the Courts concern'd in the Negociation; and very often he had the good Luck to fet right feveral Mistakes, and to obtain fome Things very little expected; but the only Merit of this belongs to her Majefty, the Credit of whose Favour brought it about, and gave Power to the Treasurer to act with Success.

During this Seffion, the Lords of the Cabinet, and others, met every Saturday at the Treasurer's, in order to carry on the Queen's Bufinefs, as they had done the Year before on Thursdays. Many Offers were made, and repeated by the Treasurer, in order to attack former Offenders, and quiet the Minds of the Gentlemen, and of the Church Party; and the only Reafon for this failing, was, becaufe of the Project laid for their new Scheme, and putting themselves at the Head, as they call'd it, of the Church Party.

This being the laft Seffion of Parliament, and some Gentlemen fearing their Elections, and fome for other Reasons, dropt the Bill of Commerce. The Treasurer faw this Opportunity, and immediately took it, and prevail'd with Sir Thomas Hanmer, and others, to come into the Payment of the Civil Lift Debts, incurr'd before the Change of the Treafury, tho' the prefent Treasurer was rail'd at and malign'd; which he chofe to bear patiently, rather than own the true Reason, that there was no Money to do it with, which would have ruin'd all at once, This Step of paying the Debts, put the Malecontented into the utmoft Rage, which they did very publickly exprefs in both Houfes. This laft Seffion of that Parliament, and the third fince the Change of the Miniftry, ended July the 16th, 1713.

The Peace with France being over, and it growing neceffary to put her Majefty's Affairs into a further and more fettled Regulation, and to eafe the Treasurer of the Burthen, as well as Envy, of fuch a Bulk of Business ; her Majefty was pleas'd to approve of the Scheme of the Duke of Ormond's ftaying here to attend the Army Affairs, which was neceffary at the Time of Difbanding; Duke Shrewsbury to go to Ireland, upon his Return from France; Lord Findlater to be Chancellor of Scotland; Lord Mar third Secretary ; Lord Dartmouth Privy Seal ; Mr. Bromley Secretary of State, and Sir William Wyndham Chan cellor of the Exchequer. I am fure the Queen very well remembers the Rage this caus'd, as perfectly defeating their Scheme, and shewing that her Majefty would put her Affairs upon a folid Foot; the Lord Chancellor faid it

was

was against Law; and to this Day will not treat Lord Findlater with Decency; and Lord Mar has met with many ill Treatments, as well as Mr. Secretary Bromley. But that the Treasurer might leave them without Excufe, and make her Majefty's Affairs, if poffible, eafy with and to thofe in her Service, as foon as he was recover'd enough to write, he wrote a large Letter to Lord Bolingbroke, containing his Scheme of the Queen's Affairs, and what was neceffary for Lord Bolingbroke to do, as belonging only to his Province.

This Letter was dated July the 25th, 1713, and was anfwer'd July the 27th by Lord Bolingbroke; the Copy was fhown to Lady Massam, who came to vifit the Treafurer, then confin'd to his Chamber; and she then thought it was a very good one, and what was proper for the Occafion. I believe the whole would be of Use to give Light to her Majefty into the Ground and Foundation of the Follies and Madness which have fince appear'd; the whole is ready for her Majefty's Perufal when she pleases.

In this Letter the Treasurer gives an Account to Lord Bolingbroke of the Occafions, or rather the Pretences for giving Dafturbance to the Queen's Servants. He propofes the Remedy, and what was requifite to be done by him as Secretary in his own Province, and alfo Affurance of the Treafurer's Afliftance to the utmost, and of his Defire to confult with him (Lord Bolingbroke) how to unite the reft of our Friends. Being then fick, the Treasurer took the Liberty to put Lord Bolingbroke in Mind of the feveral Particulars which then requir'd Difpatch, and were folely belonging to his Province, without any other Interpofition, than that of taking your Majesty's Direction. Amongst others, that of a Circular Letter upon the Addreffes of both Houses relating to the Pretender. This was not done in three Months. His Lordship wrote Word it was done July the 27th.

In the fame Letter the Treasurer propos'd, that (according to the Treaty of Peace) Care fhould be taken of the following Particulars, viz. Newfoundland, Hudson's Bay, Acadia, St. Chriftophers, the Affiento, and other Things. contain'd in the Treaties of Commerce. These Particulars the Treasurer thought to have been executed, until within a few weeks he heard the contrary by Accident, and that the Time in the feveral Treaties was elaps'd. Upon this, the Treasurer, on Wednesday June 2, told

Mr.

Mr. Moor of this, and that every body would be liable to Blame who are in the Queen's Service.

Thursday, June 3, 1714, Lord Bolingbroke writes to the Treasurer,a Letter, which begins thus: Mr. Moor has been this Morning with me, and has put into my Hands a Paper, which he calls, (I think not improperly) a Charge upon me. This Paper contains the Neglect abovemention'd in the Treasurer's Letter of July 25, 1713, eleven Months before and yet these Faults are now charg'd upon the Treasurer.

Hereupon the Committee obferve, that his Lordship has here taken to himself the Credit of corresponding by his own Hand, and at his own Charge, in all the Courts concern'd in the prefent Negociations, and that very often he has had the good Luck to fet right feveral Mistakes, and 'to obtain fome Things very little expected. That he boasted of his laying hold of a feasonable Opportunity in Parliament, upon rejecting the Bill of Commerce, to prevail with the Members of the Houfe of Commons to come into the Payment of the Civil Lift Debts; and has also charg❜d feveral Persons, then in high Stations in her Majesty's Service, with Corruption and Imbezilment of the Publick Money; and prefumed to recommend himself to her Majefty, by having us'd all his Skill and Credit to keep the Houfe of Commons from examining into the fame. And the Committee having receiv'd Information, that large Sums of Money had been directed for fpecial Services relating to the War, by Signs Manual, and Warrants upon the fame, counterfign'd by his Lordship; which Sums were afterwards paid to his Lordship's Order: The Committee thought.fit to lay before the Houfe, Copies of the faid Signs Manual, and Warrants, and Orders thereupon.

