Page images
PDF
EPUB

502

Of the Project for County Work-Houfes.

for that purpose, entering it into a book, and fubfcribing it with their own hands. And that each parish should keep an account or counter-part of these occafional reliefs, to be a comptrol against the overfeers accounts. Such frequent meetings A are the only method to keep a parish's affairs in good order.

As for accidents and misfortunes, the unhappy objects ought immediately to be taken care of by the officers of the parish where the accidents happen, under a great penalty; if the perfons cannot be removed with the utmost fafety: Adding, however, this B provifion, that the parents or masters of the unhappy fufferers (if able) fhould be at half the expence of the cure and maintenance of the faid fufferers: Which half, or proportion of expence, fhould be adjudged and set by two neighbouring jus

tices.

C

3. A third defect in the execution of the laws relating to the poor, is, the over. feers neglecting to account; fome even for two or three years, or more. The act of 17 George II. hath indeed made an excellent provifion against this neglect, by ordering, that "the churchwardens and overfeers of the poor fhall yearly, within 14 days after other overfeers fhall be nominated and appointed to fucceed them, deliver D unto fuch fucceeding overseers, a just, true, and perfect account in writing, fairly entred in a book or books to be kept for that purpose, and figned by the faid churchwardens and overfeers, of all fums of money. by them received, or rated and affeffed and not received; and also of all goods, &c. that shall be in their hands; and fhall alfo pay and deliver over all fums of money, goods, &c. as fhall be in their hands, unto fuch fucceeding overfeers of the poor; which faid account fhall be verified by oath. -And in cafe fuch churchwardens and overfeers fhall refufe or neglect to make and yield up fuch account, &c. it fhall be lawful for two justices of the peace to commit him or them to the common goal, until F they fhall have given fuch account."

But you will fay, who cares to be fo fevere upon his good neighbours? If, indeed, fo much over-complaifance, or such a spirit of indolence, reigns in parishes, an addition ought to be made to this ftatute, to compel them by large fines (which should be levied by warrant of juftices for the ufe of the poor) to bring their overfeers regu. larly to account, in purfuance of the faid ftatute; and that upon the complaint of any one inhabitant.

To which may be added, that the jus tices, or their clerks, hould be authorized to call upon the overfeers of every parish at Eafter, when others are appointed, to

E

G

Nov.

produce their accounts, revifed and approved by the parishioners, (as the archdeacons fummon churchwardens to exhibit their prefentments) and to fine them upon their neglect or refufal.

Such are the ufual and most flagrant defects in the execution of the poor-laws.

II. But, now, if we confider the propofed alterations, by county work-houses, and common funds, very far will they be found from remedying thofe and the like defects.

For, let any impartial person, that ever had the leaft notion of human nature, judge, whether there will not be the utmoft room for partial and unequal rates, when all the inhabitants of the parish they are impofed upon, are not prefent, or even confulted, at the making of them; or even can be, without the utmost trouble and charge.

Suppofe, the making of the rates should, for a while, be left to the overseers of the refpe&tive parishes, they would (I affure them) frequently be called upon to enlarge their affeffments: Aud the power of assessing themselves would foon be taken from them, upon fome pretence or other; and double of what they had ever paid before, if not more, would be exacted from them with the utmoft rigour. This has been the cafe in most places where corporation workhouses have been erected.

Again, what ample room will there be for wafting and mifapplying the vast fums laid and raised upon the parishes? How shall parishioners know, whether their own particular poor are well and honestly taken care of Muft parishioners travel 10 or perhaps 20 miles, to obferve and take care of thofe things? What trouble and what charge would that occasion? Who can have fo much time or money to fpare, as to fubmit thereto; at least for any continuance ?

And as for fuch endless and complicated accounts as muft neceffarily be kept; what able accomptant will undertake that burden? How will the refpective parishes know, whether their money is honeftly and fairly laid out? And whoever pays money for fuch publick (ervice, has a right to know and obferve with his own eyes in what manner it is beftowed.

So that, in a word, no method can be contrived fuller of glaring abfurdities; or that would open a wider door to all the cheats and impofitions imaginable.

Therefore the best, the fafeft, and the most rational means, is to continue, without alteration, the commendable method which many parishes are come into, of erecting diftin&t work houfes, I mean one in every parish of any tolerable bigness & Where the poor are well looked to; kept

1751.

