from the common appearance of things, without being in "the fecrets of the Cabinet.

"We can have no apprehenfions from our nearest neigh"bour France. For that Kingdom is engaged to us by many "ftrict Treaties; and I have heard the French bona fides, of "late years, as much afferted and extolled in this House, as "I have formerly heard it ridiculed and exploded. Befides, "we have a vigilant Minister at Paris, who, by his own skill "and penetration in Politics, as well as by good advice and "affiftance from hence, is not only promoting the British in"terefts there, but influencing and directing the French "Councils.

"Nor can we have any pretence to keep up thofe forces on "account of danger from Spain. For if that Monarchy should "be indifcreet enough to entertain the leaft harsh remem"brance of any pretended ill ufuage from Great-Britain; if "it should resent our glorious and seasonable conqueft over "their fleet in the Mediterranean, for which we ftruck a Mc"dal with pompous infcriptions; if it fhould infift on a refti"tution of Gibraltar and Port Mahon, which, in my humble "opinion, can never be furrendered without the higheft in"famy, as well as injury to England. I fay, if any thing of "this kind should remain in the breaft of the Court of Spain, "notwithstanding our Treaties, and daily Negociations there, "it is our comfort, that we need fear no invafion from their "Armada: that the mutability of their Councils, their pre"tenfions in Italy, their distance from Great-Britain, render "it impracticable for them to annoy or diftrefs us. And if "King Philip's Refignation of the Crown was a good argu

ment the last year for continuing the four thousand Augmen"tation Troops, then his Refumption of it now must be a "good one for difbanding them this year.

"The Emperor's perfonal obligations to Great-Britain are "fuch, that it is impoffible for him to entertain any ill in"tentions against us, either on account of the Oftend EaftVOL. I.

I

"India

"India Company, or of his Majefty's glorious endeavours to "remove the religious grievances in Germany, and to pro"mote the Proteftant intereft there, of which he is the great "Guardian.

"The Dutch are our natural allies, and always ready to "affift us. Nor is it their fault, that we have fometimes "difputed amongst ourselves, concerning the expence of trans"porting their auxiliar forces. They are bound to us by "antient ties of gratitude, for their original preservation, and "by, what is yet a ftronger cement, their own interest and "fafety.

"As to the two northern Crowns, Sweden and Denmark, "they have in their turns received our protection, and tasted "of our bounty. We all remember the famous æra, when "two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, as well as many "smaller supplies fince, were raised on that account. Befides, "we are to hope our expeditions into the Baltic, under the "conduct of a brave Officer here prefent, have been as effec"tual as they have been expensive; and that our fleet has not 86 only awed them into a reconciliation betwixt themselves, but "into an abfolute fubmiffion to Great-Britain..

"The Czar is stretching his conquefts into remote parts of "the world; and if what we hear of a late Treaty be true, that "it is made entirely in favour of Great-Britain, without any regard to foreign principalities, we can apprehend nothing "from our new ally, who is otherwife fo fully employed. "For however extenfive our mediating care may be, I presume "we are not engaged with him to oppofe the intended fucceffion "of the Crown of Poland, or to fettle the balance of Empire " in Perfia.'

"If fuch then is our profperous fituation at home and abroad, "why should we be denied the promised happy confequences of "it? Why fhould we be afraid of reducing our land forces? "Why should we not at least strike off the four thousand aug❝mentation troops, in compaffion to a nation loaded, and al

"moft

"moft funk with debt? For fhould a ftorm arife after this "calm, fhould any new event produce a rupture in Europe, "it will be time enough, if we are either prompted by our own "heroic difpofition, or bound by any inviolable Treaties, to "enter into the quarrels of the Continent. I fay, it will be "time enough, when the war fhall be actually declared, to "lend our affiftance to thofe, who we voluntarily efpoufe, or “to perform our engagements to our respective allies, if they "fhould not be found romantic or impracticable. We have "the opinion of a moft eminent author in civil learning, That "it is more grievous to any nation, to bear the leaft extra"ordinary taxes in times of peace, than to endure the greatest "impositions in times of war. Because a war may prove ad

66

vantageous, may terminate in conqueft and glorious acqui"fitions. But a continuance of extraordinary taxes without "it, must inevitably end in poverty and ruin.

