1714. Papers, laid before us by your Commiffioners of Trade, it Anno 13 Annæ, appears to us, that the carrying on the Trade, between your Majefty's Dominions and Spain, on the foot of the prefent Treaty of Commerce, as it ftands ratified with the three explanatory Articles, is attended with infuperable Difficulties, and therefore we do very earnestly befeech · your Majefty, to use effectual Means for procuring fuch Alterations to be made in the fame, as may render the faid • Trade practicable and beneficial to your Majefty's People.' Her Majefty's Answer was: I My Lords, T has been my Care to procure all poffible Advantages "And I fhall continue my utmost Endeavours to obtain "farther Benefits, and particularly in the Trade with Spain "which is fo useful to my Subjects." The Queen's Answer. fumed On the 5th of July, the Lords refolved to refume the next Confideration of Day, the Confideration of the Treaty of Commerce with the Treaty of Spain: And in order to go to the bottom of that Affair, their Commerce reLordships fent a Meffage to the Commons, to acquaint them, that the Lords having under Confideration Matters of great Moment, relating to the Trade of this Kingdom, did defire, that fuch Members of that House, who were Commiffioners of Trade and Plantations, might have Liberty to attend their Lordships that Day. Upon this the Commons ordered, 'That fuch Members of their House, who were Commiffioners for Trade and Plantations, have Liberty to go to the Lords, if they thought fit." E. of Wharton. On Tuesday, the 6th of July, the Lords proceeded to the The CommifConfideration of the Spanish Trade, and to the Examination fioners for Trade of the Commiffioners of Trade and Plantations. The Earl and Plantations examined. of Wharton, who began the Debate, faid, among other Things ironically, He did not doubt but one of thofe Gentlemen could make it appear, that the Treaty of Commerce with Spain was very advantageous.' This was meant of Mr. Arthur Moore, who had the chief Management of that Affair, and who contradicted himself in feveral Questions that were afked him by the Lord Cowper, about the three explanatory Articles in Queftion. This was aggravated by the Confeffion of the other Commiffioners, particularly of Robert Monkton, Efq; who declared, that Mr. Moore only read curforily to them the faid Articles, without giving them Time to examine the fame: Befides which, Mr. Popple, their Secretary, depofed, That Mr. Moore had fhewn him a Letter in French from Monfieur Orry, directed to Don Arturio Moro, importK kk 2 ing 1 4. Anno 13 Annæ, ing in Substance, That he must not expect the two thousand Louis D'or per Annum,that had been promised him, unless he got the three explanatory Articles ratified.' Mr. Wheelock, first Clerk to the Commiffioners of Trade, and private Secretary to Mr. Moore, being alfo examined upon Oath, was in Confcience obliged to lay many Things to his Mafter's Charge. In this Debate there was fome Dispute between the Lords Lexington and Bolingbroke, about a Letter, which the first maintained to have received from the latter; but it was obferved, that the Lord Treasurer remained neuter; and his Friends gave out, that he had no Share in the Ratification of the Articles in Question. Proceedings in relation to the Affiento, The Lords refolved to take, the next Day, into further Confideration, the State of Trade with Spain and the WeftIndies; And in order thereto, that the Committee of the South Sea for the Affiento, the Commiffioners of Trade, Mr. Lowndes, and Captain Johnson, fhould attend their House, On Thursday the 8th of July, their Lordships fent a Meffage to the Commons, to defire that fuch of their Members as were of the faid Committee of the South Sea Company for the Affiento, and alfo William Lowndes, Efq; a Member of their House, might have Leave to attend the Houfe of Lords, that Day: Which the Commons complied with; after the Lords, by a fecond Meffage, had specified the Caufe for which their Lordships defired their Attendance. It appeared by the Confeffion of Mr. Lowndes, Secretary, and Mr. Taylor, firft Clerk to the Lord High Treafurer, that they were only no minal Affignees for the Quarter-Part of the Affiento Contract referved for her Majefty, and that fome Perfons to them unknown, (but who were trongly fufpected to be the Lord Bolingbroke, the Lady Mebam, and Mr. Arthur Moore) were to have the Benefit of it. Upon which the Lord Coupér made a Speech, wherein