the fame Time, fhe had fuch a Refpect for the Memory of King William, fuch a Regard to the Safety of crown'd He ds, and fuch an Abhorrence for the Crimes with which thefe Prisoners food charg'd, that she did not think fit to'r lease them from their Confinement: That all these Reasons and Confiderations were now enforc'd, by the open Dif.ffection which fome People fhew'd to his Majefty's Perfon and Government; and that they ought to be fo tender of the Preservation of fo precious a life as his Majefty's, that, in his Opinion, it were neceff. y to make the Act in Qu-ftion abfolute, and not • leave the Confinement of the Criminals to his Majefty's Difcretion, left his natural Clemency fhould make him overlook his own Safety." He concluded, with feconding the Lord Viscount Townshend's Motion for rejecting the Perition, which was carry'd without dividing.

June 2. Several Accounts and Papers that had been call' or, were laid before the House: After which, the Malt-Bill was read the third Time, pafs'd, and f-nt up to the Lords; as was alfo the Quakers Bill. Then Robert Walpole, Efq; acquainted the Houfe from the Committee of Secrecy, That they had examin'd the Books and Papers referr'u to them, and had Matters of the greatest Impor tance to lay before the Houfe; and that the Committee had directed him to move the Houfe, that a Day might be appointed for receiving their Report." Upon which, after a fmall Debate, it was order'd, that the faid Report be receiv'd upon that Day Sevinnight; and that all the Members do attend the Service of this Houfe upon that Day Sey'nnight, upon Pain of incurring the highest Difpleafure of this Houfe. Then the Houfe proceeded to the farther Hearing the Merits of the Election for the Borough of Newcastle under Line; and after having heard Counsel, and examin'd Witneffes, on both Sides, refolv'd, That Rowland Catton, Efq; and Henry Vernon of Sudbury, Efq; fitting Members, were not duly elected; and, on the contrary, that Crew Offley, Efq; and Sir Bryan Broughton, Bart. were duly elected Burgefles to ferve in this pretent Parlia ment for the faid.Borough.

On the 3d of June, after the Reading of feveral Petitions of feveral Merchants, and other Sufferers by the late dreadful Fire in Thames-freet, which were referr'd to a Committee, the Commons read the third Time, pafs'd, and fent to the Lords, an ingrofs'd Bill for fhortening the Time of the Yule Vacance in that Part of Great Britain called Scotland. The fame Day, the King came to the

Houfe

1

Houfe of Peers with the ufual State and Solemnity, and the Commons being fent for up, and attending, his Ma jesty was pleas'd to give the Royal Afsent to,

An Act for charging and continuing the Duties on Malt, Mum, Cyder, and Perry, for the Service of the Year 1715, and for making forth Duplicates of Exchequer-Bills and Lotsery Tickets loft, burnt, or destroy'd; and for enlarging the Time for adjusting Claims in feveral Lotteries, and for making forth new Orders in lieu of certain Lottery Orders obliterated or defective; and for continuing certain Duties on Hops, until the ft Day of August, 1715.

An Act for the better regulating the Forces to be contina'd in his Majefty's Service, and for the Payment of the faid Forces, and of their Quarters.

After the King was gone, the Lords adjourn'd to Thurfday the 9th of June and the Commons being return'd to their Houfe, order'd, that the Committee of Secrecy have Leave to fit during the Adjournment of the House, who then adjourn'd till Wednesday the 8th of June, by Reason of the Whitfuntide Holidays.

June 8. The Commons met again, read a second Time, and committed the Bill for appointing Perfons to take Gare of the Perfon and Eftate of the Lord Digby's eldeft Son z and, in a Committee of the whole Houfe, went through the Bill in Favour of Mr. Paterson. After this, upon the Reading the Order of the Day, for the Houfe to refolve itfelf into a grand Committee on the Supply, it was order'd, ift, That the Lift of the Proteftant Officers of Baron de Borle's late Regiment of Dragoons. 2dly, The Lift of the Officers of Lieutenant-General Hamilton's late Regiment of Foot; and, 3dly, The Abstract of what is due to feveral Foreign Troops for Pay and Extraordinaries to the Day of Separation, and alfo what is due to Foreign Princes for Subfidies to the fame Time, be referr'd to the Confideration of the faid Committee, into which the Houfe refolv'd itself immediately. But notwithstanding what was alledg'd in Favour of the Officers of Baron de Borle's late Regiment, the Committee did not think fit to admit them to Half-Pay.

June 9. A bill for the Relief of Infolens Debtors, was read the second Time, and committed to a Committee of the whole Houfe. After this, Mr. Walpole, from the Committee of Secrecy, acquainted the Houfe, That he had a Report to prefent; (according to their Order) but that

M

he

he had the Commands of the Committee to make a Motion to the House before he read the Report; that there are in the Report Matters of the higheft ImporC tance: That although the Committee had Power to fend for Perfons, Papers, and Records, they did not think fit < to make Ufe thereof, believing it to be neceffary, in order to bring Offenders to Justice, that fome Perfons fhould be fecur'd, before 'tis poffible they fhould know what they are to be examin'd to, and left they should have Notice from what should be read in the Report, to make their Escape: He was commanded by the Committee (according to former Precedents) to move, that a Warrant may be iffu'd by Mr. Speaker, to apprehend certain Perfons who fhall be nam'd to him by the Chairman of the faid Committee; and that no Members may, be permitted to go out of the House.

Hereupon it was order'd, 1ft, That the Lobby be clear'd of all Strangers, and the Back-Doors of the Speaker's Chamber be lock'd up, and the Key brought and laid upon the Table; and that the Serjeant do ftand at the Door of the Houfe, and fuffer no Member to go forth.

