Selected quad for the lemma: state_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35159
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Justice the best support to government, or, A brief account of some publick transactions during the late war
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Crosfeild, Robert.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing C7246; ESTC R32378
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15,737
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36
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and that he need not be so precise in his attendance for they could and would consider of his matter without his appearing June 11th 1694. Mr. Everett having as yet heard nothing of his matter went to the Navy-Office where observing no great business stirring he took the opportunity to move the Board twice or thrice but was unsuccessful in all and after many Hours waiting went home unsatisfied The following day he indeed received a Letter from the Board intimating that they now had his Proposal under consideration and would proceed to make a Report thereof and that he need not give himself any further trouble about it He therefore waited till the 19th but finding then all was no more than Words he applied himself to the Lords of the Admiralty and Presented their Lordships with a Narrative of his Proceedings with the Commissioners of the Navy whereupon the day following Everett did receive a fresh Letter from the Navy-Board dated June the 20th whereby he was order'd to attend their Board the 23d of the same month with Evidence to prove the Abuses complain'd of by him Accordingly in time and at the place appointed he did attend and Twelve Master Shipwrights with him Two of which Masters were called in and before the Board did assert and prove several of the Abuses and Base Practices committed in the King 's Yards However while these Masters were giving in their Evidence on behalf of their Sovereign Lord the King the Commissioners were so impudent and insolent as both to Discourage and Terrifie them in a scoffing manner saying How could it he possible to save His Majesty 100000 l. per annum in Building and Repairing the Royal Navy when the whole Charge did not amount to so much and that Worthy Captain Wilshaw did aver That the Charge of the whole did not amount to 25000 l. and so they brake up abruptly leaving Mr. Everett and his Evidence in the Board-Room without the least Order for withdrawing or further attending June 27th the Commissioners of the Navy did make their Report to the Lords of the Admiralty concerning Everett's Proposal in which Report they inserted divers false Reflections upon Mr. Everett and his Proceedings of which whole matter the Reader may be fully satisfied if he have recourse to the Book before mention'd Viz. Justice Perverted p. 12. 13. July the 6th Mr. Everett again attended the Lords of the Admiralty having before given a Narrative of his proceedings at the Navy Boards and pray'd to be heard thereupon as also that he might be favoured with a Copy of the Navy Boards Report but could not prevail The 7th and 9th of the same Month he attended again and was inform'd by Mr. Southern then Secretary to the Admiralty that their Lordships Report was drawn up and would be delivered the next Council Day Viz. The 12th following but was not wherefore Everett attended their Lordships the Day following Viz. The 13th and laid Eight Heads before them relating to his Proposal and humbly craved their Honours would take it into consideration and exspedite their Report but all to no purpose So likewise August the 14th Day but had no Answer So the 17th he gave in a fresh Memorial but without effect the 21st he again Petitioned their Lordships humbly reminding them of the great charge and dammage he had sustain'd And was then ordered to attend Fryday the 24th when they would consider his case so as to make a full Report thereof At which time he gladly and in great hopes attended the Admiralty Board but was inform'd by the Secretary that Sir Robert Rich was out of Town and that therefore their Lordships had referred his matter till his Honours Return September the 5th Everett again attended their Lordships when the Secretary inform'd him that Sir John Lowther was out of Town but when he return'd the Admiralty would proceed to a final determination of his matter September the 18th he again attended and was then told Admiral Rook was out of Town but that the next Board of six would without farther delay determine his matter He was then directed to attend at Four in the Afternoon the 20th following which he did and then part of his Proposal being Read the Commissioners of the Navy's Report was read also in order to confute Everett but he still insisting that he was able to make good every particular whereof he had given information with much ado their Lordships were pleas'd to give him leave that he might produce his Witnesses The 30th of October following Everett father moved their Lordships for a Copy of the Report from the Navy-Board as also for Summons for his Witnesses The latter with some Reluctance they granted but by no means would condescend to the former Nov. 2d Mr. Everett according to order attended the Admiralty-Board at Ten in the Morning with Eleaven