1757. The HISTORY of the last Seffion of Parliament.

477

that alliance, to affift him, even tho' he
about forming an army of obfervation,
fhould be afterwards attacked in his own (which, I am afraid, will be made an
territory, by thofe whom he had first at-
army of vain oppofition) or about affifting
tacked. From whence we must conclude, the king of Pruffia, will only tend to pre-
that this nation is under no obligation to vent any fuch accident's happening, or
affift the king of Pruffia in the prefent our being able to make the proper advan-
war, either from the last treaty we made A tage of it when it does happen. From
with him, or from any former treaty of all which I must conclude, that our giving
alliance or guaranty, provided we, upon 200,000l. for either of these purposes, is
this occafion, gave him no countenance or fo far from being neceffary or prudent,
encouragement to begin the attack, which, that it may be attended with confequences
I hope, we were fo far from doing, that pernicious to the true intereft of this na-
we declared pofitively against it, as we tion, and to that of Europe in general,
certainly ought to have done.
B efpecially the electorate of Hanover, which,
I heartily with it were in our power to
protect from any infult or invafion.

But now let us examine, what we are
obliged to do from generofity, from friend-
fhip, and from our regard for the proteft-
ant caufe in Germany. In all these re-
fpects, I fhall most readily admit, that
we are under the highest obligation to pro.
tect and fupport the king of Pruflia in de- C
fence of his juft rights, if it were in our
power to do fo. But can this be fuppofed
to be in our power, confidering the cir-
cumftances which Europe has been thrown
into, firft by our treaty with him, and
next by his attack upon Saxony and Au-
ftria? If it was not in our power, in con- D
junction with Ruffia and Auftria, to pro-
tect Hanover against France, it cannot
furely be in our power to protect either
Hanover or Pruffia against France, Au-
ftria, and Ruffia. And a faint and fruit-
lefs attempt to do fo, would be like throw-
ing up a weak mound against a mighty
inundation, which only makes it rush in
with greater impetuofity, and spread wider
its devaftation.

What then are we to do in the prefent
unfortunate conjuncture? Certainly, to
give ourselves no concern, much less to
put ourselves to any expence, about the
prefent war upon the continent of Eu-
rope; but to purfue, with the utmost vi-
gour, our own juft and neceffary war
against France, at fea and in America ;
and to wait till fome future accident gives
a turn to the prefent fyftem of affairs in
Europe; for every one must allow, that
the prefent fyftem is far from being natu
ral, and therefore it is not probable that
it will long continue. The three great
powers now in alliance, may probably fall
out among themselves, either about the
conduct of the war, or the terms of any
future treaty of peace; and any fuch ac-
cident, which we ought diligently to
watch for, may furnish us with an oppor-
tunity to interpofe again, in the affairs of
Europe, with advantage to ourselves, as
weit as to the common caufe; but our
putting ourselves to any expence, either

E

To this it was answered in general, that fome of the other princes of Germany might perhaps join with the king of Pruffia, or at least affift him privately with a large fum of money, which, with the addition of this 200,000l. might enable him to prolong the war, and in the mean time fome accident might happen for diffolving the powerful alliance now formed against him; and as the grant of fuch a final fum could no way affect the profecution of our war by fea and in America, we ought to make him fuch a fmall compliment, even tho' we were under no obligation by treaty to affift him.

The first article of March 10, was occafioned by the vote of credit, as it is called, agreed to the preceding feffion, and fhews how much his majefty deferves fuch confidence from his parliament; for tho' that vote of credit was for a million fterling, yet, by this refolution, it appears, that his majefty raised but 700,000l. upon that credit, and of what was fo raised F and employed, an exact account was laid before parliament in this feffion, every article of which appeared to be fo just and neceffary, that no objection was made to any of them; and this prevented any oppofition's being made to the first article of May 10, which was founded upon the G following meffage, figned by his majesty, and prefented to the houfe, May 17, by the lord Bateman.

GEORGE R.

