Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

THE

LONDON MAGAZINE.

For AUGUST,

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

SIR,

A

C

1757.

on the 18th of November, which was the day appointed by his majesty's proclamation for its meeting for the dispatch of buS your Magazine contains finefs; but was further prorogued to the fulleft, and the moft Thursday the 2d of December, 1756, impartial account of all when his majefty came to the house of the important tranfactions A peers, and opened the feffion with a moft and events of the prefent gracious fpeech from the throne, which times, it will be of great the reader may fee in your Mag. for lat fervice to any gentleman year, p. 595. Upon his majesty's being that shall hereafter undertake to write the withdrawn, the lord Sandys, appointed to history of the age in which we now live; act as fpeaker to the house of lords, read but I must think, that you are a little too the fpeech to the house, and then the earl compendious in your account of our par- B of Gower ftood up and moved for an adliamentary affairs, and the difputes theredrefs, which motion was feconded by the by occafioned; for I muit obferve that, lord Cathcart, and contained exactly the tho' every question which is warmly opheads of the addrefs agreed to, which, pofed in parliament, occafions a dispute with his majesty's anfwer, the reader may among the people without doors, yet there fee in your faid Magazine, p. 596; but are many material questions which are dif- that part of the motion which propofed puted without doors, tho' they met with thanking his majesty for causing a body of little or no oppofition within, and it is alhis electoral troops to come into this counways of fome confequence to pofterity to try, at the request of his parliament, was be informed of every thing that occafionobjected to by fome of the lords, who in ed any remarkable difpute among their the former feffion had oppofed that reancestors. queft; because they wished to see the addrefs upon that occafion unanimously agreed to, which was a fatisfaction they could not have, if fuch a paragraph was inferted in it, as they had oppofed that measure, and ftill thought it a very bad one, not only because it had put the nation to a monstrous expence, for which there was not the leaft occafion, but because the bringing over of thefe Hanoverian troops might furnish the court of France with a plausible pretence for invading that electorate, which they could not otherwise have had; and as the measure had been gene rally difapproved of, and even refented, by the people without doors, fuch a paragraph in their addrefs might be looked on as an infult upon the people. However, as a great majority of the house had, in the former feffion, concurred in the request, they thought, they could not, in grati tude, neglect thanking his majesty for fo graciously complying with their requeft, confequently this paragraph, with the reft, was approved of by a majority, and the

Now as I, by the variety of company I keep, and the number of pamphlets ID read, have an opportunity to learn a great deal of these matters, if you think it will be agreeable to your readers, I shall fend you a regular account of what I can collect upon this fubject, under the title inclosed.

Sir,

If you infert this in your next, together with what I have now fent as a beginning, or fpecimen of what I intend, I hall fuppofe that it will be agreeable, and confequently fhall continue to be, Pall-Mall, London, : July 25, 14757The Hiftory of the laft Seffion of Parliament, with an Account of all the material Quefsions therein determined, and of the political Difputes thereby occafioned without Doors.

SOM

E

Your conftant correfpondent
as well as reader. F

OME unforeseen difficulties having G occurred, the parliament did not meet alam Auguft, ́1757.

Aaa 2

See Lend. Mag. for 1756, p. 436.

addrefs,

The HISTORY of

$72
addrefs, as moved. for, drawn up accord-
ingly.
(192

But in the house of commons no fuch paragraph was fo much as moved for: On the contrary, as foon as his majesty's speech had been read by Mr. Speaker, Charles Townthend, Efq; ftood up, and moved the heads of an addrefs, and having been feconded by Thomas Potter, Efq; an addrefs, exactly agreeable to his motion, was agreed to, nemine contradicente, which addrefs, with his majefty's anfwer, the reader may fee in your faid Magazine, P. 596.

