1712. Anno 11 Annæ, meant by her Majesty's Warrant; and which alone is practicable in this as well as in the Inftance of the 10,000 / contingent Money. Nor is there any Gentleman that confiders the Nature of Secret Service, but must see it is not poffible, by the General's Warrant, to direct the Payment to the Perfon, for whose Use it is received. But the Commiffioners are of Opinion, that the Deputy Pay-Mafter ought to have transmitted conftant Accounts of this Deduction, to the Pay-Mafter General. If I could expect the House could expect from me an Account of a Circumftance, for which the Deputy Pay-Master alone is answer able, I should take the Liberty to fay, that in my poor Opi. nion, if he has not tranfmitted fuch Accounts, it must be, because he is neither required nor authorized, by her Majesty's Warrant, to do fo. He is only obliged to make the Stoppage, and iffue the Money upon my Orders, which he has done. Nor can I conceive it to be of any Use to the Public, or the Pay-Master General, to have received fuch Accounts; he not being chargeable with any fuch Stoppage; nor are the Receipts for it any part of his Vouchers. · The laft Objection is, that the Deduction being made for defraying contingent Expences to the foreign Troops; if the whole has been employed in Secret Correspondence, such a Difpofition, not being authorized by the Warrant, is a Mif application of Public Money. But though it is faid in the Warrant, to be for defraying contingent Expences relating to the Troops, the Reafon it is fo expreffed, I take to be nothing elfe, but that in the Establishment for the Forces serving Abroad, the Word Contingencies hath always comprehended Secret Service, that having always been what was principally meant by that Article. And this is fo evident, that if Secret Service be not included under the Word Contingencies, that important Part of the Service would have no Allowance from the Public for it, which I prefume will not be thought expe dient. And therefore, though the Deduction be declared to be for Contingencies, no Strefs can in Juftice be laid upon that Word, to prove it was not defigned for Secret Service. And indeed, this is confeffed immediately after, in the Report itfelf; which fays, that the Article for Secret Service was always included in the 10,000. given for Contingencies. But if Secret Service be meant by, or included under Contingencies, in the Establishments for the British Troops, how can it be fuppofed, that the Word Contingencies in the Warrant for the Foreign Troops, is not to be understood in the fame Manner? No body can doubt, but Contingencies, or contingent Expences mean the fame in both and therefore Secret Ser 1712. vice must be included in both, or neither: But I cannot bet- Anno 11 Anner, ter explain this whole Matter, than by fuppofing, that Secret Service being an Affair that affects the whole Army, the Charge of it is to be laid in proportion upon the whole. But the Share of the British Troops is borne by the Public, while the Share of the Foreigners is raised upon the Troops them felves by the Deduction, which is therefore said to be for defraying fuch contingent Expences as relate to them; that is, for their Share of the Expence of Secret Service, which being principally, and in the first place meant by Contingencies, there is no Oppofition between the Ends directed by the Warrant, and those that the Money has been applied to, and confequently there has been no Mifapplication of it: I have nothing to add upon this Article, but to take notice of a great Mistake, even in the fecond Computation which is made in the Report relating to this Deduction, for it is faid, that the whole Stoppages from the Troops in Flanders have amounted to the Sum of 177,959. 17 s. and three Farthings, when, in truth, computing them from May, 1702, the Time they were first made, they do not exceed 151,748 l. taking the Exchange at a Medium between eleven Guilders, and ten Guilders, ten Stivers : So that this Deduction, for .the ten Years, comes to no more than 15,1747. 