"Now I can never be so unjust to his Majefty's mild and gracious Government, as to afcribe our present tranquillity to the continuance of an extraordinary number of troops, any more than I can believe, it would ceafe at the reduction "of part of them. This would be a dangerous, as well as an "abfurd doctrine, with relation to us at home. For fhould it "be admitted, that above eighteen thoufand land forces, have

not only procured our prefent tranquillity, but that they are "abfolutely neceffary for the fecurity of the kingdom; then it "will follow, that the fame number will be always abfolutely neceffary; that a military power is the most pacific form of "Government; and that an army will be a better preferver "of peace and plenty, a better guardian of our civil and re“ ligious Rights, than the Law of the Land. This doctine

too, confidered with regard to the refpect and

influence we may have abroad, is as abfurd as ill grounded: for that refpect and influence can never proceed from the number of "land forces we may think fit to burthen ourselves with in "time of peace, but it muft proceed from the advantages of

"our natural fituation, from our naval strength, from our exa "tended commerce, from our vaft riches, which have enabled

us to carry on long and expensive wars ; to maintain, when

our allies failed in their quotas, three great armies at once in their different nations; and these advantages will ever "enable us to hold the balance of power in Europe, unless "worn out with unneceffary and infupportable taxes.

"But if not fo much as the four thousand augmentation Es troops are to be parted with, if they are to be continued till "the pretences of all the Princes of Europe shall be adjusted, "till the different interefts of different nations fhall be recon"ciled, till the claim of Bremen and Verden fhall be fully fet"tled and acquiefced in, till the long expected form of a Con"grefs fhall be compleated, I freely own, I am not without "my apprehenfions, that our immenfe national debt, inftead "of being annually reduced, will be daily increased: that our "prefent grievances, for grievances we have in the midft of "all our tranquillity, instead of being speedily removed, will "become perpetual, and we may dream of bleffings we shall "never enjoy."

Mr. Shippen, Nov. 22, 1724.

My fentiments concerning a ftanding army, in time of peace, are well known here; and it may feem unneceffary, perhaps be thought impertinent in me, to debate anew on a wornout and exhaufted topic, when other Gentlemen, who entertain the fame fentiments, are pleafed to be filent. But furely the queftion before you is not become a Motion of course; furely as long as the grievance is continued on one hand, fo long there is a right of complaint on the other; and that complaint, I fhould think, may without offence be continued, till it can be proved that the British Government is in its nature military, or ought to be made fo.

I do not intend to trouble you with what I have formerly urged, or to use any argument drawn from the expence and

burthen,

burthen, or from the terror and oppreffion which have been brought upon this and other nations, by raising and keeping up a greater number of forces, than were abfolutely neceffary in time of peace; not but that the gradations, by which armies, with all their inconveniencies, have been first introduced into free ftates, and afterwards impofed upon them, ought to be had in perpetual remembrance. We ought never to forget, that fuch steps have been usually taken, to gratify the views of ambitious Princes, to carry on the fchemes of evil Minifters, to terrify Parliaments into obedience, and to make the Members of them dumb fpectators of the miseries of their country.

I will not infift on these arguments, however juft in themfelves, however proper on other occafions, because they would be unapplicable to the present fituation of our affairs. For we have a Prince whofe aim is to continue us the bleffings of peace and plenty; we have a Miniftry who have merits above my commendation; we have a Parliament, which acts with a fpirit fuperior to all influences, and to all temptations. Befides, every year has its particular circumftances, and those particular circumstances ought to guide our resolutions, when we are marking our annual parliamentary provifions for the public fervice. I thought our circumftances both at home and abroad, were so prosperous the last Seffion, that we might without hazard have difbanded at leaft the four thousand augmentation troops. But the Majority of the Houfe was of another opinion. There was then indeed a Rendezvous, though not a formed Congress, of Plenipotentiaries, vying with each other in the fplendor of their equipages and the magnificence of their entertainments at Cambray, which had for fome time employed our speculations, and promised great events to the world. And it was thought good policy to fhow the negociating Powers, by continuing our army, that, if they would not accept of his Majefty's plan for fettling the balance of power, and for establishing the tranquillity of Europe, Great-Britain was ready to do her part toward compelling them to a com