Aug.

the conduct of admiral Byng, in a lat action with the French fleet in the Mediterranean, and for the appearance of his not having acted agreeably to his inftructions, for the relief of Minorca, he was then in custody of the marshal of the adAmiralty, in order to be tried by a courtmartial. And altho' this was no more than what was usual in like cafes, yet as admiral Byng was then a member of that houfe, and as his confinement might keep him fome time from his duty there, the board of admiralty thought it a respect B due to the house, to inform them of that commitment, and of the reafons thereof Then the vice-admiral delivered in at the table, copies of the commitment and detainer of the faid admiral Byng; and the journal of the house of Dec. 12, 1749 in relation to the cafe of rear-admiral Knowles *, as alfo the faid copies, being read, it was ordered, that what vice-admiral Bofcawen had then communicated to the house, as alfo the faid copies, should be entered in the journal of that house.

[ocr errors]

C

D

E

As the poor had, during the preceding fummer, fuffered greatly by the high price. of corn, the moment Mr. Townshend's motion for an addreis was agreed to, and a committee appointed for drawing up the fame, the houfe of commons, refolved, semine contradicente, to refolve itself into committee of the whole house the next morning, to confider of that part of his majefty's fpeech, which related to the then prefent-high price of corn; and accord. ingly, the next morning, as foon as the addrefs was agreed to, and ordered to be prefented, the houfe refolved itfelf into the faid committee, the 'confequence of which was, an order nem. con. to bring in a bill to prohibit, for a time to be limited, the exportation of corn, malt, meal, flour, bread biscuit, and starch; and a refolution likewife, nem. con. to addrefs his majesty, to order an embargo to be forthwith laid upon all ships, laden, or to be laden, in the ports of Great-Britain and Ireland, with any of the aforefaid commodities, to be exported to foreign parts. Thus the parliament moft charitably began, as foon as poffible, to provide for the relief of the ftarving poor, and it was pity fome one did F not fuggeft an address to his majefty, to order his attorney general to profecute, at the publick expence, any one who had been, or fhould be guilty of the criminal practices made punishable by the act of Edward VI. against foreftallers, regrators, and ingroffers; for if fuch an ad- G drefs had been fuggelted, we cannot doubt of its having alfo been refolved on nem. can. and it might perhaps have opened fome of the ftores that were then in the kingdom; for what prevents the execution of most of our penal ftatutes, is the certainty of the trouble and expence which profecutors are put to, and the uncertainty of the conviction.

The fame day vice-admiral Bofcawen, from the board of admiralty, acquainted the house, that the king and the board of admiralty, having been allatisfied with

But as I fhall have occafion to resume both these affairs hereafter, I shall leave them for the prefent, and proceed to an account of the two committees of supply, and of ways and means. As to the first, it was ordered on the very fecond day of the feffion, that his majesty's fpeech fhould be taken into confideration the next morning, when a motion was made for granting a fupply to his majesty, whereupon it was refolved, that the houfe would, on the 13th, refolve itself into a committee of the whole house to confider of the faid motion, to which day the house at their rifing adjourned, and on that day the said com mittee came to the refolution which was next day reported and agreed to nem. con. That a fupply be granted to his majefty for as the crown cannot now fupport itfelf, or defray the expence of our civil govern ment, without a fupply from parliament, it is now become abfolutely necessary for the parliament to agree to this motion, which renders annual parliaments now abfolutely neceffary, even for the crown itfelf. Whether this has not thrown a little too much of the democratical form of government into our conftitution, is as question that has been often disputed, and indeed merits-the moft ferious confiderati-, Hon, as it may prove a ftep towards the establishment of arbitrary power, in fuch a populous and extenfive country as the whole island of Great-Britain, or even as England alone.

Upon this refolution's being agreed to, it was refolved, that the houfe would next? morning

See Lond. Meg. for 1749, p. 576, 577.

1757.

the laft SESSION of PARLIAMENT.

morning refolve itself into a committee of the whole houfe, to confider of the fupply granted to his majesty, as it accordingly did; and the committee of fupply being thus eftablished, it was continued by

373

feveral adjournments to May 20, 1757,

in which time it came to the feveral following refolutions, which were upon report agreed to by the house, viz.

DECEMBER 16, 1756.

1. That 55,000 men be employed for the fea fervice for the year $757, including 11,419 marines

-

2. That a fum, not exceeding 41. per man, per month, be allowed for maintaining them for 13 months, including the ordnance for fea fervice

DECEMBER 23.

Jr. That a number of land forces, including 4,008 invalids, amounting to 49,749 effective men, commiffion and non-commiffion officers included, be employed for the fervice of the year 1757.

2. That there be granted to his majefty for defraying the charge of the faid 49,749 effective men, for guards and garrifons, and other his majesty's land forces in Great-Britain, Guernsey, and Jer fey for 1757, a fum not exceeding

--

N. B. As the words, (That there he granted to his majesty) and the words (a fum not exceeding) are in almost every refolution, I fhall not hereafter repeat them.

3. For maintaining his majesty's forces and garrifons in the plantations and Gibraltar, and for provifions for the garrifons in NovaScotia, Newfoundland, Gibraltar, and Providence for 1757

4. For the pay of the general and staff officers, and officers of the hofpital, for his majesty's land forces for

[ocr errors]

1757

5. For defraying the charge of 6544 foot, with the general and ftaff officers, and train of artillery, the troops of the Landgrave of Heffe-Caffel, in the pay of Great-Britain, from Dec. 25, 1756, to Feb. 24, 1757, both inclufive

6. For defraying the charge of 8605 foot, with the general and ftaff officers, of the train of artillery, and officers of the hofpital, the troops of Hanover, in the pay of Great-Britain, from Dec. 25, 1756, to Feb. 24, 1757, both inclufive

JANUARY 17, 1757:

Y. For enabling the governors and guardians of the hospital, for the maintenance and education of expofed and deferted young children, to receive all fuch children, under a certain age, to be by them limited, as fhall be brought to the faid hofpital, before Jan. 1, 1758; and alfo towards enabling them to maintain and educate fuch children as are now under their care, and to continue to carry inte execution the good purposes for which they were incorporated

2. For the ordinary of the navy, including half-pay to the fea officers, for 1757

3. For the fupport of Greenwich-hofpital, and the better maintenance of the feamen of the faid hofpital, worn out and become decrepit in the fervice of their country

4. For the purchafing of land near Plymouth, and carrying on the works of an hospital, intended to be erected thereon for the reception of fick men belonging to his majesty's fleet

5. For the charge of the office of ordnance for land fervice, for 3757

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

JANUARY 20.

For defraying the exceedings of the office of ordnance for land fervice, for 1756, not provided for by parliament

[ocr errors]

228,196 4 7

FEBRU

[ocr errors]

374

GRANTS of the laft SESSION.

FEBRUARY 10.

1. Upon account, for the out-penfioners of Chelfea hofpital, for

[blocks in formation]

2. For defraying the charge of two Highland battalions of foot, to be raised for his majefty's fervice, for 1757

3. For defraying the charges of the civil eftablishment of Georgia, and other incidental expences attending the fame, from June 24, #756, to June 24, 1757

FEBRUARY.23.

For affifting his majefty in forming and maintaining, during the prefent year, an army of observation, for the just and necessary defence and prefervation of his majesty's electoral dominions, and those of his allies; and towards enabling his majesty to fulfill his engagements with the king of Pruffia, for the fecurity of the empure against the irruption of foreign armies, and for the support of the common cause

FEBRUARY 24.

f. For defraying the charge of 5726 foot, with the general and Staff officers, the train of artillery, and officers of the hofpital, the troops of Hanover, in the pay of Great-Britain, from Feb. 25, 1757, to March 26 following, both inclufive

2. For defraying the charge of 6544 foot, with the general and ftaff officers, and train of artillery, the troops of the landgrave of Heffe-Caffel, in the pay of Great-Britain, from Feb. 25, 1757, to April 26 following, both inclufive

MARCH 7.

For the buildings, rebuildings, and repairs of his majesty's fhips, for 1757

2.