2dly, That Mr. Speaker do iffue his Warrant to the Serjeant at Arms attending this Houfe, to take into his Cuftody fuch Perfons as fhall be nam'd to Mr. Speaker by the Chairman of the Committee of Secrecy, in order to their being examin'd before the faid Committee.

Hereupon Mr. Speaker iffu'd out his Warrants to the Serjeant Arms, to take into his Custody feveral Perfons that were nam'd to him by Mr. Walpole, particularly Mr. Matthew Prior, and Mr. Thomas Harley, the first of whom was immediately apprehended, and the other fome Hours after.

This done, Mr. Walpole acquainted the Houfe, That the Committee of Secrecy had perus'd the Books and Papers referr'd to them, and had agreed upon a Report, which they had commanded him to make. That it was contain'd in two Books, one of which was the Report, by Way of Appendix to it, and contain'd at large thofe Letters and Papers which were referr'd to in the Report. And he read the Report in his Place, and afterwards deliver'd the fame in at the Table, together with the Appendix, and the Books which were referr'd to the faid Committee. The Reading of the said Report having lafted about five Hours, viz. from One till about Six in the Afternoon, a Motion was made by the Friends of the late Miniftry, and the Queftion put, That the farther

farther Confideration of the Report be adjourn'd till the next Morning, but the fame being carry'd in the Negative, by a Majority of 282 Votes to 171, it was order'd, that the Report be now read: And the Clerk of the House having read Part of it, till half an Hour paft Eight, the farther Confideration of it was adjourn'd till the next Morning, as was the Call of the Houfe to the 20th of June.

Before we proceed, it is neceffary to give our Readers, ift, A general Idea of this important Report; and 2diy, As exact and comprehenfive an Abstract of it as the Matter will bear.

2. To

In the first Place, we muft obferve, that the feveral Books and Papers referr'd to the Committee chiefly related to the late Negociations of Peace and Commerce. the intended Demolition of Dunkirk. 3. To the obtaining and difpofing of the Affiento Contract. 4. To fome Negociations concerning the Catalans: And 5. To fecret Tranfactions relating to the Pretender. The Committee in this Report only went through the Books and Papers that relate to the 1ft, 4th, and 5th Heads; and reserv❜d for another Report, the Affairs of Dunkirk and, the Affi

ento.

The first Part of this Report may be fubdivided into ten Points, viz. ft, The clandeftine Negociations with Monfieur Mefnager, which produc'd two Sets of preliminary Articles; the one private and fpecial for Great Britain only, the other General for all the Allies. 2dly, The extraordinary Measures purfu'd to form the Congress at Utrecht. 3diy, The Trifling, and Amusements of the French Plenipotentiaries at Utrecht, by the Connivance of the British Minifters. 4thly, The Negociation about the Renunciation of the Spanish Monarchy. 5thly, The fatal Sufpenfion of Arms. 6thly, The Seizure of Ghent and Bruges, in order to diftrefs the Allies, and Favour the French. 7thly, The Duke of Ormond's acting in Concert with the French General. 8thly, The Lord Bolingbroke's Journey to France to negociate a feparate Peace. 9thly, Mr. Prior's and the Duke of Shrewsbury's Negociations in France. And, 10thly, The precipitate Conclufion of the Peace at Utrecht.

After this, the Committee offer to the Houfe what they have found material in the Papers referr'd to them, concerning the Catalans, and the Pretender; infert at large a Letter from the Earl of Oxford to the Queen, dated June

the

the 9th, 1714; together with an Account of publick Affairs from Auguft the 8th, 1710, to June the 8th 1714; and conclude with taking Notice of feveral glaring In confiftencies, that are obvious to every Body, by compar ing the late Queen's Declarations, with the Measures her Minifters prefum'd to take in carrying on these importan Negociations.

Abstract of the Report of the Committee of Secrecy.

HE Committee was in Hopes, in fo voluminous ap Enquiry, have Progrefs of thefe Negociations; but, to their Surprize they find a Want of feveral Papers referr'd to in tho that have been deliver'd to them, and frequent and long Interruptions of fome very material Correfpondences tha were carry'd on: But, however, the Committee proceeded to draw up the following Report, warranted and founded upon fuch Authorities, as the Perfons concern'd vouchsafed not to fupprefs.

The first material Paper is entitled, The first Propofitio of France, fign'd by Monfieur de Torcy, April 22, 1711 N. S. To whom thefe Propofitions were directed, what previous Steps had been made on the Part of France, o what Encouragement had been given on the Part o England, does not appear; but it is evident, that they ar conceiv'd in very loose and general Terms; that from the Beginning, the Defign of France was to fecure Spai and the Weft-Indies to King Phlip, to create Jealoufies a mong the Allies; and that France offer'd to treat with England and Holland, either by themselves, or jointly with the rest of the Allies, which was left to the Choic of England.

On the 27th of April, 1711, 0. S. Mr. Secretary St. Joh tranfmits thefe Propofitions to Lord Raby, the Queen Embassador at the Hague, with Orders to communicat them to the Penfionary, To affure that Minifter, th Queen was refolv'd in making Peace, as in making Wa to act in perfect Concert with the States, and defires the Secret may be kept among as few as poffible; he confeff that the Terms of the feveral Propofitions are very g neral; that there is an Air of Complaifance fhown England, and the contrary to Holland, which might be ill Confequence, but can be of none, as long as the Quee end States take Care to underftand each other, and to a with as little Reserve as becomes two Powers fo near

ally