Anne. 1702. were told, that the lords adhered to their amendments. As the commons likewise adhered to their disagreement with the lords amendments. The bill was loft for this time. The lords ordered their proceedings in this affair to be published, and the commons followed their example. This bill feemed to favour the interefts of the Church, and therefore the warm men were for it. The greater number of the bifhops being against it, they were cenfured, as cold in the concerns of the Church: A reproach, that all moderate men must expect, when they oppofe violent motions. Great part of this cenfure fell upon the bishop of Sarum; for he bore a large fhare in the debates, both in the house of lords, and at the free conference. Angry men took occafion, from the lofs of this bill, to charge the bifhops as enemies to the Church, and betrayers of its interefts, because they would not run blindfold into the paffions and defigns of ill-tempered men; whereas they thought they faithfully pursued the true interefts of the Church, and zealously applied themselves to the duties of their function (d). hear a prelate speak in defence (d) While the occafional The with applaufe from some of that party in the two universities. The author, after his reflections, proceeds to tell the world, that the reprefentatives of the nation had now an opportunity, and perhaps the only one they should ever have, to fecure the Church of England, and deftroy her enemies, under the favour and protection of a "true English queen:" That this was the time to pull up this heretical weed of fedition, that had fo long difturbed the peace of the Church, and poifoned the good corn: That, if it should be objected, that this renewing fire and faggot would be cruelty, and accounted barbarous, he answered, that it is cruelty to kill a fnake or a toad in cold blood; but the poison of their nature makes it a charity to our neighbours to destroy thofe creatures, not for any personal inju Anne. 1702. A farther fe curity to The commons had now passed a bill in favour of those, who had not taken the oath abjuring the pretended prince of Wales, by the day that was named; granting them a year longer to confider of it; for it was faid, that the whole party to the was now come entirely into the queen's interefts; though, on Proteftant the other hand, it was given out, that agents were come fucceffion. from France, on defign to perfuade all perfons to take the abjuration, that they might become capable of employments, and fo might in time be a majority in parliament; and by that means the act of fucceffion, and the oath imposed by it, might be repealed. When the bill for thus prolonging the time was brought up to the lords, a claufe was added, qualifying those perfons, who fhould, in the new extent of time, take the oaths, to return to their benefices or employments, unless they were already legally filled. When this was agreed, two clauses of much greater confequence were added to the bill. One was, declaring it high-treafon to endeavour to defeat the fucceffion to the crown, as it was now limited by law, or to fet afide the next fucceffion. This had a precedent in the former reign, and therefore it could not be denied now. It feemed the more neceffary, because there was another person who openly claimed the crown; so that a further fecurity might well be infifted upon. This was a great furprize to many, who were vifibly uneafy at the motion, but were not prepared for it, and did not fee how it could be refifted. The other claufe was, for fending the abjuration to Ireland, and obliging all there (in the fame ry received, but for prevention: Not for the evil they have done, but the evil they may do. And that, as ferpents, toads, and vipers, are noxious to the body, and poifon the fenfitive life, fo the Diffenters poifon the foul, corrupt our posterity, infnare our children, deftroy the vitals of our happiness, our future felicity, and contaminate the whole mafs; and therefore they are to be rooted out of this nation, if ever we would live in peace, ferve God, and enjoy our own. The commons, after the author and his defign were difcovered, ordered the pamphlet to Anne. manner as in England) to take it. This feemed the more 1702. reafonable, confidering the strength of the Popish intereft there. Both claufes pafled in the houfe of lords, without any oppofition; but it was apprehended, that the commons would not be fo eafy; yet, when it was fent to them, they ftrug gled only against the first clause, that barred the return of perfons, upon the taking the oaths, into places, that were already filled. The party tried their ftrength upon this, and, upon their fuccefs in it, they feemed refolved to difpute the other claufe; but it was carried, though only by one voice, to agree with the lords. When the claufe relating to the fucceffion was read, Sir Chriftopher Mufgrave tried, if it might not be made a bill by itself, and not put as a claufe in another bill; but feeing the house was refolved to receive both claufes, he did not infift on his motion. Every body was furprized to fee a bill, that was begun in favour of the Jacobites, turned so terribly upon them; fince by it a new fecurity was given, both in England and Ireland, for a Proteftant fucceffor. At this time, the earl of Rochefter quitted his place of Jord-lieutenant of Ireland (e). He was uneafy at the preference, which the duke of Marlborough had in the queen's (e) The duchefs of Marlborough, in the Account of her Conduct, p. 142, tells us, that this earl was the firft of the Tory leaders, who discovered a deep difcontent with the queen and the adminiftration; and refigned the lieutenancy of Ireland in great wrath, upon her majefty's being fo unrcafonable, as to prefs him to go thither to attend the affairs of that kingdom, which greatly needed his prefence. For, as the revenue, which had been formerly granted, was out, it was neceffary to call a parliament, in order to another fupply; and a parliament could not be held withont a lord lieutenant. But, when the queen reprefented thefe things to him, he told her, with great