1734-35 Land-Service, whatever appeared from the Account then be- Anno 8. Geo. II. fore them, relating to that Service, to have been incurred over and above what was granted by laft Parliament, for the 17,704 Land-Forces then voted to be kept up in Great Britain, Guernsey and Jerfey, for laft Year, must be an additional Expence incurred, in confequence of that Vote of Credit; And as to what had been incurred on Occafion of the late Treaty with Denmark, it was certain the whole was to be placed to the Account of Expences incurred, in confequence of that Confidence, which was fo reasonably vested in his Majesty in the last Seffion of Parliament. So that :hey could not poffibly expect any farther or new Accounts by the Addrefs propofed; and the prefenting of fuch an Addrefs would, in their Opinion, fhew a want of Respect to his Majefty, and a fort of Jealoufy and Diffidence in what he had already ordered to be laid before them.' Sir W. Wyndham. Mr Walpole. Mr Pelham. Sir W. Yonge. Hereupon Mr Sandys propofed an Amendment to his Mo- Mr Sandys. tion, by adding thereto the following Words, viz. Over and above thofe, of which Accounts had already been laid before the Houfe; and was fupported by Mr Pulteney and Sir Wil- Mr Pulteney. liam Wyndham: But the Members who oppofed the Motion as first proposed by Mr Sandys, objected likewise to the Amendment offered. That it was not to be fuppofed that any other Expences had been incurred, than thofe contained in the Accounts then before them: That they could af fure Gentlemen, that no Money had been iffued from the Mr Winnington. Treasury, by Virtue of the Clause they had mentioned, but Mr Danvers. what was stated in the Accounts already laid before the Houfe; nor had any Expences been incurred but what were contained in the three Accounts relating to the SeaService, the Land-Service, and the late Treaty with Denmark: That the prefenting of fuch an Addrefs was really in fome manner provoking the Crown to make farther Demands upon them: And that if what was then proposed hould come to be a Precedent, it would become neceffary for the Crown to add a Certificate to every Account to be given in hereafter to Parliament, certifying, That these are ll the Expences that have been incurred, or fome fuch Words to that Purpose, which they thought would look a ittle abfurd: That therefore they could not agree to the Amendment, but when it was difagreed to, as they hoped it would, they would propofe that the following Words should e added, by way of Amendment to the Motion, viz. Notwithstanding that full Accounts of all Expences, that had een incurred, had been already laid before that House: That his was the most natural Amendment that could be made 5 the Motion, because, by the Addition of thefe Words, it ould appear in its proper and true Light, and in that VOL. IV. Light Anno 8. Geo. II. Light they were perfuaded the Houfe would not agree 1734-35 Mr Sandys. Mr Pultency. to it.' To this it was anfwered by the Members, who were for the Motion, That they could not but think that the MoSir W. Wyndham. tion, as it stood at firft, was a very proper Motion, because it would be much better and more diftinct, to have all these Expences fairly and fully ftated in one Account, than to have them difperfed in feveral Accounts, and confounded with a great many other Articles: That this Method of flating thofe Expences would be attended with this Advantage, that it would clearly fhew to Gentlemen, how sparing his Majefty had been in making ufe of that unlimited Credit given him the laft Seffion, which would be a great Inducement to that Houfe to renew that Credit, whenever his Majefty fhould please to demand it: This they thought the honourable Gentlemen would not have obftructed, because it might perhaps be of great Advantage to them upon fome future Occafion; but as thofe Gentlemen did not feem to like that Way of ftating the Account, therefore they were willing to make the Amendment propofed to their Motion, in order to prevent a Negative's being put upon a Question of fuch Moment: That they hoped no Expences had been incurred, in confequence of that Vote of Credit, but what appeared upon the feveral Accounts then before them; but it would be a great Satisfaction to the House, to have a direct Answer upon that Subject from the Crown; for tho' they were perfuaded that the Gentlemen, who had taken upon them to affure the Houfe that no other Expences had been incurred, or Money iffued, but what were contained in thefe Accounts, really