William Lord Dartmouth. Henry Boyle, Eq; Principal Secretary of State. John Howe, Efq; Thomas Erle, Eq; Anno 7 Annæ, 1708. This Summer was, Abroad, diftinguifhed by the Victory ExploitsAbroad, obtained at Oudenarde, which, tho' both glorious and advantageous to the Allies, was not fo decifive as either that of Blenheim or Ramellies, the French making good their Retreat, and repelling all the Attempts that were made to put them into Confufion. The Siege of Life, one of the ftrongest Places in the World, was next undertaken by the Confederate Generals, in the Sight of an Army fuperior to their own; which had pofted themselves fo advantageoufly, as to cut off all Communication between the Befiegers and Bruffels; whereby Ammunition of all Sorts began to fail; and the Confequences might have been greatly calamitous, if General Webb had not, with incredible Conduct and Bravery, both covered the grand Convoy committed to his Charge, and with a Party of but 6000, defeated an Army of between 23, and 24,000, which had been detached to make fure of a Supply which was of fuch immediate Importance to the Confederates. But the Merit of this gallant Action was, by Mr. Cardonnel, the Duke of Marlborough's Secretary, afcribed folely to Lieutenant General Cadogan, who did not come up till it was entirely over, and the Enemy retreating in Disorder; without the leaft Mention of Mr. Webb, who thereupon quitted the Army in Difguft, and very frankly set forth the Injury which had been done him, both to the Queen and the whole Nation. In this Interval the Elector of Bavaria invested Brussels, but was kept at Bay by the Governor and Garrison, till the Confederates paffed the Scheld to their Relief: Upon which he abandoned the Siege in Confufion, leaving his Artillery and wounded Men behind him. The Town of Lifle had already capitulated, and now the Citadel did the fame. And the Reduction of Ghent, which had been before betrayed to the French, finished the Campaign on that Side. In Spain the Duke of Orleans reduced Tortofa, Denin and Alicant: But to countervail thefe Advantages, Sir John Leake conquered Sardinia, and General Stanhope Minorca: And Anno 7 Anna, And in the Weft- Indies Commodore Wager had an Engage1708. ment with the Spanish Galleons, in which the Admiral blew up, another Galleon was run afhore, and the Rear-Admiral was taken; being mounted with 54 Brass-Guns, and her Lading of an immenfe Value. Death of Prince Lords Addrefs of Condolance, &C. Addrefs of both Prince George of Denmark dying Odober the 28th, The Second Parliament of GREAT BRITAIN, or First fummoned by Writ, W AS opened by Commiffion, November the 16th, and the Commons having chofe their Speaker, the Lord Chancellor made a Speech, the 18th, to both Houses; which fee in CHANDLER'S Hiftory, Anno 7 Anna, 1708. Page 99. Their Lordships, on the 20th, drew up an Addrefs of Condolance on the Death of the Prince, which was prefented in a private Manner, as being moft acceptable to her Majefly, by the Marquis of Dorchefter. They faid, they could not forbear condoling with her Ma jefty upon the great Lofs fuftain'd in the Perfon of the Prince, whofe eminent Virtues muli render his Memory ever dear to them and the whole Kingdom: But they begged fhe would moderate her Grief, and take care of her Health, upon which the Hopes of her People, and the Safety of Europe, fo much depended. They congratulated her Majefty on the Succefs of the Campaign, and promifed her their Affiftance in profecuting the War, being convinced, they faid, that no Peace could be fafe or honourable, till the whole Monarchy of Spain was reftored to the House of Auftria; and, as her own Subjects made fuch extraordinary Efforts, they defired she would prefs her Allies who were more nearly concerned, to fhew an equal Vigour. That they fhould do every thing on their Parts towards perfecting the Union; and that they would fupport her Ma-, jefty and the Proteftant Succeffion, against all Pretenders, and all her Enemies. Before the Parliament adjourned for the Holidays, both Houfes agreed on an Addrefs to the Queen, which was prefented by the Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons. In this Addrefs they congratulate her. Success in the Reduction of Ghent, The laft great Effort of this glorious Year, which would (they faid; be ever famous in Hiftory, as well for the entire Difappointment of all the Attempts and Hopes of her Enemies, as for the many won derful 1708-9. derful Succeffes with which God had blefs'd her Arms. "That Anno 7 Annæ, the unufual Length of the Campaign, the Variety of Events and the Difficulty and Importance of the Actions, had given many Opportunities to her Majesty's General, the Duke of Marlborough, to fhew his confummate Ability, and all the great Qualities neceffary for fo high a Trust. The Houfe of Peers on the 12th of January, having fum- Debate on the moned their Members to attend, took into Confideration the State of the NaState of the Nation in relation to the late intended Invafion tion. of Scotland; and the Lord Haversham opened the Debate with the following Speech: My Lords, I have a greater Refpect for your Lordships than to Lord Haver keep you in any Expectation; there is nothing I can fay, I fham. am fure, can in the least deserve it. My Lords, 'When the Campaign was at an End, when a Land-Tax lay on your Table, when the due Respect had been paid to that Sorrow, in which we all bear a Part, when the Seffion of Parliament was fo greatly advanced, and a long Recess so near at Hand, I thought it might be a proper Time to put your Lordships in mind of the late intended Invafion; and the rather, because an Enquiry into this feemed to me to be what the Nation expected, and what I have obferved, even those who have differed in their Thoughts about it, yet unanimously defired; but above all, because it is a Matter, in which not only our Welfare and Happinefs, but our very Being itself, the Security of the Nation, and Safety of her Majelly are fo highly concerned. I did endeavour to prove the first of these to your Lordfhips, when I