440 WRITTEN at the GARDEN of Mr. SHENSTONE. Sept. the river begin; here are many plantations of pine-trees, and a good lead mine has lately been discovered. This lordthip belongs to the seminary at Quebec. Six leagues higher is a very high promontory, which terminates a chain of mountains, A No fpleen no party-views controul, That thap'd his walk's meandering way, Wak'd by the stock-dove's melting train, Yon' ftream that wanders down the dale, that runs 400 leagues to the weltward; it HOR. QULD you thefe lov'd receffcs trace, See her in every field-flow'r bloom? What tho' no pageant trifles Lere, E F G "The wreathed rod of Bacchus fair, Then gaze, and mark that union (weet, The lawn of afpe&t fmooth and mild; But if thy foul fuch bliss despise, ARCADIO. 1758. 441 The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament, &c, The Hiftory of the Seffion of Parliament, which began Dec. 1, 1757, with an Account of all the material Questions therein determined, and of the political Difputes thereby occafioned without Doors. Continued from p. 390. A S but few of the refolutions of the committee of fupply require any explanation, I fhall make fuch remarks upon fome of them as I think neceffary, before giving the refolutions of the committee of ways and means; and the firft that requires a particular notice, A is the first, of January the 23d. B Every one must remember the unfortunate fituation in which the electorate of Hanover was at that time, and the neceffity his majefty was under not to fubmit to the infractions of the treaty of neutrality made by the French. Thefe infractions had fet his majefty free from any engagement he was under by the treaty of neutrality, and his electoral troops had begun again to act against the French, but as the French were in poffeffion of the far greatest part of the electorate, thefe troops could not draw a subsistence from C thence, therefore, on January 18, Mr. Secretary Pitt acquainted the house, that he had a meffage from his majefty to that houfe, figned by his majefty, which he prefented to the houfe, and the fame being read by Mr. Speaker, was as followeth, viz. GEORGE R. HIS majefty having ordered the army, D E This meffage was, as foon as read, ordered, nem. con. to be referred to the committee of fupply, and was the caufe of the faid refolution of the 23d. Upon this occafion it was asked by many people without doors, how the Hanover troops must have fubfifted, had the treaty of neutrality remained in full force; for foldiers must eat, drink, and be cloathed in tune of peace as well as war, and the French had not, by the treaty of neutrality, engaged to fubfift them, or to give them any thare of the revenues, of that part of Hanover which they had pof feffed themfelves of ? The third refolution of January 31 deferves likewife a particular iemark. From this article's being till fo high, and continuing fo long to be an article in our annual fupplies, one would really think that these widows were immortal; for, come December next, it will be at least two and forty years fince they were married; and if none were ever put upon this establishment but what had a jut title to it, it is very furprifing that fo many of them fhould be ftill alive as to require 22261. for their neceffary fupport, by way of charity from the publick. From the refolution of February 23, the fecond refolution of March 21, and the fifth refolution of April 20, it feems to have been refolved, not to continue the Helian troops in the pay of Great Britain, if the king of Pruffia had not agreed to the convention concluded April 11, confequently it is evident that, if we had not had this new treaty with Fruffia in view, the Heffians would have been difmiffed out of the pay (for we cannot properly fay the fervice) of Great-Britain, F at the end of last year; and as the three fums granted by the firft, fecond, and third refolutions of the faid 20th of April were founded upon, and were plainly the confequence of the faid treaty, therefore we may reckon that it has already coft us 1,761,8971. 45. 8d. I fay, has already coft us; for what it may hereafter coft us no man can foretell; and that the reader may judge what benefit this nation can reap from this treaty, I fhall give him from an authentick French copy, an abftract of it as follows, minions, to be put again into motion from the 28th of November last, and to act with the utmoft vigour against the common enemy, in concert with his good brother and ally the king of Pruffia; and the exhausted and ruined ftate of the electorate, and of its revenues, having rendered it impoffible for the fame to maintain and keep together that army, until the further neceffary charge thereof, as well as the more particular measures now concerting for the effectual fupport of the king of Pruffia, can be laid before this house; his majefty, relying on the conftant zeal of his faithful commons, for the fupport of the proteftant religion, and of the liberties of Europe, against the dan- G gerous defigns of France and her confederates, finds himself, in the mean time, under the abfolute neceflity of recommending, to this houfe, the fpeedy confideration of fuch a prefent fupply, as may enable his majesty, in this critical exigency, to sublist and keep together the faid army. September, 1758. G. R. The preamble recites that, whereas upon January 16, 1756, there was concluded between their Britannick and Pruf3 L • See Lond. Nag. for 1757, f. 461. fian 442 The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament. A B fian majefties a treaty, the ftipulations of 1. His majefty the king of Great- Britain engages to caufe to be paid, in the city of London, to fuch perfon as fhall be authorized to receive the fame by his Pruffan majefty, the fum of four millions of German crowns, amounting to 670,000l. fterling; which fhall be paid, at once and in one whole fum, immediately after Sept. the exchange of the ratifications, upon being demanded by his Pruffian majefty. 