of King William and Queen Mary, Entituled, An A& declaring the Right and Liberty of the Subject, and for the fettling the Succeffion, which were difcours'd upon. The 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Articles, and the Minutes of the Treaty, were likewife read and debated. * Two days after, the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Oa. 13th and 14th Articles and the Minutes of the Treaty relating thereunto, were all feverally read and dif cours'd on. Then the 15th Article was read, and the Minutes relating thereto, and after reafoning thereupon, there arofe a Debate, (about the Calculation ZA |