importance of the matters he had to fpeak of, and was at- Geo. I. tended with the expected fuccefs. The fpeech was as fol- 1717. lows: • My lords and gentlemen, I AM very glad I have been able to bring the fitting of parliament into a more proper and usual feason of the year. I hope, fuch an early meeting will not only be a benefit to the public, but a convenience to your private • affairs. •. As I have always had at heart the fecurity and ease of my people, fo I never kept up any troops, but for their protection, and have taken every opportunity to difband as many as I thought confiftent with their fafety. I have reduced the army to very near one half, fince the beginning of the laft feffion of parliament, and leffened them to fuch a number, as will neither be a burden to my good fubjects, nor ❝ an encouragement to our enemies to infult them. • You cannot but be fenfible of the many attempts which • have been set on foot to disturb the peace of Europe, and of thefe kingdoms. They only pretend not to fee, who are not ⚫ afraid of them. But, as no application has been wanting, ⚫ on my part, to preferve the public tranquillity, I have the pleasure to find my good offices have not been altogether • unsuccessful, and have reafon to hope they will, in the • end, have their full and defired effect. • Gentlemen of the house of commons, I queftion not, but you are very well pleased to find, that your endeavours for leffening the national debts have, at the fame time, raised the public credit; and that whatever was propofed, for that end, is actually and completely • effected. This fuccefs muft chiefly be attributed to that • juft and prudent regard you have fhewn to parliamentary engagements. It was with a view of procuring and fettling a lafting ← tranquillity, that I demanded the extraordinary fupply, which you granted me laft feffion. The credit, which this • confidence repofed in me hath given us abroad, has already been so far effectual, that I can acquaint you, we have a < much better prospect than we had. I have ordered an ac< count to be laid before you of the very fmall part of that fupply, which, as yet, has been expended. Any further iffues, Geo. I. 1717. iffues, that may be made of it, fhall be laid before you. And you may be affured, that every part of it fhall either be employed for your service, or faved to the public. I have ordered to be laid before you a ftate of the defi⚫ciencies of the prefent year, and the feveral estimates for • the service of the next, which you will find confiderably • diminished. I rely upon your making the neceffary provifion for them; not doubting of the continuance of that ⚫ zeal for the good of your country, which hath been fo emi'nently confpicuous in every feffion of this parliament. • I cannot, in juftice, avoid putting you in mind, that se<veral arrears of pay and fubfidy, incurred before my acceffion to the crown, are claimed by foreign princes and <ftates. I fhall order them to be laid before you, to the end you may put them in a method of being examined and ftated; which will very much tend to the honour and credit • of the nation. I could heartily wish, that at a time, when the common 'enemies of our religion are, by all manner of artifices, en<deavouring to undermine and weaken it, both at home and • abroad, all those, who are friends to our present happy < establishment, might unanimously concur in fome proper ⚫ method for the greater ftrengthening the Proteftant interest; of which, as the Church of England is unquestionably the • main fupport and bulwark, fo will the reap the principal • benefit of every advantage accruing by the union and mu'tual charity of all Proteftants. • As none can recommend themselves more effectually to < my favour and countenance, than by a fincere zeal for the • juft rights of the crown, and the liberties of the people; fo I am determined to encourage all thofe, who act agreeably to the constitution of thefe my kingdoms, and confequently to the principles, on which my government is founded. The eyes of all Europe are upon you at this critical juncture. It is your intereft; for which reason, I think it is mine, that my endeavours for procuring the peace and quiet of Christendom fhould take effect. Nothing can fo • much contribute to this defirable end, as the unanimity, dispatch, and vigour of your refolutions for the support of my government," This fpeech, as it appears, was worded with great caution, Geo. I. particularly with regard to the army, and the Proteftant Dif- 1717. fenters. The king, by faying he had fo leffened the troops, that they would neither burthen his fubjects nor encourage his enemies, prevented any intended addreffes for a farther reduction. His wishing, that all the friends of the establishment would concur in fome method for ftrengthening the Proteftant intereft, tended to the repeal of the fevere laws made in the last reign against the Diffenters, which had been prevented by the commotions in the kingdom, and which he thought might be accomplished this feffion. He had, ever fince his acceffion, declared for toleration, and seems here to promise his favour and countenance to fuch as fhould be of his mind. The lords, without any debate, voted an addrefs, in which The lords they thanked the king for difbanding fo many troops, and for address. his unwearied application towards fettling the peace of Europe, affuring him, that nothing fhould be wanting on their parts towards fupporting him with the utmost zeal and vigour, till his endeavours had the defired effect. They concluded with faying, We have a grateful sense of your majefty's concern for the Proteftant religion, and the Church of England, as by law established; which, as it has always been the chief of the Proteftant churches, fo it can never be fo well fupported, as by ftrengthening and uniting (as far as may be) the Proteftant intereft." An address of thanks was alfo voted by the commons, but not without fome debates. It was moved by the HighChurch party, that the king's general expreffion, to concur in fome proper method for the greater ftrengthening the Proteftant intereft,' fhould