His majesty relying on the experienced zeal and affection of his faithful commons, and confidering that in this critical con juncture, emergencies may arife, which H may be of the utmost importance, and be attended with the most pernicious confequences, if proper means fhould not immediately be applied to prevent or defeat them, is defirous, that this house will enable him to defray any extraordinary ex

See Lond, Mag. for 1756, p. 340.

pences

478

The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament.

pences of the war incurred, or to be incurred, for the fervice of the year 1757; and to take all fuch meafures, as may be neceffary to difappoint or defeat any enterprizes or defigns of his enemies, and as the exigency of affairs may require.

A

Oct.

not only with vigour, but with as much parfimony as is confiftent with t vigour.

As to the refolution of March 14, it is furprizing there was not a much greater fum fubfcribed upon it, confidering how foon GEORGE R. the fubfcription, propofed by the refolutiThis meffage being read by Mr. Speak- on of April 28, was filled; for every one er, it was refolved, nem. con. that of the claffes for life-annuities with furthe fame fhould be referred to the com- vivorships, therein propofed, was very mittee of fupply, whereupon this ar- advantageous to the fubfcribers; and ticle was refolved on by that committee, a fubfcriber upon the fifth class, had he and upon the report agreed to by the lived till he was 85, might have had such house. And as a like meflage was, at the a princely revenue coming in yearly, fame time, fent to the house of lords, their B during the reft of his life, that I wonlordships voted a moft loyal addrefs to his der the chance did not tempt numbers majesty upon the occafion, and agreed to to fubfcribe into that clafs. A man this article, when it came before them, by of 50 years of age has not, it is true, an way of a clause of appropriation, without equal chance to live above 17 years, any oppofition. but if a million had been fubfcribed into that clafs, and one only of the fubfcribers C had lived till he had been 85, tho' he was not perhaps a fubfcriber for above rool. yet, from that time, he would have had an annuity of 50,000l. coming in yearly, during the reit of his life; and if five of them had arrived at that age, they would have had each an annuity of 10,000l. D coming in yearly, during the rest of their respective lives.

Thefe are all the articles of fupply which stand in need of any particular notice or explanation; and as to the resolutions of the committee of ways and means, the first I have any occafion to take notice of, was that of January 24, which met with little or no oppofition within doors, becaufe of the neceffity we were under; but by many without doors it was thought one of the worst ways we could take for railing of money; becaufe With regard to the refolutions of March every fort of lottery must give to every 21, the feventh and eighth were fo far from one who is able to purchase a ticket, the being objected to, that they were highly hopes of adding to his fortune without ei- applauded both within doors and without, ther induftry or frugality, and confequent- by everyman who wished well to his country, ly must diminish the induftry of thofe E as they put an end to an expenfive office who incline to be idle, and increase the which never was of any fervice to the luxury of thofe who incline to be extrava- publick; and it was hoped, that this was gant; and as fuch inclinations are but too only the first step towards putting an end to general among the people of every fociety, every fuch office in this kingdom, which no wife government will ever voluntarily would be a great ease to the subject, an promote any scheme that may furnish the addition to the publick revenue, and a people, efpecially thofe of the poorer fort, diminution of that pernicious fund, callwith anyground for entertaining fuch hopes. ed the fund of corruption. But the fixth This was the objection made to the lot- refolution, as it was general, and without tery itself, and when the fcheme of the lot- any exception, raised fome buftle in the tery appeared in publick, a multitude of city of London; because the Vintners objections were presently made to it, which company of London were exprefsy exceptit would be too tedious to give an account ed out of the faid act of the 12th of Charles of; but in general I fhall obferve, that if the Second, and had never been any way our lotteries could be drawn at a lefs ex- fubject to the wine licence office; and, acpence to the publick, a much better cordingly, in preparing and paffing this fcheme might certainly be contrived; for bill, care was taken to infert a claufe for the reafon of having fo many claffes, and preferving the privileges of that company; all of them to be determined by the draw- but with a provifo, that no man, who, ing of one, was to leffen the publick ex- after July 5, 1757, fhould be admitted pence, by fhortening the time of drawing, H to the freedom of that company, by rewhereas it might, I believe, be leffened by demption, and not in right of patrimony leffening the number of commiffioners; or apprenticeship, fhould be exempted but this I fhall leave to those who have from taking out a licence, or from the now the conduct of our publick affairs, payment of the duty. And clauses were and who seem refolved to carry them on, likewife inferted for preferving the privi

F

G

See Lond. Mag. for 1752, p. 417.

leges

1757. The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament. 479

leges of the two universities, and of the mayor nd burgeffes of St. Albans, as they life had been preferved by the faid act of Charles the Second.

