Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A38468
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The English-man's happiness under a Protestant-prince and the present condition of the kingdom considered.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing E3100; ESTC R9047
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6,331
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4
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them but that no Encouragement might be wanting to bring in others for the further Discovery of the very depths of that Design provided largely for them assigning them Guards for their persons till they themselves thought they were safe enough without them making them at all times large Allowances which if they did not prove equally great yet were the least more then sufficient and that at a time when the emptiness of his Coffers might well have excused him and when his own faithful Servants went unpaid As many as the Law Condemned were Executed his Prerogative never interposing betwixt the Attainder and the Execution such as were imprisoned and after long restraint they might reasonably expect a Tryal and to that purpose apply'd themselves in all humble manner to him received no other satisfaction then the assurance of having Justice in Parliament nay he was even deaf to the prayer of the Man he lov'd who desired but to recover his Health in the Country with a strong Guard tho' he were well satisfied by the Testimony of learned Physitians that the continuing in the Tower would in all likelihood be his Death and this because his people had accused him A War against the French was judged necessary by the Parliament and to that end Money was given by a Poll by which Bill 30 Car. an undenyable proof of the sincerity of the Kings Intention therein All Trade and Commerce is forbidden for Three Years thereby depriving himself of a very considerable part of his Revenue whilst the subtle Hollander for whose sake that War was intended and consequently that Trade forbidden forbid but for one Year whereby the French Commodities did not as was intended by as they should lye on their Hands but still vented by the means of our Neighbours from whom we received them with the advantage of paying dearer for them and the King of England received those great disadvantages which by the Intent of the Act were meant for the French An Army they desired to have and had one to serve against the French when see on a sudden that very Army must be disbanded e're it could be well Ship'd in order to perform the Service it was raised for this Army raised and but just mustered in the Spring is by act of Parliament in July following Disbanded in which the King comply'd with them and as far as the Money given to Disband them would go they were Disbanded with which he acquaints the Parliament at the opening of the Sessions on the 6th of March 1679 and told them He waited but for further Supplies from them to Disband the rest a very great kindness so soon to return them to their Wives and children least by too long a Discontinuance they should have been either unable or unwilling to return to their first lawful Vocation a greater complyance than this cannot be found will they have an Army he raises one to please them will they have none he Disbands it to gratifie them There is yet one thing untouch'd which evil-minded Men have always in their mouths How have we been squeezed say they by that long Parliament more Money has been given by them than by all the Parliaments since the Conquerour and yet the King wants more Men sufficiently ill natur'd not to say worse to grudge at their own Gifts and reproach the King with what they indeed are glad of that of so vast summs so little remains unspent and surely the King has most reason to be angry now he sees how hard it is to have more that so many sure Friends to and supporters of Empire so many English pounds have been no better Husbanded against an evil day and yet to do him justice in this point I must say that whatever has been given him if absolutely he was sole Master of and might spend it as he listed and what has been raised for any special use or purpose has been constantly applyed to the use it was designed and appropriated to now as for any summs before the 17th of April 1667 there will be no question for to that time we may rest satisfied that the Earl of Bridgewater and several others whereof some were of the House of Commons by Virtue of a Commission to them directed under the great Seal which the King upon intimation from his Parliament that several great summs raised for special uses had been misemployed had promise to grant did then according to the directions of the Commission enquire into all summs raised till then and what they found perverted to wrong uses by the power they had by that Commission did obliege all Treasurers Pay-Masters Receivers and other Agents to restore and this was done says that Commission that the Kings people might be satisfied that what summs had been given to the supporting that great War with France and Holland which had lasted some years and was ended but in August after were expended as they had been designed the principal summs then under consideration of the Commissioners were the summ of 1250000 l. 17. Car. Ch. 1st and that great and famous Royal aid being of 2477500 l. since which time then of April 1667. they that will take the pains to examine the several Money-Bills will find how the Money was designed and how it has been spent is in every Mans remembrance but yet to instance in some of latest date for instance the 584978 l. given to build Thirty Ships of War has been laid out accordingly and more with it the Poll-Bill was to enable him to raise an Army against the French and it did so notwithstanding that it fell exceedingly short of what was expected by the King and Intended by the Parliament there is indeed one instance of Money misapplyed if I may give that name to the laying out of Money tho' to the best purpose imaginable intended for a contrary use for I find the summ of 619380 l. given 30 Car. to disband the Army was employed in keeping part on foot but it was upon so extraordinary occasion and to so good a purpose that the Commons themselves remained satisfied with the Account his Majesty vouchsafed to give them of the important accidents that occasioned the continuing of it and the good service that accrued by it so that upon the whole he has been a most faithful Treasurer of such summs as were given to any special Vse and for what at any time was given otherwise it were the heighth of Insolence and Ill Manners to enquire into the spending of it When the growing danger of Popery required some further Laws then those then in force against it and it was thought as Dangerous for a Papist to Sit in either House as to hold Offices or Employs how willingly did he pass a Bill to disable all of that Religion upon the very account of their Faith to the Disinheriting of many great Peers for sure till then a Seat in Parliament was their Birth-right and Inheritance and this he did that nothing