1 nour of his Majesty's Government, or the Support of the Dignity of his Houfe, can't agree thereto. Scarfdale, Bristol, Coventry, 'Bruce, Montjoy, Aberdeen, Strafford, Lechmere, Boyle, St. John de Bletfoe, Gower, Bathurst, Weston, Compton, Foley, Oxford and Mortimer. Then it was moved to refolve, That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, reprefenting the deep Concern of this Houfe on the Profpect of the imminent Dangers which threaten thefe Kingdoms, and all Europe, at this Juncture, from the formidable Confederacies which his Majefty affured his Parliament were enter'd into between the Courts Spain, Vienna, Ruffia, and other Powers, whereby the general Tranquility may foon be broke, and Europe engaged in a new War; and it appearing to this Houfe from the Act of Acceffion of the States-General, and the feparate Articles thereto belonging, that their Acceffion is made upon feveral Conditions and Referves on their Part, and particularly that in the feparate Article concerning the Commerce of the Austrian Low Countries to the Indies, it is provided, That if on Account of their Ufe of their Right of Commerce, or in Hatred of that Alliance, any Difturbance fhould happen, and his Imperial Majefty fhould fufpend or retain the Payment of the Subfidies due to the Public for the Maintenance of their Troops in the Places of the Barrier, or the Payment of the Intereft and Princi pal placed by Mortgage on divers Funds affigned by his Imperial Majefty for the Security of that Payment, or make ufe of any other kind of Reprifals or Ways of Force, that it is the Intention of the other contracting Powers to protect and maintain the States-General in their Right of Com merce T merce to the Indies, and guaranty them from all the Confequences which might refult therefrom, without having Power to proceed by force against the Company of Oftend, before the contracting Pow ers fhall have agreed thereon; and by another feparate Article it being ftipulated and referved to the States-General, that they fhall continue to have the fame Liberty with refpect to every thing that fhall be propofed to them by the contracting Powers upon fuch Points, whofe Object fhall be the maintaining the Balance of Power in Europe, as they had before their Acceffion, to take part in the Measures which they fhould not confent to. C And it appearing to this Houfe, that his Pruffian Majefty did not concur in the faid Acceffion of the States-General; in confequence of all which the Strength and Security which the Treaty of Hahover might otherwife import in the prefent unhappy Circumstances is much weakened; and in cafe of a general Rupture, the Danger, as well as the Burthen of the War, muft fall upon Great-Britain; and the Prefervation of the Ballance of Power in Europe depends on the Continuance of the Friendfhip and Affiftance of France alone, unless more effectual Measures are taken for that great End. Therefore that this Houfe, out of Duty to his Sacred Majesty, and from their unfeigned Zeal for the Safety of his Government and the Liberties of Europe, doth most earfeftly befeech his Majefty to make new and preffing Inftances with his Pruffian Majefty and the States General to concur with his Majefty and his other Allies, in fuch Männer as the prefent critical and dangerous Juncture requires, and as in the Event of a War, in cafe à War is unavoidable, his Majefty may, by the Bleffing of God, fecure a juft Ballance of Power in Europe, as well as the Religion, Liberties, Properties, and Commerce of his Subjects. Which being objected to, The Question was put, whether fuch an Addrefs fhall be made to his Majefty? It was refolved in the Negative. Diffentient' The Addrefs propofed reprefenting, as we think, the prefent State of the late Defenfive Alliance made at Hanover, which, for aught appears to us, is the main Support on which Britain can depend, befides its own Strength, in cafe of a general Rupture in Europe, we thought it highly neceffary that it fhould have paffed into a Refolution, whereby his Majesty's Hands might have been ftrengthen'd in his further Concerts with his Allies, and fuch further Meafures effected as are neceffary to preferve his Alliances during the War, against the dangerous Combinations levelled against Great Britain, and by which fuch a Repartition of Conquefts, in case of Success, might be previously fettled, as in the Event would prevent the Lofs of a juft Ballance of Power in Europe; and we are the more convinced of the Neceffity of the Advice proposed in the Addrefs, because we find, in one of the Lettres laid before the Houfe, that a Propofition has been made by the Court of Spain to the King of France, though not agreed to, to declare himself against Great-Britain, on a Pretence (which we hope is groundless) that the Defenfive Alliance between Great-Britain and France doth no longer fubfift. After which, it was moved to Order, that this Houfe will on this Day Seven-night take into fur ther ther Confideration his Majefty's most Gracious Speech. The fame being objected to, and Debate had thereon, The Queftion was put upon the faid Motion? Diffentient'. ift, Because the Committee having fat one Day only on the Confideration of his Majefty's Speech, could poffibly deliberate but upon few of the many weighty Points which arife thereon; on all which the Advice and Support of this Houfe, in our Opinions, is abfolutely neceffary; and fince even the Facts relating to many of thefe weighty Matters have not, as we conceive, been yet laid before the Houfe, we think, the further Confideration of the Speech fhould not have been refufed, there not being, as we believe, any Precedent for fuch a Refufal, under the like Circumftances, on the Journals of this House. 2dly, His Majefty's Speech containing the Caufes of Calling his Parliament, and the Advice of the Houfe to the Crown being required thereon, the Refufal of the Day propofed fees to us, tending to difable this Houfe from difcharging their Duty to the Crown, as well as to the Kingdom, in this critical and dangerous Juncture; and as the further Confideration propofed is thereby at prefent refufed, the Precedent (as we fear) lays a Foundation for depriving this Houfe in future Times of any Opportunity at all for fuch Confiderations, by which Means this House muft (in our Opinions) be render'd ufelefs in thofe great Affairs, whereon the Safety and Support of the Liberties of the Kingdom may depend. Bristol, Lechmere, Wefton, Strafford, Oxford and Mortimer, Mafbam, D 4 Coventry, Die Mercurii 190 Aprilis, 1727.. Hodie za vice leta eft Billa, entitled, An Act for continuing the Duties upon Malt, Mum, Cyder ... and Perry, in that Part of Great Britain called England; and for granting to his Majefty certain Du ties upon Malt, Mum, Cyder and Perry, in that Part of Great-Britain called Scotland, for the Service of the Year 1727; and for approprating the Supplies granted Duplicates of Exchequer Rills, Lottery Tickets and Orders loft, burnt or otherwife destroyed; and for giving further Time to Clerks and Apprentices to pay Duties omitted to be paid for their Indentures and Contracts. Contents 73 After Debate, the Question was Not cont. 17 put, whether this Bill fhall pass? It was refolved in the Affirmative. Diffentient' ft, Because in this Bill it is enacted, that out of the Aids or Supplies granted this Seffion of Parliament, there fhall and may be from Time to Time iffued and applied fuch Sum or Sums of Money as shall be neceffary for and towards answering and defraying fuch Expences and Engagements as have at any Time been, or fhall before or until the 25th Day of December, 1727, be made by his Majefty, in concerting fuch Meafures, as he in his i great Wisdom thinks will beft conduce to the Security of the Trade and Navigation of this Kingdom, and to the preferving and restoring the Peace of Europe; which Claufe, we think, is inconfiftent with that Part of the Bill, which forbids the upplies to be iffued to any other Purpose than those fpecified, and renders ineffectual that Appropriation of the Publick-Money, which the Wisdom of many |