CHAP. V.

The queen's message to the parliament.-Debates about the Scots peers. Mr. Walpole's cafe and cenfure.-The duke of Marlborough cenfured and libelled.-His innocence evidently appears.

B

The barrier treaty condemned.-The ftates juftify themselves. -Remonstrance of the kirk of Scotland against the tolerationact.-Patronages reftored.-A place-bill loft.-The queen's melage upon prince Eugene's memorial. He leaves England. -Falfe report of Mohocks.-Motion for a grant-bill.-Death of the two dauphins. The treaty of Utrecht opened.—The French propofals.-Received with fcorn in England.-Summary of the proceedings at Utrecht.-Proceedings in the convocation. -The earl of Strafford's conferences at the Hague.-The allies take the field.-The duke of Ormond refuses to fight.Memorial of the States-deputies upon it.-The bishop of Brif tol's declaration to the Dutch minifters.-Debate about the duke of Ormond's declining to fight.-Negotiation about the renunciation of Spain and the ceffation of arms.-Remarks on it. The queen's Speech on the plan of the peace. The public furprised at it.-Proceedings of the peers upon it.-Bishop Fleetwood's preface burnt. The parliament adjourned.—The Dutch entertain the auxiliaries in British pay.The duke of Ormond declares his orders about a cessation. An irruption into France.-Prince Eugene refuses to relinquish the fiege of Quefnoy.Conferences with the ftates.-Prince Eugene marches with the British auxiliaries.Remarks on the ceffation of arms. -The action of Denain.-Progrefs of the French.

Y this time the parliament being met again, a meffage 1711-12. from the queen was delivered to both houses. to the commons was as follows:

That

The queen's

meffage to Í. Her the parlia

ment.

Jan. 17.

kind reception, and told them, Pr. H, C.
he was very much obliged to
them, fince the raifing of the
fiege of Turin, and the fuc-
⚫ ceffes that followed, were, un-
der God, chiefly owing to the
⚫ seasonable supply he received

from England.' Thofe gen-
tlemen answered, that, when
they made that loan, they had
Ff

• not

1711-12.

པ

Ì. Her majefty not having recovered ftrength enough, fince the return of the gout, to be prefent that day in per• fon;

fon; and being unwilling, that the public bufinefs fhould 1711-12K • receive any delay, thinks fit to communicate to them the fubftance of what fhe intended to have fpoke.

II. At the opening of this feffion, her majefty acquaint⚫ed the parliament, that both time and place were appoint*ed for the meeting of the plenipotentiaries of all the confederates, to treat with those of the enemy concerning a ⚫ general peace; and alfo expreffed the care, which the intended to take of all her allies, and the ftrict union, in which the proposed to join with them, in order to obtain a good peace, and to guaranty and fupport it, when obtained.

III. Her majefty can now tell them, that her plenipotentiaries are arrived at Utrecht, and have begun, in pur<fuance of their inftructions, to concert the most proper ⚫ ways of procuring a juft fatisfaction to all in alliance with her, according to their feveral treaties, and particularly ⚫ with relation to Spain and the West-Indies.

• IV. You may depend on her majefty's communicating to her parliament the terms of peace, before the fame shall ⚫ be concluded.

V. The world will now fee, how groundless those reports are, which have been fpread abroad by men of evil intentions, to serve the worft defigns, as if a feparate C peace had been treated, for which there has not been the leaft colour given.

VI. Her majesty's minifters have directions to propose, that a day may be fixed for the finishing, as was done for the commencement of this treaty; and, in the mean time all the preparations are haftening for an early campaign. • VII. The zeal, which this house has already expreffed, was a fure pledge, that they will proceed in giving the neceffary dispatch to the fupplies.

• VIII. Her majefty finds it neceffary to obferve, how great licenfe is taken in publishing falfe and fcandalous libels, fuch as are a reproach to any government. This • evil feems to be grown too strong for the laws now in force; it is therefore recommended to you to find a remedy equal to the mischief."

