House of for dis pleted the glorious work of national deliverance- BOOK III. preserved a profound silence on this topic. And 1697. when the question came within a few days to be debated in the house, the patriots and anti-cour- Vote of the tiers, exerting their united strength, carried, on Commons a division of 185 members against 148, of whom banding the Army. 116 were placemen, a resolution importing that all the forces raised since the year 1680 should be disbanded. By this vote, the whole number of troops to be maintained did not exceed 8000 men. "A standing army was affirmed to be inconsistent with a free government, and absolutely destructive of the English constitution. A STANDING ARMY ONCE ESTABLISHED, WAS ESTA BLISHED FOR EVER: and the records of every country and of every age had shewn that the establishment of a military force had been ever fatal to liberty. A people are no longer free when the sword is wrested out of their hands, and transferred to an army of mercenaries. If the people have not a power within themselves to defend themselves, they are no free nation. It is an opinion professed by the famous Machiavel, and which he undertakes to prove in form, that the prince ought not to suffer the people to acquire the knowledge of arms. No writer, it was said, had ever treated on the subject of a free government, without expressing his detestation of a standing army. 'Whoever,' says lord Bacon, doth use them, though he may spread his 1697. BOOK III. feathers for a while, will mew them soon afterwards. In a word, if a standing army is once established, all that the nation has gained by the Revolution is a precedent in favour of resistance, which they would never be permitted to have the benefit of any more." Resigna tion of Sunderland. The popularity of the ministers suffered greatly by this unsuccessful attempt; and the most severe and bitter reflections were thrown out in the house of commons against lord Sunderland, who, as was universally believed, originally suggested, or at least encouraged and incited, this obnoxious project. One striking feature of the character of Sunderland appears to have been pusillanimity. His daring and ambitious designs were governed and regulated by an anxious and incessant attention to his personal safety. He knew himself to be detested by the tories and distrusted by the whigs, who on the present occasion joined in what might be styled the national clamor against him. Dreading the disgrace, and, what was to him far worse, the danger of parliamentary censure, he resolved upon a resignation of his office of lord chamberlain, to the infinite chagrin of the king, who "carnestly desired," to use the expression of bishop Burnet, "that he would continue about him." But the sagacity of Sunderland saw a storm arising which he had not courage to encounter. The post of chamberlain was kept vacant near two years, in the hope doubtless of his re-acceptance; during which inter- BOOK II. val it was supposed he received the emoluments of 1097. the office: but the succeeding events of the reign were not such as would excite him to resume it. The king was beyond measure mortified and displeased at the late resolution of the house of commons. Conscious of the integrity of his own views, and convinced of the propriety and necessity of the recommendation in his speech, he considered the refusal of the house in the light of a personal and public affront. He told the bishop of Sarum, "that he thought it would derogate much from him, and render his alliance so inconsiderable, that he doubted whether he could carry on the government after it should be reduced to so weak and contemptible a state." He said, "that if he could have imagined that, after all the service he should have done the nation, he should have met with such returns, he would never have meddled in our affairs; and that he was weary of governing a nation that was so jealous as to lay itself open to an enemy, rather than trust him, who had acted so faithfully during his whole life, that he had never once deceived those who trusted him." Forcible and acute as his feelings were upon this occasion, he abstained from all public indications of spleen or discontent; and the commons, who appear to have * Burnet's History, vol. iii. p. 185. 1097. BOOK III. acted from the most upright and patriotic motives, to soften the unavoidable harshness of a resolute non-compliance in a matter of so great moment, now granted the king, what he had formerly placed much stress upon, a revenue for life, and raised the civil list to the sum of 700,0007. per annum. Affairs of the East pany. Early in the year 1698, the old contest beIndia Com-tween the East India Company and the Associated Merchants, who had shewn themselves so eager to supplant them, was revived with undiminished animosity. It had been intimated to the company at one of their general courts, by persons supposed to be in the confidence of ministers, that, in consideration of a loan to be advanced by them to government at a low interest, their charter might now be renewed, and a monopoly of the trade secured to them. Too hastily believing all opposition at an end, they received this proposition with unexpected coolness; on which Mr. Montague, chancellor of the exchequer, set on foot a negotiation with the merchants their antagonists. No sooner was this intelligence conveyed to them, than they made an offer of the sum of 700,000l. at the low interest of 4 per cent. But the opposite party had already closed with the terms of Mr. Montague, and agreed to advance the sum of no less than two millions at 8 per cent, to government, 1697. in consideration of a new charter securing to BOOK III. them an exclusive trade to India; and in the month of May a bill was ordered to be brought into the house conformable to these conditions. The existing company, now fully roused, and in the highest degree alarmed, made their appeal to the justice and equity of the parliament, representing "their rights and claims under a succession of charters, particularly the last, no forfeiture of which either had been or could be pretended. They urged the regard due to the property of above a thousand families interested in their stock, especially of the new adventurers, who had subscribed, agreeably to the resolutions of parliament, no less a sum than 744,000l. on the credit and faith of the new charter. They alleged that they had expended upwards of a million sterling in their buildings and fortifications in India; that during the war they had lost twelve ships, worth 1,500,000%. They stated the great sums they had paid in customs and taxes, and the services they had rendered to government in the circulation of exchequer bills, and in various other respects, which were at the time acknowledged to be seasonable and important. And they observed it was the constant custom in farms, bargains, and offers of the like nature, not to close with a new proposal till the first bidder be asked whether he is able to ad |