believed it to be as they had declared ; yet in fuch Cafes that House was not to take an Anfwer from any Member, for were he the greatest Subject in the Nation, his Word or his Declaration was no Parliamentary Satiffaction, nor could it be taken as fuch: That with respect to the Certificate mentioned, it was in the prefent Cafe fo far from being abfurd, that it was abfolutely neceffary: When certain Sums were granted by Parliament, and those Sums appropriated by Parliament to certain Ufes, fuch a Certificate would, 'twas true, be quite unneceffary, it would be ridiculous to infift upon any fuch; but when an unlimited Credit had been granted by Parliament, and that Credic unlimited likewife as to the Ufes it was to be applied to, it was abfolutely neceffary to have a Certificate in the Manner mentioned by the honourable Gentlemen, certifying that fuch Sums, and no more, had been taken up on that Vote of Credit; and that the Sums fo taken up had been applied to fuch Ufes, and none other: For, without fuch a Certificate, it would be impoffible for that House to know how the Accounts 1734-35. Accounts of the Nation ftood; they could not know but Anno 8. Geo. II. every fucceeding Year might bring a new Demand, to provide for fome Expence incurred, or fome Debt contracted, in confequence of the unlimited Credit they had formerly given: That therefore it was incumbent upon them, as Members of that Houfe, to demand fuch a Certificate; they were bound in Honour, and in Duty to their Conftituents, to infift upon having fuch a Certificate, and fuch a Certificate could not be had any other Way than by prefenting the Addrefs propofed: That as to the Amendment intended to be added by the worthy Gentlemen, in order to make their Question appear ridiculous upon the Journals of that House, it did not at all deter them from infifting upon their Question, nor from infifting upon the Amendment they had propofed: That they had no Caufe to fufpect, that that House would agree to the Amendment intended by the worthy Gentleman; but if they had, it would give them no Pain; for whatever that House might do, the World without Doors would judge rightly, and would fix the Ridicule where it properly belonged: That they would, upon that Occafion, put the Gentleman in mind of what appeared upon their Journals: They remembered a certain Man great was, in a former Parliament, accused of fome very high Crimes, and a Queftion was actually moved and feconded in that House for a Refolution in these Terms, That it ' appears to this House, that fuch a great Man [naming him] had been guilty of feveral heinous and fraudulent Practices, &c. That this was the Queftion as first moved; but the Friends of that great Man, in order to defeat the Question by rendering it ridiculous, propofed that the Words, it appears to this House, fhould by way of Amendment be left out of the Queftion: That upon a Divifion this Amendment was approved of by a corrupt Majority, and that the Queftion, fo made ridiculous by the Amendment, food to that Day upon their Journals, as the worthy Gentlemen might fee if they pleafed; but that the thus rendering the Queftion ridiculous, was far from rendering ridiculous thofe who had at first propofed it: On the contrary, the Ridicule fell upon thofe, who made the Question ridiculous by their Amendment; and accordingly at the Elections for the very next Parliament, most of them were neglected by their Country, and juftly refufed the Honour of continuing any longer the Reprefentatives of the People in that Houfe.' The Queftion being at laft put upon the Amendment, it G 2 Men, the N the Y 1734-35 Anno 8. Geo. II. Men, to be provided for Guards and Garrifons in Great Britain, Guernsey and Jerfey for the Year 1735, be 25,744, including 1815 Invalids, and 555 Men for the Service of the Highlands. Mr Andrews's Motion was fupported by Sir William Yonge, Col. Bladen, Mr Winnington, Mr Mr Winnington. Horatio Walpole, and Sir Robert Walpole, as follows: Mr Andrews. Sir W Yonge. Mr H. Walpole. Sir R. Walpole. Sir, Though we are not as yet any way engaged in the prefent War, yet fuch Events may happen, as may make it abfolutely neceffary for us to engage of one Side or the other. The Affair of Poland, which is the only Motive, the only Bone of Contention hitherto publickly avowed, is an Affair this Nation has very little to do with; but if that fhould appear not to be the real Motive, or if Success should encourage either Side to extend their Views, the Balance of Power may at laft be