16s: a Year. Upon the whole Matter, I cannot but hope this House will find Reason to be fatisfied with this Part of my Conduct; and I think it no ill Service, that fo neceffary and important a Part of the War, and which has turned to fo good an Account, has been managed with fo little Expence to the Public And I may, with the greatest Certainty, affure them, that all other Parts of the Service have been carried on with all the good Hufbandry that was poffible. And, I believe, I may venture to affirm, that I have, in the Article for Secret Services, faved the Government near four Times the Sum this Deduction amounts to. Which I muft reckon fo much Money faved to the Public.' A few Days after the Rifing of the Parliament, viz. July Mr. Secretary the 4th, Mr. Secretary St. John was created Viscount BolingSt. John made V. Bolingbroke broke; and about the fame time Quefnoy was furrender'd to the Affairs abroad. Allies: But the 16th, the Duke of Ormond having before declared he had Orders not to fight, the Grand Confederacy was diffolved, Prince Eugene with the Imperialifts, together with the Troops which had been till then in the British Pay, decamping to form the Siege of Landrecy, and his Grace, the the next Day, proclaiming a Sufpenfion of Arms between Great Britain and France, which was likewife done in the French Camp by the Marshal Villars. After Anno 12 Anfig, After which the British Forces marching_towards_ Dan1713. kirk, were deny'd Entrance into Bouchain and Douay by the Dutch, and the 24th, Ñ. S. the French attack'd the Earl of Albemarle, who was encamp'd with 13 Batallions and 30 Squadrons at Denain, took the Earl himself Prisoner, together with 3000 more, put as many to the Sword, and carried off 12 Pieces of Cannon, 37 Colours, 3 Standards, and a vaft Quantity of Ammunition, &c. being the firft fignal Advantage they had obtained in Flanders, fince the War began, and which they improved fo well, that on the 31st Marchi ennes, where was the Grand Magazine of the Allies, was furrender'd into their Hands: Upon which Misfortune, Prince Eugene was obliged to raise the Siege of Landrecy, and retire towards Mons, the 2d of Auguft: And Douay, Quesnoy, and Bouchain had the fame Fate with Marchiennes. for an Addrefs November the 5th, King * Philip renounced the Crown of France in Form, as, about four Months after, the Dukes of Berry and Orleans did that of Spain in the Parliament of Paris. December the 29th, The States General agreed to come into the Plan of Peace propofed by the Earl of Strafford, and the 3'1ft the Duke D'Aumont arrived here as Embassador from France; the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke having been sent to Paris in Auguft. March 30, 1713, The famous Treaty of Utrecht was fign'd by the Ministers of Great Britain, France, and all the other Allies except those of the Emperor, and Empire; and the 9th of April, after feveral Prorogations, The THIRD SESSION of the Third Parliament of GREAT BRITAIN WA AS opened with a Speech from the Throne to both Houses, which fee in CHANDLER's History, Anno 12 Anne, 1713, Page 335. The Queen being retired from the House of Peers, and the Commons gone back to their own, the Duke of BeauDuke of Beau- fort made a Motion for an Addrefs of Thanks, which occafort's Motion fioned a fmall Debate, chiefly about the Expreffion of General Peace. Some Peers argued, that it could not be said to be general, fince the Emperor, the Elector of Hanover, and other Princes and States of the Empire were not yet come into it: But they were answered, that it juftly might be called general, fince the major Part of the Allies had figned it. After this a Motion was made, that in the Address of Thanks of Thanks. Debate thereon. Sept. 15, The Lord Lexington fet out from hence to receive the said Renunciation. 1713. Motion for an additional Thanks a Clause might be inferted, That her Majesty would Anno 12 Annæ be pleased to lay before the House the Treaties of Peace and Commerce; but the Question being put thereupon, it was carried in the Negative by a Majority of 74 Voices again?! 43. The next Day, the Duke of Beaufort reported the Addrefs of Thanks to the Houfe, and the fame being approv rejected. ed, was on Saturday the 11th, about two in the Afternoon, presented to the Queen as follows: Moft gracious Sovereign, W Claufe, E, your Majefty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, Lords Addrefsthe Lords fpiritual and temporal in Parliament af- of Thanks. 