THE HISTORY and PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS, WITH THE DEBATES and PROTESTS therein, From the Acceffion of King GEORGE the First. The SECOND SESSION of the SECOND PARLIAMENT of 1735-6. Motion for an A N. 15, 1735-6. was opened with a gracious Anno 9. Geo. II. Speech to both Houses as ufual (which fee in Chand. Hift. Ann. 9. Geo. II. 1735-6. P. 103) and which, as foon as his Majefty was withdrawn, was taken into Confideration by the Houfe of Lords, and the fame being read to the House, it was mov'd as follows, viz. To order that' an humble Address be prefented to his Majefty, to return the Thanks of this Houfe for his moft gracious Speech Addrefs of from the Throne: To exprefs the juft Senfe this House Thanks. hath of his Majefty's great Concern for the Balance of Europe, his Vigilance to prevent a general War, and to maintain the Security and Commerce of his Kingdoms: To declare their Satisfaction in his Majesty's Perfeverance to pursue these great Ends, by endeavouring to bring the Contending Powers to an Accommodation, and the well-grounded Hopes which they always conceived, that the good Offices of his Majefty and the States General would be attended with real and beneficial Effects: To congratulate his Majefty on the pleafing Profpect of approaching Tranquillity, and to exprefs the great Satisfaction of this Houfe 1735-6. A upon Anno9. Geo. II. upon the gracious Communication made in his Speech 1735-6. touching the Preliminary Articles between the Emperor and France, and the joint Refolution taken thereupon by his Majefty and the States: To acknowledge, with the greatest Gratitude, his Majefty's tender Care of his People, in preferving to them the Bleffings of Peace; and to declare that this Houfe fees with Pleature, in our prefent Situation, the happy Effects of the extraordinary Supplies of late Years granted by Parliament: To return his Majefty the Thanks of this Houfe, for the Orders given for a Reduction of his Forces; affuring him, in the ftrongeft Manner, that this Houfe will zealoufly and chearfully concur in all fuch Meafures as fhall be neceffiry to fecure the Safety of his Majef ty's Kingdoms, and to continue the juft Influence of his Crown among the Powers abroad: To promife his Majefty, that this House will, to the utmoft, promote good Harmony and Unanimity at Home, and demonftrate, by all their Actions, how much they have at Heart the effectual Support of his Majefty and his Government, the Prefervation of the Proteftant Succeffion, and the Peace and Prosperity of their Country. Amendment of Motion. To this Motion feveral Objections were made; and in fered to the faid particular it was propofed to leave out, in the fifth Paragraph, thefe Words, viz. And to declare, that this House fees with Pleafure, in our prefent Situation, the happy Effects of the extraordinary Supplies of late Years granted by Parlia Arguments for ment. ments. The Arguments made ufe of in Support of this Amendment, were in Substance as follow, viz. My Lords, by the ancient Ufage of this House, no the faid Amend-Speech from the Throne was ever taken into Confideration the fame Day it was made. Our Ancestors were not fo complaifant as to make any Compliments even to the Throne itself, without having first maturely weighed the Subject upon which they were to make thofe Compliments; ⚫ and therefore they always appointed a Day for taking his Majefty's Speech into Confideration; in order that those Lords, who knew nothing of the Speech till they heard • it from the Throne, might have Time to perufe it, and to ⚫ confider what might properly be faid, by way of Return. This, my Lords, was the ancient Custom, and this, I must think, was more confiftent with the Honour and Dignity of this Houfe, than the Method we have lately fallen into, of taking his Majefty's Speech immediately into our Confideration, and agreeing to fuch an Addrefs as fome Lords may be pleafed to propofe, before we can poffibly 1735-6. ⚫ have Time to confider whether it be proper or not. For Anno 9. Geo. II. this Reafon I could with we would return to our ancient Cuftom, and, inftead of agreeing or difagreeing to the Mo-U tion now made, appoint a Day for taking his Majesty's • Speech into our Confideration, and order the Houfe to be • fummoned for that Purpose. 