thefe was fixed on by the dukes of Queenfberry and Argyle. It was faid by them, that, though thefe objections did indeed lie against them, yet they had fuch an interest in Scotland, that engaging them to be cordially for the union would

whom they all unanimoufly

fore, to fave himself by amu

⚫ returned this anfwer, that, iffing the English with the hopes
he fhould proteft, he could
not well continue longer to
⚫ meet with the other commif-
'fioners; and, if he entered
his diffent, it would render
him odious to them; that they
would be extremely upon the
referve, fo as he would be
'utterly incapable to learn any
thing, that might be useful
afterwards in the oppofing the
⚫ defign; whereas, if he fat
quiet, and concealed his opi
⚫nion as much as poffible, they,
expecting to perfuade him to
'leave his old friends and party,
'would not be shy, and he
might make difcoveries of
their defigns, and thereby do
a fingular fervice to his coun-
try.'

The fame writer afterwards tells us, p. 191, That the treasurer of England and court-party there did not at firft defign the treaty of union 'fhould have gone the length it afterwards did; it being a mighty ftroke to the monar chy, and confequently to them, who advifed and dirested the queen in all mat

of an intire union, he fet this
treaty on foot, with a defign
to have fpun it out fo long,
as he was in hazard of the
attempts and malice of his
enemies. But the whig-party
I joined moft fincerely in the
measure of an incorporating
' union. They had fomewhat
in view befides the general
intereft and fecurity of Eng-
land, or establishing the houfe
' of Hanover on the two thrones
of this ifland (all monarchs
and race of kings being equally
odious to them) their defign
being fooner or later to efta-
blifh a commonwealth, or at
leaft to clip the wings of the
royal prerogative, and to re-
duce the monarch to fo low
an ebb, that his power fhould
not exceed that of a Stadt-
holder of Holland, or a doge
of Venice. And it was plain
⚫ and obvious fuch defigns could
⚫ be more easily executed, wher
the legislative authority of
Scotland was abrogated, by
reducing the reprefentatives
⚫ of the nation to a fmail and
inconfiderable number incor-

ters, But the treasurer, be-porated with a much greater,

ing extremely blamed for allowing the queen to pass the Scots act of fecurity, and concerning peace and war, into laws, knew the tories who only waited for a proper time, defigned to lay hold on this as an handle wherewithal

and fubjecting her to the laws,
regulations, and government
of another kingdom, of which
they had the chief direction,
than if the Scots nation and
parliament remained a diftinct
and independent people and
judicature, and were thereby

⚫ to pull him down; and there-in a capacity to affift their

⚫ fovereign

1706.

1706. would be a great means to get it agreed to in the parliament there. The earl of Stair, who heartily concurred in the defign, was thought to have an hand in this piece of policy, in which the event fhewed that right measures were taken. The Scots had got among them the notion of a Foederal-union, like that of the United-provinces, or the cantons of Switzerland. But the English refolved to lose no time, in the examining or difcuffing that project; for this reason, befides many others, that, as long as the two nations had two different parliaments, they could break the union whenever they pleafed; for each nation would follow their own parliament. The defign was now to settle a lafting and firm union between the kingdoms; therefore, they refolved to treat only about an incorporating union, that fhould put an end to all diftinctions, and unite all their interests so they at last entered upon the scheme of an intire union.

Proceed

On Tuesday the 16th of April, the commiffioners of ings of the both kingdoms met, the first time, in the council-chamber commif

fioners for

the union. fovereign in maintaining his

Hift. of
Europe.
Burnet,
Journal of

the Pr.

juft rights and prerogatives in that as well as his other kingdoms. They remembered how the Scots, in the reign of king Charles II. did caft the balance, and defeat their defign of fecluding the duke of York from fucceeding to the crowny and were refolved by this incorporating union < to remove that obftacle to their future projects and defigns. Thus, the court and whig-parties in England agreeing (tho' upon different topics and views at firft) in the measure of a treaty of • union betwixt the two kingdoms, the latter prevailed to have a plurality of their own party in both "commiffions,

..

in

proved fo advantageous for England, and deftructive to Scotland, that the treasurer and court-party could not, without giving a greater handle against them, than what they propofed to evade by this measure, fo much as connive at, or countenance any perfon, that endeavoured to obftru&t the union's taking effect. On the other hand, the Scots ⚫ftatesmen and revolutioners were fo fenfible of their own guilt in betraying their country, and acting contrary to its intereft thefe many years bypaft, that they thought themfelves in no fecurity from being called to an account for their actions, unless they removed the parliament, and

particularly the Scots, who forendered the nation fubfer

frankly yielded to the demands
of the English, and prostituted
the honour, and furrendered
the intereft of their country,
that the terms of the treaty

vient and fubject to a people, whom they had ferved, and from whom they looked for protection.'

in the Cock-pit near Whitehall, the place appointed for their conferences; and their commiffions being opened and read by the secretaries, the lord-keeper of England, and the lord-chancellor of Scotland, made introductory speeches; after which it was agreed, that copies of the two commiffions should be prepared and figned by the respective secretaries, and interchanged against the next meeting, which was put off till the Monday following.