be thus foftened, to concur in the moft effectual methods for ftrengthening the Proteftant interest of these kingdoms, as far as the laws now in force will permit.' But this motion was rejected, and the addrefs paffed as it had been drawn up; wherein, after having thanked the king for bringing the fitting of parliament into a more proper feafon of the year, and affured him of their endeavours to anfwer his gracious intentions, by improving their early meeting (as much as they were able) to the public benefit, they expreffed their lively fenfe of his concern for the welfare of the people by the reductions he had made from time to time of the land-forces. It is (fay they) our peculiar happiness to see ourselves governed by a fovereign, who is not influenced by any notions of greatnefs that are inconfiftent The com mons ad drefs. Geo. I. with the profperity of his fubjects, and who propofes to him1717. felf the ease of his people, as the chief glory of his reign. mons. We acknowledge, with hearts full of duty and gratitude, your majesty's unwearied endeavours to prevent the many attempts which have been fet on foot to difturb the peace of Europe, and the quiet of these kingdoms; and have the more reason to apprehend the ill confequences of fuch attempts, fince there are thofe, who, as they would be thought to fee no danger in them, give us reafon to believe, that they would not be troubled at their fuccefs.' This approbation of the king's fentiments was followed Proceedings of the com- with affurances of moft effectually supporting him in fuch measures as he fhould judge neceffary, and of chearfully granting fuch supplies as the public fervice fhould require. Concluding, It is a pleasure to us, that the eyes of all Europe are turned upon us at this critical juncture, fince we have thereby an opportunity of fhewing the world the juft confidence we repofe in your majefty, and our unfhaken refolutions to fupport your government, in fuch a manner as fhall inable your majefty to fettle the peace of Chriftendom.' Debates a bout the army, Dec. 4. The commons began with fulfilling their promise concerning the fupplies. Eftimates and accounts were called for, to fee what was wanted to fettle the establishment of the army, navy, and ordnance as ufual. Ten thousand men, at 41. a month each, were voted for the fea-service; and 224,857 I. 14 s. 11 d. was granted for the ordinary of the navy. When the motion for a fupply for the army was made, it was oppofed by Mr. Shippen, Sir William Windham, and others. Mr. Walpole made a fpeech that lafted above an hour, wherein, befides the common topic of the danger of a standing army in a free nation, he infifted on four principal points: 1. That whereas they were given to understand, that the army was reduced to fixteen thousand and odd men, it ftill confifted of about eighteen thoufand, which was one third part more than the number of land forces in Great Britain amounted to formerly in time of peace. 2. That there was no due proportion obferved, either between the number of the horse, dragoons, and foot, or between the number of the officers and foldiers, that were kept ftanding, infomuch that, of about 11,000l. which the pay of a reduced regiment of foot amounts to, near 70001. goes towards the pay of the officers, and 4000l. only to the private foldiers. 3. That the keeping up fo great a number of officers was, in effect, the maintaining of an army almoft double of what was was intended, fince the foldiers, that were wanting to com- Geo. I. plete the companies and regiments, might be raised with a 1717. drum, in twice four and twenty hours. 4. That the pay of general officers, which amounted to above 20,000l. was an expence altogether needlefs, and unprecedented, in time of peace.' Mr. Craggs, fecretary of war, anfwered Mr. Walpole, and obferved in general, That, in all wife governments, the fecurity of the ftate is the rule chiefly to be regarded; and that his majefty, both in the augmentation, and the reduction of his forces, had not only confulted the fafety, but likewife the ease of his people. That though, as was fuggefted, the nation paid, at prefent, near eighteen thousand men, yet there were only fixteen thoufand three hundred and forty-feven, who could give any jealousy, unless some people should think our liberties in danger from the chaplains, surgeons, widows of officers, and fuch inoffenfive perfons, who were included in the first number. That therefore there were not much above four thousand men more now in Great Britain, than there were kept up after the peace of Ryfwick; which number must be thought very moderate by all, who wish well to the prefent happy fettlement, confidering, that the embers of an unnatural rebellion lately extinguifhed were ftill warm, and the difcontents induftriously fomented by the enemies of the government. That the parliament had ever contented themselves with fixing the number of forces, that were thought neceffary to be maintained; but had left to the crown the manner of reducing and modelling that number. And therefore, if they should now do otherwife, it would be but an indifferent return to that gracious and tender regard, which, on all occafions, his majesty had fhewn to the fecurity and ease of his fubjects. That, after all, it was no less a piece of justice, than matter of prudence, to keep up as great a number of officers as poffible; for, befides the occafion, which this nation may have for them for the future, it was but reasonable to acknowledge the paft eminent fervices of gentlemen, who, having been brought up to no other trade but war, had no other way to fubfift and provide for themfelves and families. Mr. Craggs was fupported by feveral members, particularly Sir David Dalrymple, who declared for keeping up fixteen thousand men at least one year longer, urging, That the discontents ran ftill as high in Scotland, as before the late rebellion; of which he alledged several reafons.' But Mr. Walpole and others were, on the contrary, of opinion, that twelve thousand men were fufficient. The debate having lafted fome hours, the queftion was going to be |