HISTORY of the STADT HOLDERSHIP.

induftriously employed; and managed under all the parishioners inspection; in the most frugal as well as honest manner. Advantages which would entirely be loft in fuch rambling and overgrown places as County work- houfes.

Instead, therefore, of destroying and fetting afide this laudable institution of private or parochial work-houíes, it ought to be made univerfal as much as poffible, and parishes ought to be encouraged to fet them up: But to compel them, I think, is not confiftent with our constitution,

[What our correfpondent further mentions on this fubje&t, will be very acceptable; and the fooner we have it, the better.]

From the Westminster Journal, Nov. 2. Hiftory of the Stadtholdership: Occafioned by the Death of bis late Serene Highness the PRINCE of ORANGE *.

N monarchy, as the readiners in fub-
TOTHING does fo much honour to

A

503

died in 1647, and was fucceeded by his fon William II: It was with him the states, or rather fome ambitious members of the republick, began their quarrels, which they were the better able to manage, fince, by the military virtues of the princes of Orange, they had triumphed over all their enemies, and were acknowledged as a free ftate: But, before these broils were totally compofed, the prince died, and, 7 days after, the princess Mary his widow, who was the eldest daughter of Charles I. of England, was brought to bed of William III. prince of Orange, afterwards king of England. In 1654 the states general made a treaty with Oliver Cromwell, B by which they engaged to exclude the young prince from all employments; and foon after they made a law to abolish the office of ftadtholder, with the posts of captain general and admiral, which was called, The act of Exclufion: But in the peace concluded between Charles II and the states general, in 1668, it was agreed, that when the prince of Orange was at age, C he should enjoy the pofts of captain general and admiral: Whether this was really intended, or not, is uncertain; however, when the French, in 1672, invaded their provinces, the ftates found the neceffary quotas for levying troops were denied by feveral of the cities, until a captain general was nominated ; and the people having affaffinated and tore to pieces the De Witts, whom they fufpe&ted to be in the French intereft, compelled the ftates not only to declare the pince of Orange ftadtholder, but to fend deputies to release him from the oath he had taken never to accept of that employment: The prince was elected captain general and admiral of the United Provinces, as alío governor of Holland and Zealand, whereby he was restored to all the pofts and honours, which his ancestors had exercifed fo much to the welfare and reputation of the republick: He found his country in a melancholy fituation, invaded, on three different fides, by the armies of France, Cologne, and Munster; molested at fea by the English ; and diftracted by inteftine commotions yet the young prince nobly encountered and overcame the difficulties that furrounded him. As the people were for removing feveral magiftrates, his highness fent circular letters to all the towns, declaring that the calamities of the ftate proceeded chiefly from the treachery and coward ce of the governors, officers, and foldiers appointed to defend the frontier places: The prince put himself at the head of the Dutch forces; he difappointed the attempts of marshal Luxemburg; he drove the French from Naerden, in the province of Holland;

E

jects of republicks to have recourse to fome.
thing like it, whenever their affairs were in
a dangerous condition: This happened
frequently among the Grecian states, and
alfo in Rome, were they had a legal provifion
for that purpose, by which, when the very
conftitution of the state was declining,
they invested a certain perfon with abfolute
power; as Agamemnon, Leonidas, and
Philip of Macedon among the Greeks, D
who prefided over their confederate armies;
and as in Rome, under the title of dictator,
who was to take care that the common-
wealth fuffered no detriment. This evinces
that they perceived the neceffity of yield-
ing to that government for certain feasons,
tho' they provided for the abolition of it
as foon as that neceffity was over: Which
example was followed by the Dutch,
when they revolted from the Spanish mo-
narchy, and chofe William I. prince of
Orange for captain general and stadtholder
of the United Provinces. This prince was
principally concerned in promoting the
union of the 7 provinces, and, happily for
his countrymen, defeated all the attempts
of the duke of Alva, the Spanish general, F
for reducing the provinces to the obedience
of Philip II. who was fo exasperated at
the conduct and popularity of the prince,
that he hired Balthazar Gerard to affaf-
finate him, which was executed on July
10, 1584, in his own palace at Delft.
The states immediately conferred all his
honours and employments upon his fon, G
prince Maurice, who held his authority
till 1626, when he was fucceeded by his
brother Frederick Henry, under whofe ad-
miniftration the ftates began to flourish
in a confiderable light. Frederick Henry

• See an account of his death, marriage, iffue, &c. in our laßt, p. 473, 474.

