1708. The majority of the house easily difcerned the fallacy of these popular arguments, being thoroughly convinced, both Reasons for by their own obfervation, and the reasons alledged both within and without the walls, that (as the preamble of the bill it. 6. ftances of any of the late refugees betaking themselves to the fpade, plough, or flail. And it would be a very great charge to those parishes wherein they should fettle; there being now great numbers of French, who, for want of work, were relieved; and, in a great measure, maintained by the queen's bounty and charity of their churches, and other well-difpofed perfons, who, when naturalized, would have recourse to their own respective parishes for an allowance. That a general naturalization would, in effect, defeat the patent of the act of navigation, which had always been esteemed to conduce to the intereft of the nation, by the encouragement and increase of English mariners, and advance of trade. 7. That hereby, in procefs of time, aliens would be advanced in riches, and her majesty's fubjects impoverifhed; for thofe beneficial trades, buying and felling by commiffions, remittances, and exchanges of money, would, in a great measure, be ingroffed by foreigners, by reafon of their many friends and relations abroad. Befides, fuch aliens generally living in lodgings, and at little charge, frequently efcaping public taxes and parifh duties, would be able to underfell and undermine the native merchants. 8. That hereby the treasure of the nation would be exhausted and remitted into foreign parts; for it might well be fuppofed, that those aliens, that have valuable eftates, could not or would not tranfport the greatest part thereof hither; and, leaving children, and their nearest relations behind them, they would come hither only upon a defign of getting riches, and to return home again therewith, particularly upon a prospect of war; an inftance of which we have in the practice of our merchants, who, when they have got eftates abroad, conftantly return home to enjoy the fame. 9. That the queen's customs would hereby be confiderably diminished; for many ftatutes, which lay a greater duty on aliens than on natives, would, as to this, be repealed. 10. That opportunity would hereby be given to merchants, to colour the goods and merchandizes of other strangers beyond fea, their correfpondents, friends, or relations, to the great detriment of her majefty's cuf toms, and trade of the native fubjects; a practice which was offered to be proved before their late majefties and the lords of the treasury; which reafons did influence the judgments of our ancestors, as appears by the statutes of Hen. VII. c. II. II Hen. VII. c. 14. 22 Hen. VIII. c. 8. 11. That the duties of package and fcavage of the goods of all merchants, as well denizens as aliens, were the indifpenfible right and inheritance of the commonalty and citizens of London, let to farm by lease (wherein bill fet forth) the increase of people is a means of advancing the wealth and ftrength of a nation.' This maxim was abundantly verified, not only in Pruffia, Holland, and other proteftant countries, which had greatly increased in riches by the French refugees fettling there, but principally in Great-Britain, where, by the industry of the refugees, feveral new manufactures had been set up, and others improved, to the great advancement of trade, and the total turning the balance thereof, to the prejudice of France, and the benefit of this nation. That, befides the improvement of commerce, the French refugees had greatly contributed towards the fupport of the revolution fettlement, by putting the best part of their own fubftance, and of their friends and relations abroad, into the public funds; of which they had a fresh instance, in fubfcribing near five hundred thoufand pounds into the bank of England; so that, by a modest computation, the refugees were reckoned to have above two millions fterling in the government. That, as they could not be fuppofed to have brought one half of that money into England, so it was prudence to divert the thoughts they might have, upon the conclufion of the war, of carrying their vaft gains abroad (which would very much leffen the cur (wherein were about eighteen years to come) for a fine of one thousand pounds, and the yearly rent of nine hundred and fifty pounds; and, among other things, were, by act of parliament, charged towards the raifing of eight thousand pounds per annum for ever to the orphans, and other creditors of the faid city; which duties would be wholly loft, to the great prejudice of the faid city, and would render them incapable to fupport the government of the fame. 12. And, in the laft place, That, the nation being now engaged in an expensive, though neceffary war, taxes high, trade obftructed, great quantities of wool len, and other manufactures, lay unfold; and, as an effect hereof, the feveral prices of making them very fmall, many families defti tute of work throughout the in trade and manufactures ? About the fame time the city of London having, on the 18th of February, petitioned the commons, that they might be heard by their council against the bill, and their request being granted, their lawyers chiefly infifted on the 11th of the above-mentioned reafons; but upon examination it was found, that the duties of package and fcavage did not, of late, yield above twenty pounds per annum, most of the foreign merchants having been already naturalized. 1708. 1708. rent cash and credit of Great-Britain) by granting them the advantages and privileges enjoyed by her majefty's natural born fubjects; which would not only engage them to settle here, but likewife bring over fuch of their friends and relations, as might hope to inherit their eftates. That the French refugees had at all times, in their feveral stations and capacities, given fignal proofs of their love for our happy conftitution, and of their zeal and affection for the government; and, in particular, fuch of them, as had military employments, which they had discharged, both in the late and prefent war, with diftinguishing bravery and conduct. That this war had already confumed fuch vaft number of men, that it was highly neceffary to fupply that lofs, by inviting foreigners to come over, whether the war continued, which would ftill increase the scarcity of men; or whether it was drawing to a period; in which cafe a great number of hands would be requifite to carry on the manufactures. In fhort, that all the objections against a naturalization were grounded upon this falfe fuppofition, that, foreigners would ever continue, and be looked upon as