infolence, That he would not go to Ireland, though the сол 'would give the country to him and his fon;' fo that he feemed to have accepted the poft, only that he might reign in Ireland by the miniftry of his brother Keightley, as he hoped to do in England in perfon. Nor could he, after his refignation, over come his anger fo far, as to wait upon the queen, or go to council; which the obferving, ordered, after fome time, that he fhould no more be fammoned, faying, That it was " not reasonable he should come to council only when he pleafed.' It was generally thought, and with good reafon, that the true fource of his diffatisfaction was, the queen's not making him her fole governor and director, and lord Godolphin's being preferred before him for the treafury. confidence, and at the lord Godolphin's being made lord- Anne. treasurer. It was generally believed, that he was endeavour- 1702. ing to embroil affairs, and laying a train of oppofition in the houfe of commons. The queen fent a meffage to him, ordering him to make ready to go to Ireland; for it feemed very ftrange, especially in time of a war, that a person, in fo great a poft, fhould not attend upon it. But he, after fome days advifing about it, went to the queen, and defired to be excufed from that employment. This was readily accepted, and upon that he withdrew from the councils; and his poft of lord-lieutenant was (as hath been faid) conferred on the duke of Ormond. Burnet. The report of the commiffioners, appointed to take the Inquiry into the public public accounts, was a business that took up much time in accounts, this feffion, and occafioned many debates. They pretended Pr. H. C. that they had made great difcoveries. They began with the III. 247. earl of Ranelagh, as paymaster-general of the army, and drew up a narrative, wherein they charged him with great mifmanagements. The earl had been paymafter of the army in king James's time; and, being very fit for the poft, he had been continued all the laft reign: He had lived high, and fo it was believed, his appointments could not fupport fo great an expence: He had an account of one and twenty millions. lay upon him. It was given out, that a great deal of the money, lodged in his office, for the pay of the army, was diverted to other ufes, diftributed among favourites, or given to corrupt members of parliament; and that fome millions had been fent over to Holland: It had been often faid, that great discoveries would be made, whenfoever his accounts were looked into: And that he, to fave himself, would lay open the ill practices of the former reign. But now, when all was brought under a ftriét examination, a few inconfidera-` ble articles, of fome hundreds of pounds, was all that could be found to be objected to him: And, even to these, he gave clear and full anfwers. At laft they found, that, upon the breaking of a regiment, a fum, which he had iffued out for its pay, had been returned to his office, the regiment being broke fooner than that pay was exhaufted: And that no entry of this was made in his accounts. To this he answered, that his officer, who received the money, was, within three days after, taken fo ill of a confirmed ftone, that he never came again to the office, but died in great mifery: And, during those three days, he had not entered that fum in the books. Lord Ranelagh acknowledged, that he was liable to account for all the money that was received by his under ofcers; Anne. officers; but here was no crime or fraud defigned; yet this 1702. was fo aggravated, that he faw his good poft was his greateft guilt: He therefore quitted his place, which being divided, Mr. Howe was appointed pay-mafter of the guards and garrifons at home, as being the more lafting poft; and Sir Stephen Fox, pay-mafter of the forces beyond fea. Upon this, all the clamour raised against the earl of Ranelagh ceased; however, the commons vindicated the report of the commiffioners by a vote, and, to make a fhew of feverity, expelled the earl the house, on the 7th of February, for a high crime and misdemeanor, in mifapplying feveral fums of the 'public money.' But, upon all this canvaffing, he appeared much more innocent than even his friends had believed him. The clamour The clamour that had been long kept up against the former against the miniftry, as devourers of the public treasure, was of fuch ufe former reign to the prevailing party, that they refolved to continue it, by ftill kept up. Pr. H. C. all poffible methods: So a committee of the houfe of comIII. 260. mons prepared a long address to the queen, reflecting on the ill management of the funds upon which they laid the great debt of the nation, and not upon the deficiencies. This was branched out into many particulars, which were all heavily aggravated. Yet, though a great part of the outcry had been formerly made against Ruffel, treasurer of the navy, and his office, they found not fo much as a colour to fix a complaint there: Nor could they charge any thing on the chancery, the treasury, and the administration of juftice. Great complaints were made of fome accounts that stood long out, and they infifted on some pretended neglects, the old methods of the exchequer not having been exactly followed: Though it did not appear that the public fuffered in any fort by thefe failures. They kept up a clamour likewife against the commiffioners of the prizes, though they had paffed their accounts as the law directed, and no objection was made to them. The addrefs was full of fevere reflections and fpiteful infinuations, and it was thus carried to the queen, and published to the nation, as the sense of the commons of England. The lords, to prevent the ill impreffions this might make, appointed a committee, to examine all the obfervations that the commiffioners of accounts had offered to both houses. They fearched all the public offices, and were amazed to find, that there was not one article of any importance, in those observations, or in all the commons addrefs to the queen, but what was falfe in fact. They found, that the deficiencies in the former reign were of two forts: The one |