ment. The exercise of many old constitutional and feudal powers were, especially in Scotland, then thwarted by the controlling hand of a military despotism. But trade was absolutely freed, and in all matters of commerce, navigation, and colonial enterprise, England, Scotland, and Ireland became one community.

The Navigation Acts had an instructive influence on the creation of the political forces that, by setting the two nations in antagonism, led to the complete union. The first Navigation Act was passed by the Protectorate Government in 1651. It was a blow dealt against Holland, and whatever economic reaction it had on Britain it was successful in its ostensible object of stopping the career of the States towards the dominion of the seas. The Dutch, by the force of their realised capital, acting on their facilities for shipbuilding, were engrossing the carrying trade of the sea: wherever there were commodities ready for exportation, and a community ready to purchase them as imports, Dutch vessels were at hand for their conveyance; and it was vain for other communities to compete with them, for none could perform the service so effectively and cheaply. The policy of the Act was to exclude these carriers from the ports of England-unless the goods brought in cargo came from the place of their produce in Europe, they must be carried in English-built vessels, of which the commander with three-fourths of the crew were English subjects.

We may now believe that the natural enterprise of England would have raised it only the more rapidly to the commercial supremacy it was destined to attain

without this invidious exclusion. But what we have here to note is, that Scotland was not excluded by the Act of the Protectorate. There was a complete union of the British Islands under one Government, and whatever advantages Englishmen believed themselves to derive from the exclusion, Scotsmen were entitled to arrogate to themselves. It was among the Englishman's denunciations of the Protectorate Government that it admitted the impoverished and sordid Scots to a participation in the sources of England's wealth.

Interpreted by the commercial creed of the age, the Navigation Act was a brilliant achievement, and though the work of the usurper it was speedily reenacted by the Restoration Government. In its restoration it was shaken free of the defect that gave a share in its beneficence to Scotland. England and Scotland again stood separate and apart, and in the protective code of England, Scotland was as thoroughly a foreign country as France or Russia. In a remonstrance on the part of Scotland in the beginning of the year 1668, a claim of participation was stated in a shape to bring out distinctly the character of the exclusion, by pleading that "the same freedom may be allowed to such ships and vessels as do truly and without fraud belong only to the people of Scotland -whereof the master and three-fourth parts are Scotsmen or other his Majesty's subjects, and freighted only by his Majesty's subjects-as are allowed to his Majesty's subjects of Ireland, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-upon-Tweed." And further, "that it be declared that his Majesty's subjects of Scotland are not meant to be debarred by the clause debarring aliens or persons not born within the alle

CHAPTER IV.

International Difficulties.

CAUSES OF DISSENSION BETWEEN ENGLAND AND SCOTLANDSCOTLAND INCLUDED IN THE NAVIGATION ACT OF THE PROTECTORATE- EXCLUDED IN THAT OF THE RESTORATION DEMANDS BY SCOTLAND FOR THE OPENING OF FREE TRADE WITH ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH COLONIES REJECTED— THE PRIVILEGES ENJOYED BY IRELAND AS A DEPENDENCYEFFECT OF THE REVOLUTION AND THE INTERCOURSE WITH THE DUTCH-SUPREMACY OF TRADE QUESTIONS—RIVALRY OF ENGLAND AND HOLLAND FOR SUPREMACY AT SEA-THE NAVIGATION ACT DESIGNED TO CRUSH THE RIVAL-INVENTION OF BANKING ITS STIMULUS TO SPECULATIVE COMPANIES-SCOTLAND STARTS THE INDIAN AND AFRICAN COMPANY, OFTEN CALLED THE DARIEN COMPANY WILLIAM PATERSON THE COMPANY STARTED IN LONDON AND EDINBURGH-DRIVEN OUT THE DARIEN COLONY ITS CALAMITIES AND FAILURE THE UNION COMMISSION OF 1702-CLAIM OF FREE TRADE REPEATED BY SCOTLAND-THE QUESTION DROPS-TURBULENT SCOTS PARLIAMENT OF 1703-QUARRELS THE ACT OF SECURITY—THE LIMITATIONS-THE QUEEN ON THE AFFAIRS OF SCOTLAND.

OF LONDON

SINCE the union of the crowns, an incorporating union of Scotland with England had become a traditional policy in both countries, and especially became ripened into form and substance by debates and resolutions of the Parliament of England. It was bequeathed to both countries by King William under

conditions conferring on the bequest a mournful solemnity. On the 23d February in the year 1702, in a message to the Commons, he announced himself as "fully satisfied that nothing can more contribute to the present and future security and happiness of England and Scotland than a firm and entire union between them." Further, that he "would esteem it a peculiar felicity if during his reign some happy expedient for making both kingdoms one might take place." The message incidentally noted that he was "hindered by an unhappy accident from coming in person to his Parliament, and so could only signify to the Commons by message what he desired to have spoken to both Houses from the throne."1 The "unhappy accident" occurring two days earlier was in fact his death-blow.

Whatever forces were at work for or against the Union, in the government and constitution of the two kingdoms, and the tempers and national prejudices of the people, had become familiar to both in a century of discussion. But ere the question came to a final and practical issue, new forces, arising with the growth of each nation during that century, were destined for predominance in the struggle. Before the civil war there had been disputes and difficulties between Englishmen and Scotsmen on questions of trade, especially wherever the Scots endeavoured to deal with the English colonies. These affairs arose rather out of frailties and imperfections in the law than from exclusive privileges and absolute prohibitions. Such as they were, all these difficulties were swept away for a time by the Protectorate Govern

1 Parl. Hist., v. 1341.

age.

giance of our Sovereign Lord the King from exercising the trade or occupation of merchants or factors." 1 But co-operation and harmonious action did not respond to the tone of the commercial policy of the Retaliation was the keynote that raised the energies of nations. A feeble effort to effect a union followed this remonstrance. The active spirits began to dream of exclusive schemes for Scotland in rivalry with England. The Dutch were an example to them. Exclusion from English trade seemed only to concentrate their powers in doing for themselves. Even while the Protectorate exclusion pressed upon them they were settling themselves at the Cape of Good Hope, the resting-place for all the European States ambitious of trade and dominion in the Indian seas; they were creeping with factories into Borneo and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago, and had audaciously planted themselves so far away in the New World as Guiana. Cut off from the English sympathy and communion, they prospered so as to rival if not to excel England as a trading and aggrandising community.

They might be excluded from the Thames, but if the English patrician desired to select the decorations of his dwelling from the splendours of the East and the West he must go to muddy Amsterdam for them. Even sullen Japan, shutting its door to the rest of the world, admitted the Dutch trader to its great mart of household finery. Scotland likewise excluded would do in like manner. Even so the restless needy man who sees his aggrandising neighbour heaping

1 Bruce: Report on the events and circumstances which produced the Union, Appx. ccl.