fuch;' which was fufficiently confuted by paft and daily experience. The bill houfes, and When those who were against the bill perceived they pailed both fhould have no ftrength, if they fet themselves directly to received the oppofe it, they ftudied to limit ftrangers in the receiving the royal affent. facrament, to the way of the church of England. This pro Burnet, bably would not have hindered many, who were otherwise difpofed to come among us: for the much greater part of the French came into the way of our church. But it was thought beft to caft the door as wide open as poffible, for encouraging of ftrangers; and therefore fince, upon their firft coming over, fome might chufe the way, to which they had been accustomed beyond fea, it feemed the more inviting method to admit of all who were in any proteftant communion. Accordingly, the bill was carried in the house of commons by a great majority, for naturalizing all foreign proteftants, upon their taking the oaths to the government, and receiving the facrament in any proteftant church. All those that appeared for this comprehenfive way, were reproached for their coldness and indifference in the concerns of the church. Of this the bishop of Sarum had a large fhare; for, when the bill was brought up to the lords, he fpoke copiously for it; whilft the bishop of Chester spoke as zealously against it, who seemed refolved to diftinguifh himfelf as a zealot for that which was called High Church. The bill paffed with very little oppofition, though it was pro tefted tested against by feveral lords, as prejudicial to trade and manufactures, and of ill confequence to our liberties and religion (i). 1708. The other fubjects of debate in this feffion were, the inquiry into the Scotch invafion, and the trials of treason in Scotland. What gave rife to the great and long debates on thefe affairs, was this: upon the attempt made by the pretender, many of the nobility and gentry of Scotland, who had all along adhered to that intereft, were fecured; and, after the fleet was got back to Dunkirk, and the danger was over, they were ordered to be brought up prisoners to London; when they came, there was no evidence at all against them, fo they were difmified, and fent back to Scotland. No exceptions could be taken to the fecuring them, while there was danger: but, fince nothing befides prefumptions lay against them, the bringing them up to London, at fuch a charge, and under fuch a difgrace, was much cenfured, as an unreasonable and an unjust severity; and was made use of, to give that nation a further averfion to the union. That whole matter was managed by the Scotch lords then in the miniftry, by which they both revenged themselves on fome of their enemies, and made a fhew of zeal for the government; though fuch as did not believe them fincere in thefe profeffions, thought it was done on defign to exasperate the Scots the more, and fo to dispose them to wish for another invafion. The whig miniftry in England difowned all thefe proceedings, and used the Scots prifoners fo well, that they went down much inclined to concur with them: but the lord Godolphin fatally adhered to the Scotch minifters, and fupported them, by which the advantage that might have been made from these severe proceedings was loft. Hence it was, that the lords. having ordered their Inquiry into members to attend on the 10th of January, they took into the invafion confideration the state of the nation, with refpect to the late pr. H. L. invafion of Scotland. The lord Haverfham opened the de-Pr. H. C. bate with a long fpeech, wherein he fet forth, that the nation expected an inquiry into this matter, in which not only their welfare, but their very being itself, the security of the nation, and the fafety of the queen, were highly concerned. For the fucceffes of their arms had not disabled the French king from making farther attempts. Befides, it was plain, his chief dependence in the late invafion was from (i) Buckingham, Guernfey, glefea, Guilford, and NottingScarfdale, North and Grey, An- ham. Pr. H. L. Vol. II. 261. of Scotland. 1708. the encouragement he had from hence; and yet, notwithstanding all inquiries, it was still a great mystery, who the perfons were, that were concerned in that unnatural treafon. It is true, feveral perfons of great quality had been taken up on fufpicion, but had any thing been proved against them? The French king had more encouragement, than before, to renew his attempt upon us, fince the methods hitherto taken to discover the many friends he has among us had fignified fo little. Another encouragement was the defenceless condition of Scotland, the deficiency of forces, and ill ftate of the garrisons at the time of the invafion, notwithstanding the certain account we had of it. He concluded with faying, "My lords, if your lordships have "any intention of looking into this matter, I fhall make "your lordships a motion, which perhaps may give us some "light. It is, That her majefty will please to order that "there may be laid before this house, at what time her ma Lord Haver the account invafion. Pr. H. L. jefty received the firft account of the intended invafion? "What orders were thereupon iffued into Scotland, with ❝relation either to forces or garrifons? What was the num"ber of regular troops and forces there at the time of this "intelligence? What was the state of the garrisons there at "that time? What augmentation was made, or forces fent thither, from the time of the intelligence, to the time of the invafion? What orders had been given with "relation to the garrifons, and when, both before and fince the invafion, from the time of the first intelli"gence?" The lord Haverfham having ended this fpeech, feveral other peers spoke to the fame purpofe. Whereupon the houfe appointed a committee, to inquire into the ftate of the nation in relation to the intended invasion, and ordered an addrefs to be prefented to the queen, to defire that the papers concerning that affair might be laid before them; which was readily complied with. Not long after this addrefs, the lord Haverfham opened, fham opens in the houfe of lords, the account of the Scotch invafion, of the Scotch in a much longer fpeech, wherein he obferves, that the lords, who feconded his motion for the papers to be laid before them, never fo much as looked into them, or have mentioned the matter fince: perhaps, they will fay they never intended it; and that they called for the papers only to cover fome defign, or to try how an act of grace will relish, to which, as he was innocent, he fhould not give his confent. As to the papers, he had looked into them, and, |