made you this Motion, by Reasons taken from the flourishing of your Trade, the fupport of your Credit, the nature of your Victories, and the quieting of Men's Minds at Home; and fhall now, with your Lordship's Leave, fay a few Words to the other Part, and fhew your Lordships how much this Enquiry concerns us all in point of Safety. Some perhaps may think, that after fuch wonderful Succeffes Abroad, as we have had the laft Year, after the French King has loft Lifle, and been forced to abandon Ghent and Bruges; to fpeak to your Lordships of any Dangers at Home, or to have the leaft Apprehenfion from fuch a baffled Enemy, were to expofe the Weakness of a Man's own Judgment; but I fhall endeavour to fhew your Lordships how dangerous a Mistake this is, from Example, Reason and Authority, the three beft Arguments I know to prove any Truth. My My Lords, Were not Hochflet and Ramellies as glorious Victories, and as great Mortifications to the French King, as our taking of Lifle, or reducing of Ghent ? and yet after fuch entire Vic tories, fuch repeated Defeats, had not this haughty Neighbour of ours, the Prefumption, the laft Year, to attempt the setting a Pretender upon her Majesty's Throne? And can we reafon ably promise ourfelves any Security whenever he is in a Condition to give us the leaft Disturbance? And is he not in a Condition? Is he not as near us this Year as he was the laft, notwithstanding all our Conquefts? That's an Advantage our Allies only have by them, to have their Enemies at a greater diftance. Has he not as many Ships, and as many Friends too, except one, as I mentioned to your Lordships? Nay, my Lords, has he not as great Encouragement to renew his Attempt as he had to undertake it, as I fhall prefently fhew your Lordships; from whence then does our great Security arife? Befides, my Lords, what is yet further, every Body is convinced by the inconfiderable Force, the small Number of Ships and Troops, the French King employed in the late Attempt upon us the last Year, that his chief Dependance was upon the Encouragement and Promises of Affiftance he had from hence; and yet, notwithstanding all our Enquiries, is it not as great a Mystery to this Day as it was, who the Perfons amongst us are, who were concerned in this black and unnatural Treafon ? 'Tis true, my Lords, several Perfons of great Quality and Intereft have been taken up upon Sufpicion, brought from their own Homes and Country, whilft others thereby have had the Opportunity of fupplanting them in their Inte reft there: 'Tis not for me to fay, whether this proceeded from Ill-will to fome, or Favour to others; but, has any thing been proved against them? Does not the Bail that has been given for them, and their fitting in this House, convince every body of their Innocence? So that this way of proceeding has rather proved vexatious to the Subject, than any real Security to the Government, and I hope will make us for the future fet a greater Value upon our Habeas Corpus A&t, which was the Right of every Subject before by Common Law. Nor has the Characters that have been made of Perfons to be fufpected had any better effect. There are two I fhall mention to your Lordships, and I think greater Mistakes than both of them can fcarce be put into Words; the firft is, That Men of arbitrary Principles are the Perfons who ought to be fufpected; this Argument has been very much laboured, and great Pains has been taken to perfuade the World 1708-9. from Men's Practices in former Reigns, that they are ftill Anno 7 Annæ, of arbitrary Principles, and from thence it is inferred they ought to be fufpected. I fhall not trouble your Lordships, or myself, at prefent, to fhew the Weaknefs of this Argument; I will take it as they that have ufe of it would have it, for a ftrong and undeniable Confequence, and then I afk, What, my Lords, is the Nation to fufpect any, who are at the Head of your Ministry, of giving this Encouragement to your Enemies? For I will be bold to fay in this Place, if this be a good Argument, it is as ftrong against fome who are at the Head of your Ministry, as against any Man I know of who is out of it. am There is another Character of fufpicious Perfons, which I cannot but take notice of, because I take it to be very fatal to the Freedom of Parliament, for it is impoffible for any Man to take notice, either in Parliament, or to the Queen herself, of any wrong Measures, or falfe Steps in the Management of public Affairs, without fo far reflecting on the Ministry; and if this is to be interpreted as an artful Method of leffening her Majesty's juft Efteem of her Minifters; and thofe who do fo are to be marked as dangerous to the Safety of her Majesty's Perfon, and the present Establishment, I afraid her Majefty, for the future, may have feveral Things I concealed from her, which might be for her Service to know, and one of the great Ends and Uses of Parliaments, the re-. Idreffing of Grievances, and keeping great Men in Awe, will be quickly laid afide. But, my Lords, we have a very visible Inftance, that this is a great Mistake; for do we not fee those Lords, who the laft Year efpoufed the Cafe and Complaint of the Merchants in Parliament, now advanced to the greatest Places of Truft and Power? So that these two Methods have rather fhewed us, who ought not, than who are to be ful pected. My Lords, 'I fhall now take Leave to fay one Word to the positive Part; and if we would apply an Obfervation of the Schools to the Cafe in hand, I believe it would fet this Matter in the trueft Light. They tell us there is great Difference to be I made between a Division and a Distinction: Every Divifion is a Distinction, but every Diftinction is not a Divifion; the Soul and the Body are diftinct, but they are not divided, for that would be a State of Death; it is fo in this Cafe, the Papift, Jacobite, and Nonjuror, are a Party of Men divided from the rest of the Nation; they want that forma infor mans, as they call it, that vital Spirit of Love and Loyalty that animates every good Subject: But as for others, 1708.9. Kk however |