2. His Pruffian majefty on his part engages to apply the faid fum to the maintaining and augmenting his forces, which forces fhall act in the best manner for the good of the common caufe, and for the purpose of reciprocal defence and mutual fecurity propofed by their faid majesties. 3. Moreover, the high contracting parties, to wit, his Britannick majefty, both as king and elector, on one fide, and on the other his Pruffian majefty, engage not to conclude any treaty of peace, truce, or neutrality, nor any other fort of convention or agreement, with the powers engaged in the prefent war, but in concert and by mutual agreement, wherein both fhall be by name comprehended. 4. This convention fhall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged on both fides within the term of fix weeks, to be computed from the day of figning this prefent convention, or fooner, if poffible. In witnefs whereof, &c. This was the whole of the treaty, and with regard to it there are two things very remarkable, the firft of which is, that at a time when Britain was engaged in an open and declared war against France, and Pruffia was attacked by nu- | merous French armies, a treaty between Britain and Pruffia fhould be originally drawn up in the French language. From hence one would be apt to imagine, that either the British, or the Pruffian minifters, did not understand a word of Latin, which cannot certainly be the cafe, and therefore it is not eafy to affign a good/ reafon why this treaty fhould have been in the French language; for whatever other F nations may do, we ought to disdain having any of our publick concerns with foreign powers tranfacted or expreffed in that language. G It is likewife remarkable, that fo many of our minifters fhould have been appointed to conclude and fign this treaty; but for this a reafon may be affigned, as it contributes to the fafety of him, or them, who were the principal advisers of it; for a treaty may be approved by one parliament, and yet may be cenfured, and the advifer of it punished by a future parlia ment; now in any future parliament it H would be very difficult to get a cenfure paffed upon a treaty, to which fo many of the chief men of the kingdom had set their hands and feals. The next refolution I fhall take notice of, is the 4th of April the 20th, which was moved for, and agreed to, in pur fuance 1758. The HISTORY of the laft Seffion of Parliament." fuance of an account laid before the house, and referred to the committee of fupply; and it is to be fuppofed, that the whole, or greatest part of the expence stated in this account, was occafioned by the expedition against Rochfort in the preceding fummer, confequently may, for the reafon before mentioned, be added to that fum which has been granted for the fupport of our continental connection, and will make the whole amount to about two millions fterling, granted by laft fef fion for that exprefs purpose. 443 prefented to the house on the 8th, by Mr. Vice-chamberlain, and was as follows. G. R. His majesty being defirous that a proper ftrength may be employed in the fettlements of the united company of merchants of England, trading to the EaftA Indies, and having caused a battalion to be withdrawn from those settlements, therefore recommends it to this house to enable his majesty, to affift the faid company in defraying the expence of a military force in the Eaft-Indies, to be maintained by them in lieu of the faid battalion. B This meffage being prefently referred to the committee of fupply, the faid refolution was agreed to by that committee, and afterwards by the houfe. As a bill was brought in and paffed this laft feffion, for defraying the charge of pay and cloathing for the militia, and another for fortifying and fecuring the harbour of Milford, I thall defer explainThese are all the refolutions of the coming the refolutions of May the 2d and mittee of fupply which require any parti4th, till I come to give an account of those cular explanation or remark; and as to bills. And as to the refolution of June 8, C the committee of ways and means, as it was founded on a meffage from his foon as the house had agreed to the refomajefty, and figned by his majefty, which lutions of the committee of fupply of Dec. was prefented to the house on the 6th, by 8, 1757, it was refolved, that the house Mr. Secretary Pitt, and may be feen in would next morning refolve itself into a your Magazine for June laft, p. 311. committee of the whole houfe, to confider This meffage was prefently referred to the of ways and means for raifing the supply committee of fupply, the faid refolution D granted to his majesty; from which time agreed to next day by that