'fembled, do, with the greatest Joy and Satisfaction, return our humble Thanks to your Majefty for your moft gracious Speech from the Throne, and for communicating to your 'Parliament that a Peace is concluded; by which we hope, 'with the Bleffing of God, that your People will, in a few 'Years, recover themfelves after fo long and expensive a 'War; and alfo do congratulate your Majefty upon the 'Success of your Endeavours for a general Peace. We never had the leaft Doubt, but that your Majefty, who is the great Support and Ornament of the Proteftant Religion, would continue to take, as you have always done, the wifeft Measures for fecuring the Proteftant Succeffion, towards which nothing can be more neceffary, than the perfect Friendship there is between your Majefty and the Houfe of Hanover. And we humbly affure your Majefty, that, as you exprefs your Dependance, next under God, upon the Dury ' and Affection of your People, we think ourselves bound by the ftricteft Ties of Religion, Loyalty, and Gratitude, to make all the dutiful Returns that can be paid by the most obedient Subjects to the most indulgent Sovereign.' To which her Majefly returned the following Anfwer: I DO moft heartily thank you for this Address; and The Queen's be affured, that I take a particular Satisfaction, that Anfwer. you fo kindly exprefs the Confidence you have in me." The Endeavours of the Scotch Members in the House of Commons for eafing their Countrymen of Part of the Malt-Tax, having proved ineffectual, they had feveral private Meetings with the Scotch Peers fitting in Parliament; and, laying afide all invidious Diftinctions, Members of confulted together how to redress their Grievances. both Houses. On the 26th of May they deputed four of their Number, hold feveral priviz. the Duke of Argyle, the Earl of Marr, Mr. Lockhart, vate Meetings. E e e and 1713, The Scotch 1713. tion to the Queen, Anno 12 Annæ, and Mr. Cockburn, who, by their Order, attended the Queen, and by Word of Mouth, humbly remonstrated to her Majefty, That their Countrymen bore with great Their Deputa- Impatience the Violation of fome Articles of the Act of Union, and that the laying fuch an infupportable Burden as the Malt-Tax upon them, was like to raise their Discontents to fuch a Height, as to prompt them to declare the Union diffolved. To this unexpected verbal Remonftrance, the The Queen's Queen answered, "This was a precipitate Refolution, and Anfwer. the wished they might not have Reason to repent it; but, however, the would endeavour to make all Things eafy." The Scotch Members being met again the next Day, and their Deputies having made their Report of her Majesty's Anfwer, it was unanimously agreed, that, before they proceeded further, they fhould lay their Grievances before the Houfe of Lords. Accordingly, on Thuríday the 28th of May, after the Lords had adjourned the Debate about the VIIIth and IXth Articles of the Treaty of Commerce, the Earl of Finlater made a Motion in the Houfe of Peers, that fome Day might be appointed to confider the State of the Nation; whereupon of the Nation. the Lords appointed Monday the 1ft of June, when all the Lords in Town were fummoned. Earl of Finlater's Motion for a Day to fider the State Which gives Rife to a Debate about the Union, which faid Earl. Between one and two, the Debate began, opened by the Earl that made the Motion (Finlater,) who represented the Grievances of the Scotish Nation, which he reduced to four is opened by the Heads, viz. 1. Their being deprived of a Privy-Council. 2. The Laws of England, in Cafes of Treason, extended to Scotland. 3. The Scotch Peers being incapable of being made Peers of Great Britain, as it was adjudged and declared in the Cafe of the late Duke of Hamil ton. And 4. The Scots being fubjected to the Malt Tax, which would be the more unfupportable to them now, in that they never bore it during the War, and had Reafon to reap and enjoy the Benefits of Peace : Concluding, That, fince the Union between the two Nations had not thofe good Effects as were expected and hoped from it, when it was made, he therefore moved, that Leave might be given to bring in a Bill for diffolving the faid Union, and fecuring the Proteftant Succeffion in the House of Hanover, the Queen's Prerogative in both Kingdoms, and preferving an entire Unity and good Correfpondence between the two Seconded by the Kingdoms.' This Motion was feconded by the Earl of Marr, Earl of Marr, and oppofed by the Lord North and Grey, who, in a long and oppofed by Speech, endeavoured to fhew that the Complaints of the Scots were ground lefs, and the diffolving of the Union im practicable, not without fome Reflections on the Poverty of the Lord North and Grey. the |