P.

land: 'Tis then only the part of the Bifhops to do A. C. it; And can it be fuppofed thofe Reverend Prelates 1706. 'will, or can, act a Thing fo contrary to their own Order and Inftitution, as thus to promote the Efta. 'blishment of the Presbyterian Church Government in this United Kingdom? He urged, That the Church of England being establish'd Fure Divine and the Scotch pretending that their Kirk is alfo of Jure Divino, he could not tell, how two Nations that clafh'd in fo effential a Point could Unite: And therefore he thought it proper to confult the Convocation about this Critical Point, Colo. 6 nel Hy M- -in 7-n tin Oppofition to Sir 3 Colonel n faid, that he knew of no other Fure M Divino than God Almighty's Permiffion: In which speech. Senfe it might be faid,that the Church of England and the Kirk of Scotland were both Jure Divino, because God Almighty has permitted that the first fhould prevail in England, the other in Scotland: And that the Member who spoke laft, might, if he thought fit, confult the Convocation, for his own particular Inftruction; but that it would be derogatory from the Rights of the Commons of England, to advife on this Occafion, with an inferiour Affembly, who has no fhare in the Legislature. Little was faid in Anfwer to this Speech; only fome Members moved, "That the firft Article of the Treaty, which implys 'a Perremptory Agreement to an Incorporating Union, be poftponed, and that the Houfe fhould proceed to the Confideration of the Terms of that intended Union contain'd in the other Articles: Which Mo-The firft tion being rejected, by a great Majority, feveral four Arti 'Members of the H -h C -h Py went out c'es of the of the Houfe, and the reft read and approved,without Treaty ap Oppofition, the ift, 2d, 3d and 4th Articles of the proved. Treaty, and read the 5th.

6

6

On the 8th of February the Commons, in a Com- . mittee of the whole Houfe, went through, and approv'd the remaining Articles of the Treaty. The only Objection the H-gh-C--h-P-y raifed, on this Occafion, was that they went Peft-Hafte in a Bufinefs of the higheft Importance. To which it was anfwer'd, That Deliberation always fuppofes Doubts and Difficulties, but no material Objections being offer'd against any of the Articles, there FE4

Was

mas Lit

A. C. was no room for Delays. Some H-gh-C—h1705. Members ftill crying out Poft-Hafte, Poft-Hafte, Sir Thomas Littleton very fmartly, purfued the AlleSir Tho- gory, and faid, "They did not ride Poft-Hafte, but a good eafy Trot; and, for his Part, as long as tletton's the Weather was fair, the Roads good, and their Smart Say-Horfes in Heart, he was of Opinion, they ought ing. to jog on, and not take up till it was Night. Feb. 10. Two days after, the Commons, in a ComThe Net for mittee of the whole Houfe, went upon the Engroffed Security of the Church, Bill from the Lords, Entituled, An Aft for the Secu of Eng-ring the Church of England, as by Law Eftablished: And land - a Motion being made, and the Queftion proposed,

tated.

*

That it be an Inftruction to the faid Committee, that they might receive an Amendment or Amendments, for the particularly naming the Act of the Thirteenth Year of King Charles the Second, For the well Governing and Regulating Corporations, as to fo much as is not repealed, and alfo the Act of the Twenty Fifth of the faid King, For preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recufants; An Amendment was propofed to be made by adding to the Question thefe Words, (Although effectually and fufficiently provided for in the Bill.) The Queftion being put, That thofe Words be added to the Quéftion, it was refolv'd in the Affirmative. Then the main Queftion being put, that it be an Inftruction to the faid Committee, that they may receive an Amendment or Amendments for the particularly naming the Act of the 13th Year of King Charles the Second, For the well Governing and Regulating Corpora tions, as to fo much as is not repealed; and alfo the Act of the Twenty Fifth of the faid King, For pre. And paffea venting Dangers which may happen from Popish RecuFeb. 11.fants, (altho effectually and fufficiently provided for in the Bill) it paffed in the Negative. The next t day the faid Bill was read the third time; pafs'd (B) See the without any Amendments, and fent back to the Appendix, Lords; after which the Commons receiv'd the ReNumb. port of their Grand Committee, with their Refolutions, containing their Approbation of the Articles 106. of the Union, as amended and ratify'd by the ParThe Treaty liament of (B) Scotland, to which the Houfe aapproved greed, without any Amendment; and order'd a by the Com-Bill to be brought in to ratify the fame.

XII. P.

of Union

On

On the 13th of the fame Month, the Queen went A. C. to the Houfe of Peers, with the ufual Solemnity, 1706 and the Commons attending, her Majefty gave the Royal Affent to the following Bills:

1. An Act for Securing the Church of England as by Acts passed Law Eftablifh'd.

2. An Act for Repealing a Claufe in an A&t, Entituled, An A& for the better Apprehending, Profecuting and Punishing Felons that commit Burglaries, Houfebreaking, or Robberies in Shops, Ware-Houfes, CoachHoufes or Stables, or that fteal Horfes.

3. An Act for Regulating and Afcertaining the Du ties to be paid by the Unfreemen Importers of Coals into the Port and Borough of Great Yarmouth in the County of Norfolk. And

4. An A&t to enable the Lord High Treasurer, or Commiffioners of the Treafury for the time being, to compound with Benjamin Nicoll, Citizen and late Merchant of London, and his Sureties, for the Debt owing by him to Her Majefty.