A

the magistrates of corporrtions, and the juftices of the peace; for the licences granted by them might have been made liable to a ftamp and a duty, as well as When the granting of licences to ta- thofe that are to be granted by the ftampverns and alehouses, was firft introduced, office; and in this cafe, I believe, it the design of it was, Firit, To take care would be pretty difficult to find a good that the keepers of fuch houfes, fhould reafon, why the city of London, on the not encourage gaming, tippling, drunken- univerfities, fhould be exempted, either nefs, or any other diforder, in their houses. from the itamp or the duty; for every tax Secondly, To prevent their impofing upon ought to be made as equal as poffible, betheir customers, by felling them bad li- caufe every man is bound to contribute to quors, or good liquors at too high a price; the publick revenue, in proportion to the and, Thirdly, To prevent the fetting up of B benefit he receives from the publick proa greater number of fuch houfes in any place, tection, and this obligation the legislature than might be neceffary, for the accom- ought to enforce, as much as poffible. But modation of travellers, and for the conve- in the prefent cafe it was not, it feems, niency of the neighbourhood. And we thought proper, to reftore the power of have feveral old laws for enforcing the de- granting licences to the magiftrates of corfign, in every one of thefe refpects, parti- porations and the juftices of the peace, cularly the laft, with regard to taverns; C and therefore it was neceffary to infert for it was exprefsly provided, that none proper claufes for preferving the privileges fhould utter wine by retail, in any other of the two universities, and of the Vintplaces than in cities, boroughs, port- ners company in London. towns, or market towns, or in Gravesend, Sittingborn, Tuxford, or Bagfhot; and that not above two fhould be licensed in any one place, except in the cities therein mentioned, which were to be allowed a greater number, but no greater than was therein particularly limited to each.

Whilft this was the fole defign, it was

[To be continued in our next.]

EXTRACTS from, and REMARKS upon D the Marquifs of TORCY's MEMOIRS. To the AUTHOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE.

SIR,

As related by the marquis of Torcy, in his Memoirs, from his own perfonal knowledge, yet, with regard to the facts which he relates, from the information of others, we may doubt of the truth of them, without being accused of any unreasonable scepticifm. Of this laft fort are all the fchemes of violence which, F he fays, were propofed by thofe he calls Whigs, towards the latter end of queen Anne's reign, particularly the plot which, he fays, was contrived by the Whigs, in cafe prince Eugene had arrived here about the beginning of November, 1711. The account he gives of it is as follows:

LTHO' we may give credit to the

certainly right to veit the fole power of
granting licences in the magiftrates of
corporations, and the juftices of the peace E
of the neighbourhood, because they must
be the best judges of the conduct of fuch
houses, and of the number that may be ne-
ceffary for the purposes above mentioned;
for every tavern or alehouse above that
number is, and ought ftill to be, deemed
a publick nuifance. But ever since the
confumption of strong liquors, and the
granting of licences, came to be made a
means for encreasing the publick revenue,
the first defign of granting licences, has
been entirely neglected, as to the two last
of the three refpects beforementioned, and
even as to the first, it is but very seldom G
minded, tho' our conftables are still bound
by oath, to prefent any fuch tavern or ale-
house.

But when the law was made, in king
Charles the Second's reign, for establishing
the wine licence office, and for laying a
tax, or rent, as it is called in the act, up-
on all taverns, they could think of no way
of railing the tax, but by vetting the fole
power of granting licences in that office;
but now, that ftamps have been invented,
and a tamp office erected, I can see no
reafon why the fole power of granting
licences fhould not have been restored to

"Meafures had been already concerted with the leaders, to march in proceffion, with a numerous retinue, to meet prince Eugene, and to introduce him with grand folemnity and triumph into London. Above two thoufind horfemen were to be ready at his landing, to conduct him to H town; and this publick e try was to be upon the very day that they exhibited their foolish ceremony of burning the pope's effigy; fo that the two mobs combining, fhould execute the plot, which was faid to be approved of by a great number of lords, then met in parliament.