brought into real Danger; and then, for the Sake of preferving the Liberties of Europe, upon which the Liberties of this Nation will always depend, we muft take a principal Share in the War. This Danger may not perhaps be fo remote as fome People imagine; which has made his Majefty become a Mediator for reconciling the contending Powers, before Conquefts of either Side fhall take away all Hopes of Succefs in that Way; and his Majesty has already pufhed his Negociations with fo much Vigour, that a Plan of Peace will foon be offer'd; a Plan fo well adapted to the Honour and Intereft of all Parties concerned, that whoever refufes it will thereby fhew, that their fecret Views are more extenfive than they have hitherto been declared. From hence, Sir, I must conclude, that we fhall be very foon able to determine, whether we must engage in the War or not: If that Plan be accepted, then we shall attain our Ends; the Peace of Europe will be restored, the Balance of Power will be preferved, without our engaging in the War, without fubjecting this Nation to any Inconvenience, or to any Expence; but if reasonable Terms should be haughtily rejected by either Side, we must then neceffarily take a Share in the War. It is therefore very much our Interest at present, to take every Measure that may contribute towards rendering his Majefty's Endeavours fuccessful; that may contribute towards inducing, or even compelling, every one of the contending Powers to accept of that Plan, which his Majefty, in Conjunction with his Allies, is to offer to them: And, in my Opinion, nothing can contribute more towards thefe great Ends, than our having fuch a Standing regular Force, as may convince all Parties that we are in earneft, and that we have it in our Power to alter the Scale whenever we have a Mind. For this Reaion I can hardly imagine, that any Gentleman in this House 17 34-35. will oppofe the fmall Augmentation of our Land-Forces Anno 8. Geo. II. now propofed, when he confiders how many Millions we may be obliged to expend, if, by refufing fuch a seasonable Expence, we should at last make it neceffary to involve ourselves in a heavy War. The Profperity of this Nation, Sir, or at leaft our Security, depends upon the Tranquility of our Neighbours: While they are at Peace, they will always confume more of our Manufactures than when they are involv'd in Blood and Confufion; and confequently we fhall always, in Times of Peace, have a greater Demand for the Manufactures of our Country than in Time of War. Befides, while they continue at Peace, the Balance of Power can be in no Danger, but the Events of War no Nation can depend on; and therefore this Nation among the reft, may be deeply affected by the extraordinary Succefs of any one Power in Europe. Let us not therefore grudge a small Expence, when it may evidently contribute towards reftoring Peace among our Neighbours, upon which our own Profperity and Security does and always muft depend. Our Houfe is not as yet on Fire, but our Neighbour's is all in a Flame; and then certainly it is Time for us to prepare the Engines neceffary for preferving our own: These are a powerful Fleet, and a fufficient Body of regular well difciplined Troops, ready to march at the firft Word of Command. This, Sir, will give Weight to his Majefty's Negociations, it will make all the Parties concerned give a due Attention to what may be propofed, by his Majesty's Minifters, for reftoring the Peace of Europe; for a Minifter, whofe Equipage confifts of a large Body of good Troops, will always be better hearkened to, than one whose Equipage confifts only of a great Number of fine Pages and ufelefs Footmen. By agreeing to the Augmentation proposed, we may expect, Sir, that the Parties now at War will be prevented from forming any ambitious Views, either against this Nation or against the Balance of Power; and if any fuch Views have already been formed, the Projectors will find themselves under a Neceffity of laying them afide; by which Means we fhall be able to reftore the Peace of Europe, and establish the future Security of this Nation, without expofing ourselves to the Inconveniences, the Misfortunes and the doubtful Events of War. From a contrary Behaviour, let as confider what we are to expect: Will not France and her Allies from thence conclude, that they may go on and conquer; that they may place upon the Imperial Throne a Prince of the Houfe of Bourbon; and that England is not Dow, as formerly, apprehenfive of the growing Power of France, |