Accordingly, on the 22d of April, they met again, and the lord-keeper delivered to the board the following preliminaries: "I. That all propofals made by either fide be made "in writing, and every point, when agreed, reduced into "writing. II. That no points, though agreed on, and "reduced into writing, be obligatory on either fide, till all "matters be adjusted in such a manner, as will be proper "to be laid before the queen and the two parliaments for "their approbation. III. That there be a committee ap"pointed, confifting of a certain number of each commif"fion, to revife the minutes of what paffes, which are not "to be inferted by the fecretaries in their refpective books, "but by order of the faid committee, having firft made "report thereof to the respective commiffioners, and re"ceived their approbation of the fame. IV. That all the "proceedings of the commiffioners of both kingdoms, du"ring the treaty, be kept fecret." The lord-keeper also delivered to the board the following proposal, "That the "two kingdoms of England and Scotland be for ever united "into one kingdom, by the name of Great-Britain: that "the united kingdom of Great-Britain be represented by "one and the fame parliament; and that the fucceffion to "the monarchy of the united kingdom of Great-Britain, in "cafe of failure of heirs of her majefty's body, be, accord"ing to the limitations mentioned in an act of parliament, "made in England in the 12th and 13th years of the reign "of the late king William, intitled, An act for the further "limitation of the crown, and the better fecuring the rights "and liberties of the subject."

After this the commiffioners adjourned to the 24th of the fame month, when the lord-chancellor of Scotland acquainted the board, that the commiffioners of Scotland did agree to the preliminary articles propofed at the last meeting, for regulating the method of proceeding in this treaty and then he delivered to the board the following proposals: 66 1. That the fucceffion to the crown of Scotland, in cafe "of failure of heirs of her majefty's body, fhould be esta“ blished

1706.

1706.

blifhed upon the fame perfons mentioned in an act of par liament made in England, in the 12th and 13th years of "the reign of the late king William. 2. That the fubjects of Scotland fhould for ever enjoy all rights and pri"vileges, as natives of England, in England, and the "dominions thereunto belonging; and reciprocally, that "the fubjects of England enjoy the like rights and privileges

in Scotland. 3. That there be a free communication and "intercourfe of trade and navigation between the two king"doms and plantations thereunto belonging, under fuch "regulations, as, in the progress of this treaty, shall be "found moft for the advantage of both kingdoms. 4. "That all laws and ftatutes in either kingdom, contrary to the terms of this union, be repealed.' The commiffioners for England, after a fhort confultation by themselves, returned an anfwer, "That they were fo fully convinced,

that nothing but an intire union of the two kingdoms "would fettle perfect and lafting friendship between them, "that they therefore thought fit to decline entering into "any further confideration upon the propofals now made "by the commiffioners for Scotland, as not tending to that "<<end; and defired, that the commiffioners for Scotland "would give in their answer to the propofal delivered by "the commiffioners for England, in order to an intire "union of both kingdoms."

The next day the lord-chancellor, in the name of the commiffioners for Scotland, delivered to the board the following answer: "The commiffioners for Scotland have "confidered the propofal given in to them by the commis"fioners for England, on Monday the 22d inftant; and "do agree, that the kingdoms of Scotland and England be "for ever united into one kingdom, by the name of Great"Britain that the united kingdom of Great-Britain be "reprefented by one and the fame parliament: and that "the fucceffion to the monarchy of the kingdom of Great"Britain, in cafe of failure of heirs of her majefty's body,. "fhall defcend upon the most excellent princefs Sophia, "electrefs and duchefs dowager of Hanover, and remain to "her and the heirs of her body, being proteftants, with "this provifion, That all the fubjects of the united king"dom of Great-Britain fhall have full freedom and inter"courfe of trade and navigation, to and from any part or "place within the united kingdom, and plantations there"unto belonging; and that there be a communication of

❝ all

* all other privileges and advantages, which do or may "long to the subjects of either kingdom."

After a private confultation the lord-keeper, in the name of the commiffioners for England, delivered to the board this reply, "The commiffioners for England are of opinion "that the provifion added by the commilioners of Scotland, "to the propofal made by the commiflioners for England, "on the 22d inftant, is a neceffary confequence of an intire "union; and therefore their lordships do agree to that pro"vifion, under fuch terms, as in the further progrefs of this 86 treaty fhall be found to be for the common advantage of "both kingdoms."

The fame day, in purfuance of the third preliminary, a committee was appointed for revifing the minutes; and there were nominated, on the part of England, the lord Grey; Mr. John Smith fpeaker of the house of commons, Sir Thomas Trevor, Sir John Cook, and Dr. Waller, or any three of them; and on the part of Scotland, the earl of Sutherland, the earl of Leven, the lord prefident of the feffion, the lord juftice clerk, John Clark of Pennycook, or any three of them.

Four days after the commiffioners met again, and the lord-keeper delivered to the board the following proposal : "That there be the fame cuftoms, excifes, and all other "taxes; and the fame prohibitions, reftrictions, and regula❝tions of trade throughout the united kingdom of Great"Britain." Hereupon the Scots commiffioners propofed, "That a committee be appointed of an equal number of "each fide, to adjust the feveral points contained in that "propofal; and defired, that the English commiflioners "would order the account of the taxes and other things, to "be laid before the committee."

The English commiffioners having proposed to appoint a committee, to confift of eleven of each fide, and of them any fix to have power to proceed, and that, they should be nominated the next meeting; this was readily agreed to by the Scots; and accordingly, on the 1ft of May, the commiffioners proceeded to the nomination of the committee. The English named the dukes of Somerset and Bolton, the earl of Sunderland, the lords Townshend, Wharton, and Sommers, the fpeaker of the houfe of commons, the marquis of Hartington, Mr. fecretary Harley, Mr. Henry Boyle, and Sir Simon Harcourt. The Scots appointed the lordchancellor, the duke of Queenfberry, the carls of Sutherland, Leven, and Stair, the lord Duplin, the lord-prefident of VOL. XVI

the