The meffage, the queen fent to the houfe of lords, was exactly the fame with that sent to the commons; except

Upon the receipt of this letler, the court of aldermen did not think fit to make any further

fteps in that matter, to the great
difappointment and mortification
of most of the citizens.
Ff2

only,

1711-12. only, that inftead of the feventh paragraph, about the fupply, her majefty took notice of the affair relating to the Scotch peers, in the following words: there is one thing in which her majefty's fubjects of the north part of this kingdom are extremely concerned: the diftinction such of ' them who were peers of Scotland before the union must lie < under, if the prerogative of the crown is ftrictly barred against them alone. This is a matter which fenfibly affects her majefty, and fhe therefore lays it before this house, • earnestly defiring their advice and concurrence in finding out the best method of fettling this affair, to the satisfaction of the whole kingdom.'

The lords

and com

The house of lords agreed to an addrefs, thanking her mons addrefs majefty for communicating these things to them, and for of thanks. the promises she had made them, repeating the very words in which they were made. It was moved to add the words,

Pr. H. L.
P. H. C.

the house of

Pr. H. L.
Burnet.

conform to her alliance;' but it was faid, that the queen affured them of that, and therefore the repeating these words would seem to intimate a diftruft, fo that was not carried. But, because there feemed to be an ambiguity in the mention made of Spain and the Weft-Indies, the house expreffed in what fenfe they understood them, by adding these words: which are of fo great concern to the safety and commerce ‹ of your majesty's kingdoms.' The commons, made an address to the fame purpose, in which they only named Spain and the Weft-Indies.

A bill giving The duke of Devonshire, pursuant to the motion he had precedence to made before the recess, having prepared a bill for giving preHanover. cedence to the duke of Cambridge, the lord-treasurer was refolved to prevent him, and offered January 17, a bill giving precedence to the whole electoral family, as the children and nephews of the crown; and it was intimated, that bills relating to honours and precedence ought to come from the crown: the duke of Devonshire would make no dispute on this head; if the thing paffed, he acquiefced in the manner of paffing it, only he thought it lay within the authority of the house. On this occafion, the court feemed, even to an affectation, to shew a particular zeal in promoting this bill; for it paffed through both houses in two days. Notwithstanding this hafte, the court did not seem to defign any such bill, till it was proposed by others, out of whole hands they thought fit to take it. The act was fent over to Hanover, by Mr. Thomas Harley, in order to raise favourable thoughts there of the miniftry. But that court faw through these thin difguifes, which were contradicted by the open counte

nance

Scots peers.

nance to those who were no well-wishers to the protestant 1711-12. fucceffion, and the difcouragement to its beft friends. The n lords entered upon the confideration of the paragraph in the Debate conqueen's meffage, relating to the peers of Scotland. The cerning the court proposed that an expedient might be found, that the peers of Scotland fhould not fit among them by election, but by defcent, in cafe the rest of the peers of that nation fhould confent to it. A debate followed concerning the articles of the union, which of them were fundamental and not alterable. It was faid, that, by the union, no private right could be taken away, but by the consent of the perfons concerned; therefore no alteration could be made in the right of the peers of Scotland, unless they confented to it. It was afterwards debated, whether an alteration might be made with this condition, in cafe they should confent to it; or whether the first rise to any fuch alteration ought not to be given by a previous defire. This was not fo fubject to an ill management; the court ftudied to have a fubfequent confent received as fufficient: but a previous defire was infifted, as vifibly fairer and juster.

The Scotch lords, feeing no redress to their complaint, The Scots but that the peers adhered to their late judgment, feemed lords are promifed refolved to come no more to fit in the house of lords; but fatisfaction. the court was fenfible, that their strength, in that house, Burnet. confifted chiefly in them and the new peers: for which reason pains were taken, and fecret forcible arguments were used to them, which proved fo effectual, that, after a few days abfence, they came back, and continued, during the feffion, to fit in the house. They gave out, that an expedient would be found, that would be to the fatisfaction of the peers of Scotland; but, nothing of that appearing, it was concluded, that the fatisfaction was private and perfonal. The great arrear, into which all the regular payments, both of the houfhold and of falaries and penfions, was left to run, made it to be generally believed, that the income for the civil lift, though it exceeded the establishment very much, was applied to other payments, which the ministers durft not own. And, though fecret practice on members had been for a great while too common, yet it was believed, that it was at this time managed with an extraordinary profufion.

and cenfure.

The house of commons entered on the obfervations of Mr. Walthe commiffioners for taking the public accounts, which pole's cafe had been laid before them on the 21st of December; and Ibid. they began with what related to Mr. Walpole, whom they

Ff3

refolved