Witnesses and about Eleven was called in where he found only Mr. Priestman who told Everett that he believed the rest of the Members had forgotten his business and therefore he must have patience to another day Everett thereupon intreated his Lordship to consider the great charge and trouble he had been at in getting his Witnesses together and to order that they might now being together be examin'd upon Oath he having breviates of their Depositions ready drawn Sir George Rook then coming in Mr. Everett was ordered to attend with his Witnesses at Four in the Afternoon which he did they were called in about Six and being severally and strictly examined did plainly prove the matters alledg'd by Everett About Ten at Night their Lordships order one of their Clarks to examine them over again and to take their Subscriptions to the aforesaid breviates but the said Clark whether so directed or no is not known did Browbeat and Banter the said evidence and would not suffer them to Subscribe their Breviates The 27th of the same month Mr. Everett delivered to their Lordships the Depositions of Seventeen Witnesses who were Sworn before a Justice of Peace Whereby the Frauds and Embezzlements alledged to be Committed in His Majesties Yards were sufficiently prov'd he then Sollicited for a Report from their Lordships but could obtain none till the 29th of January 1694 5. In all which time he could no ways obtain a Copy of the Navy-Boards Report In the Lords of the Admiralties Report they were pleas'd to allow of that part of Everetts Proposal relating to the saving of so great expences And express themselves as very desirous that the present Circumstance of the State could Comport therewith but there 's not the least Notice taken of the many Crimes prov'd before them to have been Committed in His Majesties Yards However this Report being given in at the Council-Board the matter was referred to such of the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council as belong'd to the Committee of Trade and Plantations who forthwith granted Mr. Everett a Copy of the Navy Boards Report February following Viz. 25th 1695 Mr.
Revenue in that Office has been sunk or impar'd 30000 per Annum and so far were men of this temper from being satisfied herewith that according to Mr. Samsons Proof they purloyn'd near one half of the Peny Post-Office income And that none may question this the turning out the Controuler and Receiver of that Office upon that Proof is a sufficient Testimony and that which must certainly make these Crimes the more Notorious is that for Divers year successively complaint had been made from time to time to the Commissioners of the Post-Office of these matters and by whom they were done as when enquir'd into themselves could not deny before the Lords Justices Yet they made no Reformation but were so resolute that when the foulest matters of this Nature were prov'd upon Mr. Leason the Controuler of the Forreign Post-Office Yet he was continued till the Third Letter from His Majesty with much a due got him remov'd But on the other hand they let slip no opportunity to turn out such of their Members as they found had been Instrumental in making this necessary discovery as they did one of good Parts and good Principles and almost begger'd another by evil and indirect means that discover'd the wicked Practices of Leason and the Peny Post-Office I had thought of stopping my Pen here but a Transaction so desperately mischievous to the King and Nations interest occuring to any mind I can in no wise excuse my self from the Relation which is as follows Mr. Woodgate Late Post Master of Canterbury did by Eighteen or Nineteen Depositions given in upon Oath make it appear unto the Mayor and other Magistrates of the City of Canterbury that for Divers years together during the Late War with France Some Hundreds of Horse were privately placed upon the Road between London Canterbury Dover c. For carrying on an under-hand Correspondence with France and by which means not only Papers but Persons were convey'd to and from France Of this matter the Commissioners of the Post-Office were Divers time inform'd by the said Woodgate Yet were they so far from putting a stop to such a dangerous design that it appears by a Letter under one of the Commissioners hand it was abetted and encouraged by them the Depositions before mention'd as likewise the said Original Letter relating to this affair did for some considerable time lye in the hands of Mr. Blackhall in order to a Prosecution But his Zeal was soon cool'd by being made Receiver of the Penny Post Office he had then no heart farther to Prosecute the Evil Actions of the Post-Office Now whoever impartially weighs the preceeding matter and duly considers what foul Crimes have been prov'd against the Officers of the Mint c. Can do no other ways then conclude all other Offices have taken the same measures for by Hercules's Foot we may know the Proposition of his Body in regard it so plainly appears all Men in Publick Employment have been let loose to their own Appetite to Act and do as they please without having any regard to the Law The Consequence of which has been not only the destruction of a Multitude of Saylors and the Impoverishing and Ruining of many Thousands Honest Loyal Industrious Families who have not