The Committee having likewife obferv'd feveral Tranfactions, Orders, and Directions, given by the Ministers in the Queen's Name, in no Manner agreeable to her Majefty's Sentiments and Intentions, as exprefs'd in feveral Meffages to Partament, and Speeches from the Throne, concerning the Terms of Peace which he was pleased to communicate to both Houfes; thought it their Duty to enter into a particular Examination of this Matter, and to compare her Majefty's Declarations, with the Measures that her Minifters prefum'd to take in carrying on these important Negociations. The first Time the Queen made Mention of the Peace to the Parliament, was December 11, 1711, when nothing had been concluded between England and France, but the Special Preliminaries fign'd by the

Earl

Earl of Dartmouth and Mr. St. John on the Part of England, and Monfieur Mefnager on the Part of France, September the 27th, 1711, and the General Preliminaries fign'd by Monfieur Mefnager only, which were fent over by the Earl of Strafford, as the Foundation of a General Peace.

After thefe Preliminaries were fign'd, Mr. St. John prefs'd Monfieur de Torcy, that the King of France would explain himself with Regard to the Allies; and fuch Explications as the King of France thought fit to make, are contain'd in the Anfwer to the Memorial brought by M. Gualtier, November 18, 1711. Upon which, her Majefty at the opening of that Seffion, in laying before the Parliament the State of the Treaty then on Foot, faid, 'That notwithstanding the Arts of those who delight in War, both Place and Time are appointed for opening the Trea( ty of a General Peace. Our Allies, especially the States 'General, whofe Intereft I look upon as infeparable from C my own, have, by their ready Concurrence, exprefs'd ' their Confidence in me.” The Queen thought the States had readily concurr'd with her; but it must be remember'd, that the States had in the strongest Manner repreferted against the Propofitions fign'd by Monf. Mefnager, as too general and uncertain, not being a fufficient Foundation, upon which a Negociation might be hazarded they dreaded the fatal Confequences of opening the general Conferences, before the Articles offer'd by France were made fpecifick, and before they knew what they were to truft to, for their own Barrier, and their Commerce. But inftead of acquainting the Queen with thefe Reprefentations, or acting according to her Majefty's Sentiments, Mr. St. John, October 9, declares, Certain it is, that her Majefty is fo far determin'd in her Measures, that those 'will deceive themfelves, who may imagine by Delay to 'break them." And October 29, The Queen remains 'firm in her first Resolution, of caufing the Conferences 'to be open'd upon the Articles fign'd by Monf. Mefnager.” And November 2, The Queen will not finally concert a 'Plan for the Profecution of the War with the States, until they join with her in agreeing to open the Con'ferences of Peace:" And November 15, Lord Stafford fays,He had now told them her Majefty's Order to him C was to declare, that the fhould look upon any Delay as 'a Refufal to comply with her Propofitions." By these Threats, and extraordinary Measures, the States are compell'd by the Queen's Minifters, to confent to open the Conferences; when at the fame Time her Majefty was

perfuaded,

perfuaded, that they readily concurr'd in what had been propos'd to them. Her Majefty declares, fhe looks upon the Intereft of the States General to be infeparable from her own. Mr. St. John declares, That Britain had gone fo much too far in weaving her Intereft into that of the Continent, that it would prove no eafy Talk to difen tangle them, without tearing and rending.

The Queen fays further, The Princes and States which have been engag'd with us in this War, being by Trea 'ties entitled to have their feveral Interefts fecur'd at a Peace, I will not only do my utmost to procure every с one of them all reasonable Satisfaction, but I shall also unite with them in the ftricteft Engagements for continuing the Alliance, in order to render the General Peace fecure and lasting." And in her Meffage of the 17th of January following, her Majefty again expresses the Care the intended to take of all her Allies, and the ftrict Union in which the propofed to join with them. By these Declarations it appears, her Majefty's own Refolution was to unite with the Allies in the strictest Engage. ments. But her Minifters had taken upon them, in the private Propofitions fent over by Mr. Prior, to infert an Article, That the Secret should be inviolably kept between England and France, till allow'd to be divulg'd by the Confent of both Parties. And altho' France had offer'd to treat with England and Holland, either feparately or jointly, with the rest of the Allies, at the Choice of England; the Queen's Minifters excluded the Allies, and in the Conference held with Monfieur Mefnager, they are much furpriz'd to find that he had Orders to infift that the Queen Thould enter into particular Engagements, upon divers Articles, which depend not upon her, and which regard the Intereft of the Allies; and they infifted, that it was abfolutely neceffary to remit the Difcuffion of the particular Interefts of the Allies to General Conferences. when Mr. St. John was preffing Monfieur de Torcy, to give them fome Explications of what was defign'd for the Allies, he affures him, If the King would offer a Plan of Specifick Preliminaries, the Queen will never communicate it to her Allies. And upon another Occafion he declares, This Negociation was begun and carry'd on upon a Suppofition, that the Queen must defift from many Conditions, which in Rigour fhe was obliged to procure for her Allies.

And

In the Meffage of January 17, the Queen declares, Her Plenipotentiaries had begun, in pursuance of their Inftructions, to concert the moft proper Ways of procuring a

juft