and

504 Of the late STADTHOLDER.

and obliged them to abandon their con-
quefts in the provinces of Utrecht, Guel-
derland, and Overyffel: He also fent ad-
miral Ruyter with a strong squadron, to
drive the French out of the Caribbee islands ;
and tho' it was an ineffectual attempt, yet
the prince recovered the reputation and
the territories of his country, procured A
an honourable peace, and retained his
dignity to his death; after which the form
of government, that had fubfifted before
he was made ftadtholder, was refumed.
William III. appointed John William
Frizo, prince of Naffau Diets, for his
fucceffor to the hereditary poffeffions of the
houfe of Orange; who was elected here.
ditary stadtholder of Friefeland, but was
accidentally drowned in paffing a river
in Holland, on July 14, 1711, leaving his
late ferene highnefs William Charles Henry
Frizo, his only fon (by Maria Louifa, daugh-
ter of Charles, Landgrave of Heffe-Caffel,)
who was born on the very day he was
drowned, for his fucceffor.

C

The authority of the princes of Orange, as it must be acknowledged to have had a moft effential part in the first frame of the Dutch government, and in all the fortunes thereof, during the whole growth and progrefs of the ftate: So, has it ever preserved a very strong root, not only in fix of the provinces, but even in the general and popular affections of the province of Holland itfelf, whofe ftates have formerly endea-D voured to fupprefs, or exclude it.

Nov.

states, wherein he acquainted them, “That his zeal for the publick welfare, his love for his country, the blood from whence he defcended, and the name that he bore, did not fuffer him to reject fo unanimous a request t." The utility of this refolution of the ftates of Zealand was apparent to all the inhabitants of the United Provinces; the city of Rotterdam followed the example, the whole province of Holland concurred, and all the other provinces were fo defirous of purfuing the steps of the province of Zealand, that the prince of Orange, on May 2, 1747, was appointed, in the affembly of the states general, ftadtholder, captain general, and Badmiral in chief of the United Provinces ; and, on the 4th, his ferene highness was installed into the dignity of ftadtholder, to the univerfal joy of the republick: For the administration of the government was then, in a great measure, invested in the prince of Orange, partly as ftadtholder, and partly as captain general and admiral in chief: The states alone had the power of making war or concluding peace, of entering into foreign alliances, raifing of taxes, and coining of money; but the prince had the difpofal of all military commands both by land and fea, in time of war by his own commiffion, in time of peace by that of the ftates; as ftadtholder or governor, he reprefented the fupreme civil magiftrate, in which capacity he pardoned offenders, and nominated magif trates; the towns presented him the names of three, out of which he chose one: In him refided the dignity of the state; he had a palace, a court, his guards and all other marks of external grandeur incident to princes: To him foreign minifters paid their court, as did every one who was inclined to ferve his country in the fleet or army; in the council of ftate he had a feat, and a decifive voice, but not in the affembly of the states general; tho' nothing could be tranfacted there without his knowledge, or against his confent. It is very certain, from the exercife of this office in the United Provinces, that the power of the republick was never at a ftand, till the office of ftadtholder was laid afide; and, in the opinion of the judicious and impartial people, the commonwealth has been declining ever fince: Of this the republick was alfo thoroughly (enfible, and in fuch a manner that, on the 21ft of November following, the dignity of ftadtholder of the province of Holland, was made perpetual in the prince of Orange, and his iffue, whether male or female ; which example was alfo'followed by the reft of the provinces: But this dignity was never

The fuccefstul invation of Dutch Brabant, in the late war, by count Lowen. dahl, the French general, and the clamours of the people against the venality and corruption of their governors, obliged the republick to have recourfe to the fame means as proved their prefervation in 1672, by E electing a stadtholder. The late prince of Orange fent a letter to the states of Zealand, offering to their noble mightineffes, to whom he had the honour of being a vaffal, his perfon and fervices for their defence; being ready to rifk with joy, and with the fame zeal that his ancestors had fhewn, his life and fortune for the publick good for that he would repair where they should think fit, to contribute, at his own charges and expence, without any to the province, every thing in his power for their common defence. The ftates of Zealand, upon receipt of this letter, unanimously concurred in a refolution, which was paffed on April 28, 1747, whereby their noble mightineffes nominated the prince G of Orange Stadtholder, captain general, and admiral of the province of Zealand: Which refolution was immediately notified to the prince, who fent another letter to the

F

See London Magazine for 1747, p. 217.

Ibid. p. 218.