been so much as apprehensive how all this ruin has been brought upon them but the cause of all the Publick Debts and Distress that has fallen upon the Nation in General And the Reason its Credit is so much Impared both at home and abroad which can never be restored otherways then by a due Administration of Justice So great a misery it is a Nation should be so unhappy as not to be sensible of the benefit of order till disorder show it In all difficult and unusual Cases it 's Customary to have recourse to records to search for Examples and Presidents which has ever been Judg'd to be of great Use and of all our Kings since the Norman Conquest I conceive the Reign of Henry the Third to be the most Remarkable and seems to come nearest to our present Case who having been driven into great straits and his People into great distress even then he happily and unexpectedly restor'd the Nation again to Peace Upon which he began to look back and search the Ground of his former misery And my truly worthy Author Sir Robert Cotton who writ the Life of that Prince which he presented to King James the First says in p. 24. Here he finds his wasteful hand had been to quick both over the Fortunes and Blessings of his People The Griping avarice of his Civil Ministers c. And referring all to base greedy and unworthy Ministers whose Councels were ever more subtle than substantial he had thrown down those Pillars of Soveraignty and Safety Reputation abroad and reverence at home Thus at last he Learn'd that reward and reprehension justly laid do Ballance Government and that it much Importeth a Prince the Hand to be equal that holdeth the Scale Pag. 26. His Court wherein at this time the Faults of great Men did not only by Approbation but Imitation receive true Comfort and Authority for their Crimes now became Examples and Customs he Purged very Judiciously and Severely since from thence proceeds either the Regular or the Irregular condition of the Common State Pag. 27. And to discover now his own Capacity and what part he meaneth to bear hereafter in all deliberate Expeditions he siteth himself in Councel daily and disposeth affairs of most weight in his own Person for Councellors be they never so wise or worthy are but Accessaries not Principals in Sustentation of the State This wonderful Change to the General State so hopeless lately to recover her former Liberty they sought now for nothing but the mildest Servitude brought them home again with admiration to his Devotion and their own Duty He that will lay we see the Foundation of Greatness upon Popular Love must give them Ease and Justice for they measure the Bond of their obedience by the Good always that they receive This Peace attended ever after his Age and Hearse c. So that all the Actions of his future Reign were exact Grounds of Discipline and Policy for HIS BEST SVCCESSOR TO RVLE BY AFTER To conclude the Heathen Romans by their Virtue and Moral Justice rais'd themselves to a great pitch of Glory yet afterwards by their Wickedness and Corruption were Ruined and became a Prey to Divers Barbarous Nations So unless this Nation hath Virtue enough within it self to conquer and overcome all these horrible Corruptions we shall now at last unavoidably split after all our great expence of Blood and Treasure as it were upon a Rock and fall unpitied into the Hands of our Enemies out of which like the Rich Man in the Gospel we shall find no Redemption FINIS * This worthy Person out of a Generous Principle and Love to Justice expended above 50l in detecting this Villany there was Seven person made Oath of it upon which the Commissioners of the Navy immediately took every one of them into the Kings Service * The Ancient Romans when engag'd in War were so careful and tender of the Lives of their People that they orderâ—d he that saved the Life of a Cittizen of Rome should be Crown'd with Lawâ—el and Publickly Honoured but so far are we from so doing that we even murther men as it were by whole sale and the Actors therein pass among us for right honest men †The Commissioners for the sick and wounded Seamen Before I brought my Articles against the Lords of the Admiralty c. Mr. Blackhall sent me an Account of all this Affair with the Names of the Witnesses that could prove the Facts and very much prest me to bring the matter into my Articles but for several Good Reasons I refus'd so to do * In our Age the wicked practice of buying and selling Employments as it were by Inch of Candle who bâ—ds most has been of fatal Consequence to the whole body of the Nation and the only Reason why publick Crimes have not been lookt into All generally speaking pertaking of the spoil for it 's Notorious to the world that as Employments have advanced in value the misery of the People has encreased But if my Lord Mayor c. Be oblidg'd to keep Port and Grandure 't is fit it should be by some publick allowance or on his own demaines and not live upon the Blood and Tears of the People Vide Englands Calamities discover'd Sold by Joseph Fox in Westminster-Hall and Robert Clavel at the Peacock in Fleet-street †The Multitude of Petitions that now lye in the Council-Office which are kept from His Majesties Knowledge and have not been Read gives a sufficient demonstration of the Inhumanity of some Persons at this time in the Government