he made it appear, that the Uncertainty and Sufpence in which the South Sea Company had a long time been kept, whether her Majefty would retain to herfelf, or give to the Company, the Quarter-Part of the Afhento Contract therein referved to her, had been the princi pal Obftruction to the Company's carrying on that Trade. E. of Wharton. Hereupon the Earl of Wharton moved, That an Address be prefented to her Majefty, that she would be graciously pleal. ed to give the South Sea Company, not only the Quarter Part of the Affiento Contract therein referved to her Majefty, but alfo the feven and a half per Cent. granted to • Manual Manaffes Gilligan, Efq; and any other Profits arifing from the faid Contract.' But the Queftion being put thereupon, it was carried in the Negative by 55 Votes againft Lord Cowper. E. of Anglefea. 43. After this the Earl of Anglefea moved, and it was re folved by 56 Votes againft 40, To prefent an Addrefs to Anno 13 Anna, her Majefty to return the Thanks of the Houfe for her 1714. Majefty's having fo generouly given, not only Licences A drefs to the Queen about the for the two Ships of 500 Tuns each, and the Affiento Con The Lords Ad'tract; but alfo the Quarter-Part, which her Majefly was pleafed, at first, to referve to herfelf; and that her Majelty Affiento. would be gracioufly pleafed, that fuch other Advantages which were or might be vested in her Majefty, might be difpofed of for the Ufe of the Public." This Day's 'Debate took up the Lords till nine of the Clock in the Evening, fo that they had no time, as fome Anti-Court Lords defigned it, to proceed to the Cenfure of Mr. Moore. < The next Day, her Majefty's Anfwer to their Lordships Addrefs was reported, viz. H' 66 ER Majefty returns her Thanks for this Addrefs. The Queen's She has always had a great Confideration for the Answer. "Advice of the House. "And, as to the Particulars defired, her Majefty will dif "pose of them as the shall judge beft for the Service." The latter Part of this Answer was very ill relished by the faid Lords, and even by the Earl of Anglefea himself, who had made the Motion for the Addrefs. Some Members took that Occafion to complain of her Majesty's Silence, in relation to the Defire of that House, that the would be pleafed to name the Perfons who had advised her to ratify the three explanatory Articles; and fome hot Warm Speeches Speeches were made on both Sides, on that nice Affair: about it. But the Lottery-Bill being ready for the Royal Affent, her Majefty came that very Day to the House of Peers, which put an end to that warm Debate. It was the general Opinion, that if the Parliament had fat one Day longer, Mr. Arthur Moore would have been cenfured by the Lords, and ordered to be profecuted; nay, many hoped that their Lordfhips would have carried their Refentment of his and the Lord Bolingbroke's Conduct, in relation to the Treaty of Commerce with Spain, to far as to fend them both to the Tower. It was also generally thought, that this Storm was the Refult of a late Misunderstanding between the two chief Minifters, and raifed by the Lord Treasurer, in order to deprefs the Secretary of State, who endeavoured to put him out of the Queen's Favour: But when their Animofity feemed to be ready to break out, they wifely confidered, that either of them muft, in the end, fall a Victim to their Enemies, which made them, for the present, join their Forces for their common Safety. The 1714. Anno 13 Anna, The Queen, being come to the House of Peers, on the 9th of July, with the ufual State, and the Commons being fent for up, and attending, her Majefty was pleafed to give the Royal Affent to feveral public and private Bills; after which the put an end to the Seffion, with a Speech; which fee in CHANDLER's Hiftory, Anno 13 Annæ, 1714. p. 153. and in the subsequent Pages the Lord Oxford's Letter to the Queen, containing a brief Account of his Conduct while in Power. The End of VOL. II. Bedford, Earl of, 157. Berkeley, Lord, 377- Bolingbroke, Earl of, 154. B. Bridgeman, (Lord Keeper) 137, 142, 146148, 155. Bristol, Earl of, 55, 68, 119. Buckingham, Duke of, (Villars) 157, 164, 187, 195. Carnarvon, Earl of, 230. Clare, Earl of, 110, 312. C. Clarendon, Earl of, 13, 23, 40. Clarendon, Earl of, his Son, 153, 223. Clifford, Lord Treasurer, 117, 154. D. Danby, Earl of, (afterwards Duke of Leeds) 225, 236, 241, 339, 445, 451, 452, 453. Delamere, Lord, 154. Denbigh, Earl of, 153. Dorfet, Earl of, 222. |