Ibid. p. 519.

to

1751

VERSES on his DEATH.

to be poffeffed by any king or elector, nor
by any prince that did not profefs the
proteflant religion, as by law established
in the republick; and in cafe the stadthol-
dership should ever defcend to a prince or
princeís under age, they were to be educated
within the province of Holland; and this
fettlement of the fucceffion on the defcen- A
dants of the female iffue was not to take
place, unless the female heirs married
with the efpecial confent and approbation
of the ftates. And it was likewife enacted
by the ftates, that in cafe the faid dignity
fhould devolve on a princefs, the should
enjoy it with the title of governante, and
have her feat in the ftates, and in all the

colleges, in the fame manner as the ftadthol. B

ders: And as the was to be invefted with
all the authority annexed to the dignity of
captain and admiral general, fhe was to
appoint, in time of war, an able com-
mander, of the proteftant religion, but
of no kingly or electoral dignity, to head
the troops in her flead, who was to take
an oath to follow and obey the instructions C
that should be given him by the states.
And as the ftadtholdership might devolve
to a minor, then the princess his mother
fhould, during his minority, act as a guar-
dian, with the title of governante, and
enjoy all the privileges annexed to it,

till the minor was of age; but if the fhould

die, or marry again, then the ftates were to fupply that guardianship, in the manner they should think most advantageous. Befides thefe honours, the ftates general alfo prefented his ferene highnefs with a diploma, conftituting him hereditary ftadtholder and captain general of Dutch Brabant, Flanders, and the upper quarter of Guelderland, a dignity never enjoyed by any of his predeceffors; and the EaftIndia company of the chambers of Amfterdam and Delft, alfo appointed him director and governor general of their trade and fettlements in the Indies.

D

E

F

505

midable, than when their forces were
entire, and the French at a difiance from
their frontiers: An example demonstrative
of the neceffity of the ancient fyftem,
which fuppofes a strict alhance, and an
infeparable union, between Great Britain
and the republick; a maxim so facred,
that on it are dependent the Safety and
prosperity of two poient people, who have
fo often defended, and with so much fuc-
cefs, their own liberty, and that of the
reft of Europe: Therefore, that the illuf-
trious family of Naffau may be perpetuated
to lateft pofterity, is, or ought to be, the
prayer of every one who wishes the con-
tinuance of peace, or is animated with the

love of liberty.

But, alas all mankind have loft a friend in this excellent prince; commerce feems expiring at his tomb; while poor Batavia finks beneath her cumberous load of affliction: Nor can Britain be infenfible of the blow; it pierces home to her heart; and brings fresh to her foul the memory of her royal Frederick, the beloved patron of arts, and encourager of fcience.

This alteration in the government of the United Provinces was productive of the most beneficial confequences to the republick, its allies, and all Europe: For, by the vigilance of the ftadtholder in augmenting the forces, the French were obliged to addrefs themselves, at length, to the maritime powers for peace; who then answered thefe advices in the only proper manner, that is, in concert with themselves; a method that had all imaginable fuccefs, fince it occafioned the procuration of peace, at the very time G when the French were at the gates of the republick; for as foon as England and the United Provinces kept the fame language, and combined in the fame views, they rendered themfelves infinitely more for. November, 1751.

On the DEATH of bis late Serene
Highness, the PRINCE of ORANGE.

stay the barb'rous hand; to check

the ftride

Of raging royalty, and tyrant pride:
To lure coy freedom to her lov'd recefs;
And with tranquillity mankind to blefs:
To teach wide spreading commerce how
[exchange:
And make whole provinces one grand
To guard religion facred in her fane;
To tame rafh France, and (courge imperious
Spain:

to range,

Tofhelter merit ; industry to chear ;

And make the rofe-wreath'd plenty crown

the year:

For thefe bleft purposes, did heav'n defign
Each hero of the great Naffovian line:
Europe has often feen fome brave Naffau
Keep the bafe tyrants of the world in awe;
While bleeding from the heart, poor Belgia
ftood,
[blood;
Her lands' deftray'd, her cities bath'd in
Chear'd by the eye of Orange, foon the

[foes.

rofe,
And pour'd vindictive vengeance on her
Oh! may the noble ! ne ftill flourish long;
Still merit and obtain the mufes fong:
The mufe on freedom ever did attend,
And shed a tear when freedom lost a friend,
The virtuous pearl now trembles in her eye,
For, hark! her lov'd Van Haaren fwells

the figh;

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

506

Some arch DEBATES on the NEW STILE.