The

480

EXTRACTS from,

The intereft of the duke of Hanover was confidered as infeparable from that of the Wigs, and of the emperor; therefore, Bothmar's princess was particularly defired to come over by the fame party. But the queen's minifters having had timely notice of thofe confpiracies, took care to nip them in the bud. The earl of Strafford had orders to diffuade prince Eugene, who was then in Holland, from going over to England. Strafford's reprefentations did not prevent this voyage, which had been long before agreed upon; but they delayed it long enough, to occafion fome changes in England, and to weaken the enemy's party."

The marquis does not tell us what the representations were, that were made ufe of by the earl of Strafford; but he takes notice of fome changes made here in the mean time, and then adds as follows:

and REMARKS

Oct. grant powerful fupplies for the next campaign, and efpecially for the Spanish war." And after giving fome account of prince Eugene's reception here, after his arrival, January 16, 1711-12, and of the rebuffs he met with, the marquis goes on thus: A "Notwithstanding the many obstacles which croffed prince Eugene's defigns, and the repeated notices he received, that the yacht, which the queen had ordered to be prepared for carrying him back to Holland, was ready to fail whenever he pleafed to embark; yet he could not refolve upon his departure, even after hav. ing spent two months with little pleasure, and lefs profit, at London. He was determined, before he would abfolutely give up all thoughts of deftroying the new miniftry, to try every poffible means of fucceeding, and to fpare no fort of vioClence, to carry a point which he could not obtain by his reprefentations.

B

"Prince Eugene came to London, after all thefe changes, when Marlborough had He confulted chiefly the duke of Marlreafon to reproach him for having been fo borough and Bothmar, wanting to know dilatory in his voyage, which might, per- their opinion, in regard to what was to he haps, have been of fervice, fix weeks or a done, for the joint intereft of the allies. month fooner. "This delay, faid Marl- Marlborough, comparing the state of Engborough, is the unhappy effect of Au- D land at that time, to the fituation the kingftrian gravity, which has been fo often dom was in, in the year 1688, faid, that the fatal to the interefts of that auguft family. prefent diforders required the fame remeA month ago our friends had a majority dies as thofe, which the nation, and the in the house of lords, they might have prince of Orange, had ufed on that occa fent three or four of the chiefs of the fion. On the other hand, Bothmar mainoppofite party to the Tower without any tained, that thofe remedies were impracti fort of difficulty. The vacant places E cable, and founded his opinion on this, would have been filled up to their mind, that the body of the nation was not at all and the war continued on the ancient difposed to favour a revolution: "Therefooting; but the creating of the twelve fore, the mifcarriage, faid he, of fuch an peers, and the arrival of the Scotch lords, enterprize, will load the authors of the have changed the face of affairs. We unlucky project, with the publick hatred." muft now have recourfe to more violent methods. There are ftill fome hopes, F" however; for all we have to do, is to remove three or four perfons, together with the high treasurer, who are poffeffed of the confidence of a filly woman, and govern her as they pleafe. As foon as we have made thefe changes, things will return to their former courfe; the fleet, the army, the queen's houfhold, are compofed of honeft people, who are for us. The chief minifter has done all he could to expofe us, and he has fo well fucceeded, that we cannot pursue our defign with the fame air of popularity as before."

He concluded his fpeech, with advifing prince Eugene, " to behave himfelf with great moderation, to afk for nothing but what was reasonable, to gain the good opinion of the minifter, by all poffible means, and to act fo as to engage him, as well as the houfe of commons, to

Marlborough, on the contrary, affirmed,

That the nation would give themselves very little trouble about the lives of three perfons, the remainder of Cromwell's party, and that the Tories, in particular, would be ftill more indifferent about them. But, to reconcile the two opinions, Marlborough propofed to employ a band of Gruffians, who were to be encouraged to ftroll about the streets by night, and under pretence of buffoonry, to infult people going along; in fhort, to increase this licentiouinefs by degrees, fo as daily to commit greater diforders. He pretended, that when the inhabitants of London were accustomed to the infults of thefe night difturbers, it would not be at all difficult to affaffinate fuch perfons as they should think fit to get rid of, and to throw the whole blame thereof on that licentious band."

H

To

1757.

Upon M. de TORCY'S MEMOIRS.

481

wards difapproved of by the penfionary of Holland, who believed, that this fort of liberties only tended to widen the breach."

To the honour of prince Eugene, it is faid, he rejected fo odious a project; yet a much bolder fcheme, and of a more deteftable nature, is laid to his charge. It confifted, if we can depend upon the reNow I cannot think, that thofe who lations of fome people, who perhaps were were then the heads of the Whig party, mifinformed, in fetting fire to different A would have formed fuch a foolish plot as parts of the city of London, and pitch- the marquis, thus fays, was to have been ing upon a time to put that purpofe in executed upon prince Eugene's arrival; execution, when the guards upon duty for their enemies had then the power of were commanded by an officer whom they the government in their hands, and would could truft. Marlborough, at the head of have prevented prince Eugene's being met a ftrong party in arms, fhould appear by any fuch numerous body of horfemen. when the fire was spreading its devaftation B It is true, we had then no fuch thing as a wideft; then feize on the Tower of Lon- riot act; but the government had always, don; next on the queen's perfon; af- by the common law, a right to prevent terwards oblige her to diffolve the parlia- any fuch numerous affembly of men, unment, and call a new one, in order to make der any pretence whatever, as might be a free inquiry into the correspondences of dangerous confequence to the publick and negotiations established with France, peace; and for this reafon it is, that no and to punish, with the utmost feverity, fair or market can be held, but by an exprefs, or prefumed grant, from the crown,

those who had been concerned in them.

Whatever may be the truth, in regard to thefe different propofals, it is certain, that prince Eugene's notions, as well as those of Marlborough and Bothmar, were fubmitted to the opinion of Somers, Cowper, and Halifax, the principal Whigs; but they refuted to declare their minds, much lefs to approve of any of thofe projects. They faid they had in curred the difpleasure of the people, by profecuting Sacheverel, tho' in a juridical way; that this had been a fufficient fpecimen to let them fee, what they mutt expect from the publick hatred and revenge, were they to render themselves accomplices of bloody and treasonable acts; that the most prudent and only legal ftep they could take, was to impeach the evil counfellors, and to proceed against them

according to the ordinary forms. Their

opinion was, that Bothmar fhould prefent
a fecond memorial, more clear and more
pofitive than the former, containing the
feverest complaints against the adminiftra-
tion, whofe maxims and conduct were
all tending to enslave the nation. Both-
mar had hitherto agreed to every scheme,
in which the English only were concern.
ed; but he refused to acquiefce in one,
which he was to execute himself. He faid,
that he should run the risk of his head,
were he to prefent fuch a memorial, with
out any orders from his matter; that his
complaifance could go no further than to
compole an anonymous writing, which
fhould contain all that could be inferted
in the memorial; that it should be print-
ed in Holland, and published afterwards
in England.

This offer being rejected, was after-
October, 1757.

C

Then, as to the fpeeches and fchemes, which the marquis has thus afcribed to the duke of Marlborough, they are fo contrary to his character, that, I am convinced, the maiquis must have been mifinD formed; and if his grace had ever made any fuch fpeeches, or propofed any fuch fchemes, I cannot conceive how the marquis of Torcy could ever have had any certain information of them; though it is certain, that our streets were that year infefted by fuch a band of ruffians as the E marquis has mentioned; for we have a very particular account of them in the 324th Spectator, dated March 12, 1712, or what was then called 1711-12, as follows:

Mr. SPECTATOR,

F"Together, towards a general history
HE materials you have collected

of clubs, make fo bright a part of your fpeculations, that I think it is but a juftice we all owe the learned world, to furnish you with fuch affiftances, as may promote that ufeful work. For this reafon, I could Gnot forbear communicating to you, fome imperfect informations of a fet of men (if you will allow them a place in that fpecies of being) who have lately erected them felves into a nocturnal fraternity, under the title of the Mobock Club, a name bor rowed, it feems, from a fort of Cannibals in India, who fubfilt by plundering and H devouring all the nations about them. The prefident is filed Emperor of the Mobacks and his aims are a Turkish cref cent, which is imperial majefty bears at prefent, in a very extraordinary manner, engraven upon his forehead. Agreeable PPP

to