committee, this committee was continued to June 12, and the day following agreed to by the 1758, and in that time the following refohoufe nem. con. lutions were agreed to in the committee, and all upon the report agreed to by the houfe, as follows. Laftly, As to the first refolution of June 10, it was also founded upon a meffage figned by his majefty, which was DECEMBER 12, 1757. That the duties on malt, mum, cyder, and perry, be continued and charged upon all malt which shall be made, and all mum which fhall be made or imported, and all cyder and perry which shall be made for fale within the kingdom of Great Britain, from June 23, 1758, to June 24, 1759. The produce of which is computed at, and granted for That the fum of 4s. in the pound, and no more, upon lands, tenements, hereditaments, and perfonal eftates, and alfo the fum of 4s. in the pound upon offices and penfions, be raised in that part of Great Britain, called England, Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, within the fpace of one year, from March 25, 1758; and that a proportionable cefs, according to the 9th article of the treaty of union, be laid upon that part of Great Britain, called Scotland Of which fum, there was, by the bill brought in and paffed in purfuance of this refolution, the fum of 1,989,92ol. 8d. to be raised in England, &c. and 47,954l. 1s. 2d. to be raised in Scotland +. DECEMBER 20. 1. That the fum remaining in his majefty's Exchequer, difpofable by parliament, of the produce of the finking fund for the quarter ended Oct. 10, 1757, be iffued and applied towards making good the fupply of this feffion See Lond. Mag. for 1757, Þ› 425. 2. That there be issued and applied, out of fuch monies as fhall or may arise of the furplus, exceffes, or overplus monies, and other revenues compoling the finking fund, the fum of APRIL 18, 1758. That the fum remaining in his majesty's Exchequer, difpofable by parliament, of the produce of the finking fund, on April 5, 1758, he iffued and applied towards making good the fupply of this feffion APRIL 22. 1. That the fum of 4,500,000l. be raised by annuities, at 3!. 10s. per cent. per ann. and the fum of 500,cool. by a lottery, to be attended with annuities, redeemable by parliament, after the rate of 31. per cent. per ann. the faid feveral annuities to be tranfferable at the Bank of England, and charged upon a fund to be eftablished in this feffion of parliament for payment thereof; and for which the finking fund fhall be a collateral fecurity; and that every perfon fubfcribing for 500l. fhall be intitled to 450l. in annuities, and sol. in lottery tickets, and fo in proportion for a greater or leffer fum; that the faid lottery fhall confit of tickets of the value of rol. each, in a proportion not exceeding eight blanks to a prize, the blanks to be of the value of 61. each; the blanks and prizes to bear an intereft after the rate of 31. per cent. per ann. to commence from Jan. 5, 1759; and that the fum of 4,500,000l. to be raised by annuities, bear an intereft after the rate of 31. 10s. per cent. per ann. from July 5, 1758; which faid annuities fhall fland reduced to 31. per cent. per ann. after the expiration of 24 years, to be computed from July 5, 1758; and shall afterwards be redeemable in the whole or in part, by fums not lefs than 500,cool. at one time, fix months notice having been first given of such payment or payments refpectively; that any fubfcriber may, on or before April 29 inftant, at five o'clock in the afternoon, make a depofit of 10l. per cent. on fuch fums as he thall chufe to fubfcribe towards raifing the faid fum cf 5,000,ocol. with the cafhiers of the Bank of England, as a fecurity for his making the future payments on the days herein after appointed. On the 5,000,000l. 10l. per cent. depofit on or before April 29 inftant, on the whole five millions. On 4,500,000l. in annuities. 15 per cent, on or before May 30 next.-15 per cent. on or before June 28 next.15 per cent. on or before July 27 next.-15 per cent. on or before August 30 next.-15 per cent. on or before September 27 next.15 per cent on or before October 26 next. On the lottery for 500,000l. 20 per cent. on or before June 10 next.-15 per cent. on or before July 10 next.-15 per cent. on or before August 19 next.-20 per cent. on or before September 9 next.-20 per cent. on or before October 9 next. Which several tums fo received shall by the faid cashiers be paid into the receipt of the Exchequer, to be applied, from time to time, to fuch fervices as fhall then have been voted by this house in this feffion of parliament, and not otherwife. That any subscriber paying in the whole, or any part of his fubfcription, previous to the days appointed for the respective payments, fhall be allowed a discount after the rate of 31. per cent. per ann. from the days of fuch refpective payments to the refpective times, on which fuch payments are directed to be made; and that all fuch perfons, as fhall make their full payments on the faid lottery, fhall have their tickets delivered as foon as they can conveniently be made out 2. That there be iffued and applied, out of fuch monies, as shall or may arife of the furpluffes, exceffes, or overplus monies, and other revenues, compofing the finking fund, the fum of 300000 393371 11 7 492400 8 3 5000000 1606076 5 I 6606076 5 1 SATURDAY |