For the paying of penfions to the widows of fuch reduced officers of his majefty's land forces and marines, as died upon the etablishment of half-pay in Great-Britain, and who were married to them before Dec. 25, 1716, for 1757

3. For defraying the charge for allowances to the feveral officers and private gentlemen of the two troops of horfe-guards, and regiment of hore, reduced; and to the fuperannuated gentlemen of the four troops of horfe-guards, for 1757

4. For the reduced officers of his majefty's land forces and mazines, for 1757, upon account

[ocr errors]

5. For defraying the charge of four regiments of foot on the Irish ftablishment, ferving in North-America and the Eaft-Indies, and augmenting major general O'Farrell's regiment of foot, for 1757

MARCH 10.

1. For enabling his majefty to difcharge the like fum raised in purfuance of an act made in the laft feffion of parliament, and charged upon the first aids or fupplies to be granted in this feflion of parliament

2. For fupporting and maintaining the fettlement of his majesty's colony of Nova Scotia, for 1757, upon account

3. For defraying the charges incurred by fupporting and maintaining the faid fettlement, in the year 1755, and not provided for by parliament, upon account

4. Upon account, for repairing and finishing a road, proper for the paffage of troops and carriages, from Carlife to Newcastle upon

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

1757.

PROVISIONS for the FOREIGN TROOPS.

Tyne; whereof the fum of 500l. to be paid to the commiffionere and trustees acting within and for the county of Cumberland; and the sum of 2,500l. the refidue of the faid fum, to be paid to the commiffioners and trustees acting within and for the county of Northumberland

[ocr errors]

..

3009

5. For defraying the remainder of the exceedings of the office of ordnance for land fervice, for 1756, not provided for by parliament 47,869

MARCH 29.

1. Towards paying off and discharging the debt of the navy 2. For defraying the expences of the march in Germany, of the troops of Hanover, in the pay of Great-Britain, both at their coming here, and their return back

APRIL 4.

For defraying the extraordinary expences of his majesty's landforces, and other services incurred in 1756, and not provided for by parliament

APRIL 25.

For defraying the charge of 6544 foot, with the general and staff officers, and train of artillery, the troops of the landgrave of HeffeCaffel, in the pay of Great Britain, from April 27, 1757, to May 27 following, both inclufive, being 31 days MAY 10.

1. Towards defraying the charge of German pay for 6,600 foot, with the general and staff officers, and train of artillery, the troops of ditto, in ditto pay, from May 28, to Dec. 24, 1757

795,039 11

200,000

375

31,959 15 6

231,959 15 6

111,570 1971

11,667.18-11

46,597 9

2. Towards defraying the charge of German pay for 1,400 horfe, with the officers of the hofpital, the troops of ditto, in ditto from April 27, to Dec. 24, 1757

[blocks in formation]

3. Towards defraying the charge of German pay for 3300 foot, with the general and staff officers, and train of artillery, the troops of ditto, in ditto pay, from April 22, to Dec. 24, 1757

4. Towards defraying the charge of German pay for 700 horse, she troops of ditto, in ditto pay, from Aug. 23, to Dec. 24, 1757 5. For defraying the charge of remount and levy money for 700 horfe, and 3,300 foot, the troops of ditto, in ditto pay, pursuant to treaty 6. For making good his majesty's engagements with ditto, purfuant to treaty

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

7. For defraying the charge of an advanced fubfidy, at the rate. of 150,000 crowns a year, due to ditto, pursuant to treaty

8. For defraying the charge of the remaining moiety of remount money, for 1,400 horfe, pursuant to treaty, payable April 27, 1757, the fuppofed day when the cavalry took the field

MAY 19.

1. Upon account, to enable his majefty to defray any extraordinary expences of the war, incurred, or to be incurred, for the fervice of 1757; and to take all fuch measures as may be neceffary to disappoint or defeat any enterprizes or defigns of his enemies, and as the exigency of affairs may require

2. Upon account, to be paid to fuch perfons, and in fuch manner, as his majefty fhall direct, for the use and relief of his majesty's fubjects in his feveral provinces of North and South Carolina, and Virginia, in recompence for fuch fervices, as, with the approbation of his majesty's commander in chief in America, they refpectively fhall have performed, or fhall perform, either by putting the faid pre

27,273 14

6119 9 6

37,296 17 6

60,766 X

26,007 $61

13,475 O

242,613 16 61

1,000,000 •

« НазадПродовжити »