6 6 6 As I knew nothing of the Contents of his Majesty's Speech, till I heard it from the Throne, it cannot, my Lords, be prefumed that I can ftate my Objections to the Addrefs now propofed, in fuch a regular Manner as I might do, if a Day were appointed for our taking the Speech into Confideration: I believe there are a great 6 many other Lords in the fame Circumftances with me; and although we had, in a private Manner, been fully inform⚫ed of the Contents of that Speech which was to be made, ⚫ yet I do not think it regular or confiftent with the Dignity of this Houfe, to proceed upon any fuch private Information. As Members of this Houfe, we can have nothing under our Confideration, nor ought we to form an Opinion or a Refolution about any thing, till it has, in a proper and regular Manner, been laid before the House; • and, in this light, I am of Opinion none of your Lordfhips can fay, that you have fully and maturely confidered the Speech now before you; for my own Part, I am fure I cannot; but, even from the little Time I have had to ⚫ confider the Speech and the Address now moved for, I am fure I cannot pretend to fay, that my Hopes have been ⚫ answered by the Peace that has been concluded, or by any thing else that has happened; for I muft fay, I could ne6 ver form any Hopes from the Measures we have taken, or from any Account of our late Tranfactions, that has ever been laid before this Houfe; and, I believe, there are many of your Lordships, who have always been of the fame Opinion with me; therefore, if we refolve to men⚫tion in our Addrefs, any thing about our Hopes, I think we ought to fay, that by various hidden Caufes, and extraordinary Incidents, Providence has been pleased, without any Merit in us, to bring about a Peace, far beyond our Hopes, and even contrary to our Expectations. A Peace, my Lords, has, it is true, been brought about, but I am very certain, we cannot say it is a good Peace for this Nation; and I am much afraid, it will not be so lafting as • fome People may perhaps imagine. 6 6 "I know, my Lords, it has always been faid that no Expreffions in our Addrefs of Thanks, for his Majefty's most gracious Speech from the Throne, can any way tye up or 'controul the future Proceedings or Refolutions of this House; 1735-6. A 2 ' yet Anno 9. Geo II. 1735-6. yet I hope we fhall always take Care, not to put any Expreffion or Allegation in an Addrefs of this Houfe, which the Generality of the World knows to be falfe; and for ⚫ this Reafon, I cannot agree to put any Words into our Addrefs, which may feem to infinuate, that the Peace was owing to any Preparations made by us, or to any Supplies granted by former Parliaments. Can it be pretended, that there is the leaft Ground for any fuch Infinuation? Can it be faid, that our adding 6 or 7000 Men to our Land-Forces, had fo frightened France, as to make them give up any of thofe Pretenfions they had seriously at Heart? Can it be alledged, that our Squadrons made them give up the Affair of Poland, when the whole World knows, we ne· ver fent fo much as one Ship into the Baltic? Or can it be faid, that our Squadrons fet Limits to any of their Defigns in Italy, without ever appearing in the Mediterranean? My Lords, whatever his Majefty's Endeavours were, we may judge from the Event, that he could have no Hand in the Peace that has been concluded; for I am ⚫ convinced his Majefty never did, nor ever would use the ⚫ least Endeavour, for annexing to the Crown of France for ever, the whole Dominions of the Duke of Lorrain: This, my Lords, is a Ceffion, which this Nation, as well as the rest of Europe, may foon have Reason to repent of: It is a Measure, which I am fure his Majefty would never propofe or countenance; and if any of his Minifters did. fo, I call upon them now to declare it: But, my Lords, I believe no one of them will dare to own any fuch thing; and as this was apparently the Motive, which induced • France to facrifice all her other Views, as well as most of the Views of her Allies, how can we fay in our Address, with any Appearance of Truth, that the Peace was owing to our Preparations, or to any of his Majesty's Endeavours? • Or how can we from thence declare, that we see with Pleasure, the happy Effects of the extraordinary Supplies of late Years granted by Parliaments? Therefore, if your Lordships are refolved to agree immediately upon an Ad⚫ drefs of Thanks, I hope you will leave thefe Words out of your Addrefs; for I cannot think any of your Lordfhips will fay, you fee with Pleasure the Dominions of • France enlarged, by the Acceffion of fuch an extenfive ⚫ and convenient Country as that of the Duchy of Lorrain. The Dantrick had been furrendered to the Ruffians, July 7. King Sta niflaus having made his Escape, thro' innumerable Difficulties and Dangers, fome Days before: And an Asylum being foon after provided for him, by the Ceffion in Form of the noble Duchy of Lorrain. |