The loving husband, and the tender fire ;
To all he fweetly tunes his mournful lyre ;
Weeps o'er the great good man; for
(bound,
A miracle!a prince to honour
A courtier, truth and honefty had
crown'd!

here he found,

Extra of a Letter from a Gentleman in the Country to bis Friend in Town: Containing the Opinions of fome WISEACRES upon the Alteration of the STYLE.

VER fince we heard of the intention

E of the parliament to make us reckon

A

by the new ftyle, various and strange have
been the opinions of our country philofo- B
phers, who are very numerous; for every
man you meet has an opinion to maintain,
and fomething to fay upon this subject.
Wherefore, whenever I get into company,
I throw the ball amongst them. Mention
being made, that next year was to be II
days horter than the prefent, one of the
company wifely obferved, that he did not
like the project, for by this means, faid he,
we must pay our rent 11 days before it
is due, fervants must be paid for time they
do not ferve, bonds will become due before
their time, with many other hardships, too
tedious to mention. But ftill I would be
glad to know, what will become of these
II days, which you fay are to be difcard-

ed in September. Now if 11 days must be

D

turned off, or dropt, I think it would be
much better to take them from about mid-
fummer, when there is fcarce any night at
all, and add them to the winter days, which
would fhorten the nights, increase labour
without doors, and fave candles. Nay,
faid another, that will never país, for, to
be fure, the chandlers, the play- houfes, the E
taverns, and the mafters and lovers of all
entertainments by candle-light, who are
three parts in four of the nation, would
petition against it. But I will tell you
what may be well done with them, they
may be fent to the north, where they have
fo much need of them in a night of fix
months long. And who knows but the
ftreamers or Aurora Boreales, obferved of
late years, are the ghosts of fome days dif-
carded in another country, and wandering
about to look for a place of refidence,
which yet they have not found. I do not
know, faid another, how that may be,
but this I know, that many inconveniences
(as my neighbour faid) muft arife from this
scheme; for example, fuppofe a man is G
condemned on the 2d of September next,
and is to be hanged on the 14th, why, by
this fcheme he is hanged next day; and if
harging a man 11 days before his time, be
mot murder in a sheriff, I know not what

F

Nov.

is. Suppose a woman made pregnant in our prefent way of reckoning, and the doctors and midwives are pofitive the must be delivered on the 14th of September next, muft the not mifcarry, if they tell truth and here is danger of murder; or if her delivery was fixed for the 8th, the must not be delivered at all, or at leaft till the year following; and here is more danger of murder. Or fuppofe by an old patent a fair is to be held on the gth, and the patentee fets his cuftoms for fo much yearly, must not the tenant lofe a fair, and yet pay his rent? very hard indeed, and mere murder! But after all, what end will this answer, cannot matters remain as they were? To which it was anfwered, that it would make us agree with our neighbours in our reckoning, and reform our calendar and almanacks. Ay, replied the other, if it would promote a general and lasting peace, I thould like it very well; but, instead of that, I fear it will promote an inteftine war among ourselves. What will become of intereft money for 11 days? How much must be loft there? But as to our calendar, have you any thing to object to it? Was it not made at the reformation? And did you ever fee a better almanack than Watfon's in all your life? Does he not foretel eclipfes, Sundays, holidays, festivals, fairs, veftries, quarter-feffions, nay, the times people ought to go to church in Dublin,

left they should quite forget it, with the ve

ry names of the churches? which is more than ever Whalley or his predeceffors did. Indeed he fays nothing of the weather or the affizes, which if he did, we could manage our farms the better, fix our races, the mending our girths and saddles, buying new cloaths, and iron to fhoe our hor fes, and not have too many things, with a procefs or two, come upon our backs at once, as it fometimes happens. One who had been liftening all this while, like a fow in the beans, faid, none of you gentlemen have yet fatisfied me, as to the manner of dropping thefe 11 days. I can no more believe that September the 4th shall be Sep tember the 15th, than I can believe tranfubftantiation. Can an act of parliament caufe an eclipfe of the fun for 11 days? Or is day-light to be arrefted and confined in a dark dungeon fo long? Or are all his majesty's fubjes to take fuch a dofe of opium on the 2d at night as will set them to fleep till the 14th in the morning. Or is there another Jupiter to come and beget Hercules's for 11 days? Satisfy me in these points, and then I fhall fubmit. But I do not think that an act of parliament can deprive me of my fenfes and reason, any more than the council of Trent,

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »