Anno 10. Geo. Sir George Wynne declar'd the fit ting Member. Member had endeavoured to add to his Poll; and also to difcredit and contradict feveral Witneffes, examined on the Part of the fitting Member: After which, Part of the Information profecuted against Richard Williams, Clerk, for the Affault upon John Roberts, one of the returning Officers, was read; and the Counsel for the Petitioner having finish'd their Reply, the Counsel on both Sides were ordered to withdraw. Thus the Hearing of the Matter of the faid Petition being finished, and the Counsel withdrawn, the following Motion was then made, viz. That Sir George Wynne, Bart. is duly elected a Burgess to ferve in this prefent Parliament, for the Borough of Flint in the County of Flint. Whereupon, Sir George Wynne, the fitting Member, having been first heard in his Place, and afterwards withdrawn, as ufual in fuch Cafes, there enfued a long Debate; and the Question being at laft put, it was carried in the Upon a Divi- Affirmative upon a Divifion, by 158 to 107. fion. Speech of the Having thus, as we propofed, given our Readers a full Account of the Proceedings upon controverted Elections, this Seffion, we shall now proceed to give an Account of more important Debates. February 3d, The Houfe proceeded to take into Con. fideration the Speech of the Lords Commiffioners, appointed miffioners ta. by his Majefty for holding that Parliament, to both ken into Con- Houfes of Parliament, and the fame being again read by fideration. Mr. Speaker, a Motion was made, That a Supply fhould be granted to his Majelty; whereupon 'twas refolved, That Motion for a the Houfe fhould next Morning refolve itself into a ComSupply. mittee of the whole Houfe, to confider of the faid Motion. Committee for the fame. On the 4th, the Order of the, Day being read, for the House to refolve itfelf into the faid Committee, the faid Speech of the Lords Commiffioners was ordered to be referred to the fame; and the Houfe having then refolved itself into the faid Committee, they refolved, That it was the Opinion of that Committee, that a Supply fhould be granted to his Majefty; which was on the Monday following reported and agreed to by the House Nemine contradicente. On the 9th, the Houfe, according to Order, refolved itself again into the faid Committee, and came to the following Refolutions, which were reported, and all agreed to by the House, viz. That ten thousand Men fhould be employ'd for the Ste Service for the Year 1737, beginning from Jan. 1,1736: That a Sum, not exceeding 4. per Man per Month, fhould be be allowed for maintaining the faid 10,000 Men for 13 Anno 10. Geo. Months, including the Ordnance for Sea Service: And that II. 1736-7. a Sum, not exceeding 219,2017. 6 s. 5 d. fhould be granted to his Majefty for the Ordinary of the Navy (including half Pay to the Sea Officers) for the Year 1737. On the 18th, William Young, in a fhort Speech fhewed the Neceffity there was for keeping up the fame Number of regular Forces that were kept up the proceeding Year, and moved, That it be refolved by the faid Committee, that the Number of effective Men to be provided, for Guards and Garrifons in Great Britain, and for Guernsey and Jersey, for the Year 1737, fhould be (including 1815 Invalids, and 555 Men, which the fix independent Companies confift of for the Service of the Highlands) 17,704 Men, Commiffion and Non-Commiffion Officers included: That a Sum, not exceeding 647,549 7. 11 s. 3d should be granted to his Majefty, for defraying the Charge of the faid 17,704 Men: That a Sum, not exceeding 215,710 7. 6 s. 5d fhould be granted to his Majesty, for maintaining his Majesty's Forces and Garrifons in the Plantations, Minorca and Gibraltar, and for Provisions for the Garrisons at Annapolis Royal, Canfo, Placentia, and Gibraltar, for the Year 1737. This Motion being objected to by Sir John Barnard, Mr. Speech aPultney and others brought on a Debate, which was manag'd gainst the by Sir William Young, the Honourable Henry Pelham, Sir Motion. Robert Walpole, and others for the Motion, whofe Arguments, to avoid Repetition of what we have already feen on that head, we shall give the Reader in one connected Speech. SIR, Whatever impracticable Notions fome Gentlemen may entertain, I believe there is no Maxim more true, than that Force is neceffary for the Support of Government. And this Force, in its own Nature, can be no other than a Military Force. For in every Society it is abfolutely neceffary to have a certain Number of Men properly armed and difciplined, for protecting the Society against foreign Invafions, as well as for preventing the Weak from being oppreffed by the Mighty, and for putting the Laws of the Society in Execution against Offenders of every Rank aud Degree. Tho' this Force, Sir, as kept up by our Ancestors, is now deny'd by fome to have been a Military Force, yet a very little Confideration will teach us that it was properly fo. It confifted chiefly of the Militia of every Country, who for that Reafon were all properly armed and difciplined, and obliged to answer the Call of thofe who had the Command over them; but of lat ter Anno 10. Geo. latter Ages, and fince Mankind have begun to apply themII.1736 7. felves to Arts and Induftry, they have neglected to breed themselves up to Arms and Military Difcipline, and therefore it has been found neceflary in moft, and efpecially in our neighbouring Countries, to provide and maintain a certain Number of Men, whofe chief Bufinefs it is to breed themselves up to the Art of War, and who for that Reafon are called regular Troops. To them the Defence of the Society both against Invafions from without, and Infurrections from within, is chiefly intrufted, and by that means the rest of the People of the Society are enabled to purfue Trade, Manufactures, Agriculture, and other induftrious Employments, with greater Application and Affiduity than they could poffibly do, if they were every now and then obliged to withdraw from their Labour, in order to learn their Exercifes as Soldiers, or to march against a foreign or domeftic Enemy. This, Sir, is the chief Reason that Arts and Sciences have of late flourished fo much in Europe, and it is by this Method only that Trade and Industry can be fupported and encouraged in this Kingdom; therefore I fhall not fuppofe that any Gentleman will be against our keeping up any Number of regular Troops. The only Question that can come this Day properly before us, is, What Number of regular Troops may be fufficient for protecting this Island against any foreign Invafion, and for fupporting our Government in the Execution of the Laws of their Country? With refpe&t to this Queftion, Sir, we ought to confider, that in a free Country as this is, and, I hope, will for ever remain, tho' every Man enjoys many Advantages by the Constitution, yet that private Good is, and always muft be, attended with this public Inconvenience. It must farther be owned, that it begets and fupports Parties, Factions, and Divifions among the People in general; and when the Government is not provided with a fufficient Military Force for a neceffary and juft Support, thofe Parties and Factions are apt to come to Extremes: The Difcontented, let the Motives of their Diffatisfaction be never fo unreasonable, are apt to raite Infurrections, and to break out into open Rebellion, when by the Imbecility of the Government they conceive Hopes of obtaining, by Force, thofe Ends which they neither were intitled to, nor could obtain, by the Laws of their Country; the neceffary Confequence of which is, that the People are always expofed to the Misfortunes of a Civil War; and in fuch a Cafe we have in our own History melancholy Proofs, that the prevailling Party but feldom fhews any great Regard to that very Conftitution, the Sup port to port of which was at firft, perhaps by both Sides, made Anno 10. Geo. the fole Pretence for engaging in War. II.1736 7. To this general Confideration, Sir, we ought to add another which is peculiar to this Kingdom: It is not only peculiar to this Kingdom, but is in itself of a moft peculiar and a moft extraordinary Nature. In this free, this happy Country, we have a Party amongst us, and a confiderable Party too, who are every Day labouring to deftroy that Freedom to which only they owe their very Existence as a Party, who are every Day contriving Plots for putting an End to that Happiness in which they themselves fhare. When I fay this, I believe, I need not tell Gentlemen, Ì mean the Jacobites and Papifts in the Kingdom, I believe or at least I wish that, this Party has not of late gained Ground among the better Sort, but I am afraid, Sir, it is owing only to the dread of a Military Force, that the inferior Rank of People are kept fo quiet as they have of late Years been. But, Sir, I am far from thinking the Principles of Jacobitifm to be quite extinct even among the better Sort. If we fhould leave the Government unprovided of a fufficient Military Force, it would immediately revive their Hopes; and if they fhould again break out in open Rebellion, they would certainly be joined by all the Abandoned, the Profligate, and the Defperate,, who will generally chufe that Side, as being that from which they may expect the greatest Reward in cate of Succefs; in which Cafe we fhould again be obliged to fight for our Liberties, and the most fortunate Event would be attended with great public Lofs, and with many private Calamities. But letting afide the general Interefts of the Government, I don't fee, Sir, as our common People are now difufed to Military Difcipline, that even private Property can now be fecure against Rogues and Pilferers, if as in other Countries they fhould form themselves into Gangs. At leaft, Sir, there might be a great deal of Mischief done, before they could be fupprefs'd and brought to Juftice. Then with regard to Mobs, and Tumults, we find by Experience, that regular Troops are of great Ufe, not only for pre venting any fuch from happening, but for quelling and difperfing them after they have happened, and that without any great Mifchief's being done of either Side: Whereas if we had no regular Troops to be employ'd in fuch Services, tho' the Civil Power might perhaps at laft be able to put an End to the Tumult, and to feize and punish the Rioters; yet 'tis certain, the Mob or Tumult would always be gathered to a great Height before the Civil Power could effectually interpose. VOL. IV. Hh With Anno 10. Geo. With refpect, therefore, to the protecting our People II. 1736-7. against Invafions, I fhall now, Sir, take the Liberty to confider what Effect our keeping, or our not keeping, up a fufficient Number of Land-Forces, might, and probably would have upon our foreign Interests, and what ftill more nearly concerns us. All our Neighbours, Sir, are highly fenfible of the great Inequality between Militia and regular Troops. Experience has often fhewn what a vaft Number of the former may be attacked and put to Flight by the latter, they therefore now put their only Confidence in their regular Troops; and every Nation in Europe is now refpected and efteemed by the reft, in proportion to the Number of regular Troops they have in their Pay. Therefore, to preferve that Refpect and Efteem which we ought always to have among our Neigh bours, we ought to keep up a confiderable Body of regular well-difciplined Troops; becaufe if any of our Neighbours fhould begin to defpife us, they would of courfe begin to infult, and perhaps to invade us. This, Sir, would keep our Sea Coafts in a continual Alarm, and might expose many of our maritime Counties and Cities to be plunder'd and ravaged by a Handful of foreign Troops, landed in any Corner of the Island. I do not fuppofe, Sir, that a Handful of any Sort of Troops would be able to conquer the lfland; but if we had nothing but Militia to fend against them, they might do us infinite Mischief, before we could gather and form fuch a Body of Militia as would be able to oppofe them. From thefe Confiderations, Sir, I must be of Opinion, that it is no way confiftent with true Wildom and Policy, or with the Peace and Security of the People, to diminish the Number of regular Forces we have at present on Foot. It is the leaft Number has been kept on Foot for many Years, and Experience has fhewn us that from fuch a Number there are no Inconveniences to be apprehended; but on the contrary we have felt many good Effects from keeping up that Number, and even from augmenting it now and then as Occafion required, provided as has always been the Practice fince the Acceffion of his Majefty's Royal House, they are likewife upon Occafion reduced. It would be too tedious to recapitulate all the Advantages we have from thence acquired; but in general it muft be granted, we have for near thefe zo Years enjoyed a moft profound Tranquility both at Home and Abroad, which is chiefly to be attributed to our keeping up fuch an Army as made our Enemies both at Home and Abroad ftand in Awe, and to the other prudent Mealures which his Majefty and his glo |