Feb. 13.

The next day, the Grand Committee of the * Feb. 14. House of Commons, who had fat feveral Times on Refolution Ways and Means to raise the Supply, refolv'd, about the That towards the Supply granted to her Majefty Supply. 'a Fund be provided for fecuring an Interest not ex

،

ceeding 41. 10s. per Cent, per Annum, for 1500000 1. 'to be circulated into Exchequer Bills, redeemable by Parliament upon a Year's notice, and to be Specie Bills upon their First Ifluing, and to continue fo during their Currency.

in the

This Refolution was reported to the Houfe, and approv'd the 15th of February: Upon which day there A Solemn was a Solemn Debate in the Houfe of Peers, about Debate the Treaty of Union, the Queen being prefent, as House of a private Perfon. Their Lordships having re- Lords about folved themselves into a Committee of the whole the ArtiHoufe; and the Bishop of Salisbury being call'd uponcles of by the Earl of Sd to take the Chair, the De-Union. bate, on the first Article, was open'd by the Earl of Feb. 15. Rr, who acquainted the Houfe, he had many things to object to feveral of thofe Articles, which, he faid, was all one to him, whether their Lordships would pleafe to receive them now, or "when thofe Articles came more properly under their Confideration. The Earl of Ay moved, that

the

A. C.

1706.

The Lord
Haver-
tham's
Speech.

the firft Article might be poftpon'd, it being impoffible for him to give his Vote to it, before he knew, and was thoroughly fatisfied, wherein this Union was to confift. Several others were of that Opinion, among whom the Bishop of Band w-fpoke much to the fame Effect. The Earl N m excepted against the Name of Great Britain, alledging 'twas fuch an Innovation in the Monarchy, as totally fubverted all the Laws of England, and therefore moved, That the Judges Opinion 'might be asked about it; wherein he was feconded by feveral other Members: Hereupon the Judges being feverally asked their Opinions in that refpect, unanimously declared, They could not conceive that it any ways altered or impaired the Conftitution of this Realm, whofe Laws, they were of Opinion, must remain entirely the fame, as well after as before the Union, except fuch as were altogether inconfiftent with, and directly contrary thereto.

The Lord Haverfham, who of late Years had made himself famous by his Specches on feveral Critical Occafions, to be fure, would not be filent on This, but fpoke as follows:

My Lords,

WHAT

< HAT my noble Lord has mention'd to your Lordships, occafions my ftanding up; I find my felf under the fame Difficulties; I have feveral Things to fay to this Matter of the Union to your Lordfhips, and 'tis very indifferent to me, when I offer them. I have a Right of Speak ing my Thoughts, and entring my Protest too, to any thing I diflike, and I fhall certainly find fome time to do fo before this Matter can pafs into a Law. I am in your Lordships's Judgment, Whether you will allow me to fpeak what I have to fay, now.

My Lords, With what Difpofition I come hither, I hope may be evidenc'd by the Motion I made your Lordfhips laft Year, for Repealing certain Clauses that were grievous to Scotland. I would do any thing that were for the Benefit and Good of both Na⚫tions.

Thefe Articles come to your Lordships with the greatest Countenance of Authority, that I think it's poffible any thing can come; your Com

millioners

miffioners have agreed to them; the Scots Parlia- A. C. ment has, with fome few Amendments, Ratify'd 1706. them; and the Queen her felf from the Throne. approves of them; and yet you must give me leave to fay, That Authority, though it be the strongest Motive to incline the Will, is the weakest Argument in all "the World to convince the Understanding. "Tis the Argument the Church of Rome makes ufe of for their Superftitious Worfhip, where there are ten "Ave-maries to one Pater-nofter; juft as unreasonable as if ten times the Application and Addrefs were made to a S SHE-FAVOURITE, as to the Perfon of the Sovereign, which is kind of State Idolatry.

6

6

'I would not, my Lords, be mifunderstood, as if I were against a Union. A Federal Union, a Union of Interest, a Union in Succeffion, is what I fhall always be for. Nay, were it whether a People inhabiting the fame Ifland, fpeaking the fame Language, and having the fame Religion, fhould be under the one and the fame Form of Policy and Government, I cannot fee how any Man could be against it; but this is a Matter of a quite different Nature; it is, Whether two Nations independant in their Sovereignties, that have their diftinct Laws and Interefts, and what I cannot forget, their different "Forms of Worship, Church-Government and Order, fhall be united into one Kingdom.

A Union made up, in my Opinion, of fo many mifmatch'd Pieces, of fuch jarring incongruous In'gredients, that fhould it ever take effect, I fear it would carry the neceffary Confequence of a standing • Power and Force, to keep us from falling afunder, and breaking in pieces every Moment: For as myLord Bacon well obferves, (whom I take to have been a very great Man, though fometimes the Courtier got the better of the Philofopher.) A Unity, fays he, that is piec'd up by a direct Adn.iffion of Contraries in the Fundamental Points of it, is like the Toes of Nebuchadnezar's Image, which were made of Iron and Clay; they may cleave together, but can never incorporate.

Another Reafon why I am against an Incorporating Union, is for the Sake of the good old English Conftitution, justly allow'd to be moft equal and belt poiz'd Government in all the World; the pe