Debate thereon.] The said Resolutions, be- | ing severally read a second time, were agreed to by the House: After which, Sir William Wyndham took notice of the neglect of those who were a check on the managers of that branch of the public revenue; and who therefore ought in time to have called upon them for the money that passed through their hands, according to the direction of the act of parliament. That it might be said, that they were even more guilty than the Commissioners of Hawkers and Pedlars themselves; since they not only had connived, for four years, at the embezzlement of the public money, but had for three years more neglected to recover the same, and seemed at last to have encouraged a Petition to the House, to have it remitted; and that the granting such a Petition, would be giving a parliamentary sanction to such vile practices, and opening a wide door for the like mismanagements of the public treasure. He was seconded by Mr. William Pulteney, who animadverted very severely on the neglect of the Commissioners of the Treasury, whose office and duly it was, to have called the petitioners to account. Hereupon jesty, a Memorial in Latin, couched in a very indecent and injurious stile, altogether unusual and very unbecoming the majesty of crowned heads; and to add to the indignity, that the said Memorial was the next day publicly dispersed, and that printed copies of translations of it, one in English, the other in French,had been sent to several members of both Houses of Parliament, aldermen of London and other persons, together with a translation in the same languages, of a Letter from the count de Sinzendorf to M. de Palm, wherein that Resident was ordered, To present the said Memorial first to the King of Great Britain, and afterwards to publish it to the whole nation. His lordship added, That this appeal from a foreign power to the people of Great Britain, against their lawful sovereign, was so unprecedented, and so great an insult upon the crown of Great Britain, and on his Majesty's sacred person, that he thought the House ought to resent it in the most lively manner; and thereupon he moved, "That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to give dihis Majesty by M. de Palm the Imperial Resirections, that the said Memorial, presented to dent, might be laid before the House;" and being seconded by sir Gilbert Heathcote, the said Address was ordered to be presented. 13th.* March 13. The Commons proceeded to take into consideration the Memorial presented to his Majesty by M. de Palm; and the translation of the said Memorial being read, complaint was From the London Gazette, of Saturday, Sir William Yonge endeavoured to excuse the present administration, the failure of the March 10. Sir Paul Methuen, by his Macashier of the Commissioners of Hawkers and jesty's command, laid a copy of M. de Palm's Pedlars, which had occasioned the deficiency Memorial before the House, together with in question, having happened before their the Translation of it; whereupon it was resolvtime; and the multiplicity of arduous, im-ed to take the same into consideration on the portant and intricate affairs that fell out since, having so taken up the attention of the Managers of the Treasury, that it was no wonder if so inconsiderable a branch of the revenue had escaped their notice. And then moved, "That the Petition of the late Commissioners of Hawkers and Pedlars be rejected;" which was carried without dividing. Nevertheless, some gentlemen of the Country Party came on again to the charge, and inveighed against the audaciousness of some persons, who, by their corrupt management, thought themselves so powerful and secure, as to dare to screen the greatest offenders. To which an eminent member replied, That he could not help reflecting on the envy and rancour of some men, who made it their constant business to thwart and revile those who had the honour to have a sbare in the administration, and who, not satisfied with shewing their malignity within those walls, shot likewise their poison in the dark, and scattered it under allegories in vile libels. To prevent farther altercation the Courtiers called for the order of the day, and the question being put thereon, it was carried in the affirmative, by 248 voices against 124. Debate in the Commons on M. de Palm's abusive Memorial.] March 8. Lord Fitzwilliams, member for Peterborough, took notice, That on the 2d instant Monsieur de Palm, the Emperor's Resident, in an audience he had of the King, delivered into the hands of his Ma March 4, 1726-7, Whitehall, March 4. "This day Mr. Inglis, Marshal and Assistant Master of the Ceremonies, in the absence of sir Clement Cotterell, Master of the Ceremonies, went by his Majesty's order to M. de Palm, the Emperor's Resident, and acquainted him, that he having, in the audience he had of the King on Thursday last, delivered into the hands of his Majesty a Memorial highly injurious to his Majesty's honour, and the dignity of his crown; in which Memorial he has forgot all regard to truth, and the respect due to his sacred Majesty; and the same Memorial being being also publicly dispersed next morning in print, together with a Letter from the count de Sinzendorff to him the said Palm, still more insolent and more injurious, if possible, than the Memorial; his Majesty had thereupon commanded him to declare to him the said Resident, Palm, that his Majesty looked upon him no longer as a public minister, and required him forthwith to depart out of this kingdom." The Memorial and the Letter abovementioned, are as follows: made to the House, that the substance of the said Memorial had been printed and published in a Paper intitled, "Translation of a Memorial, &c.' whereupon the said Paper was MEMORIAL presented, in Latin, to the King of Great Britain, by M. de Palm, the Imperial Resident, upon the Speech which his Britannic Majesty made to the two Houses of his Parliament, on the 17-28 of January, 1726-7. "Most Serene and Potent King, "As soon as the Speech made by your Majesty to the Parliament of Great Britain now assembled, came to the knowledge of his Imperial and Catholic Majesty, my most gracious master; he was struck with the utmost astonishment, that your Majesty could suffer yourself to be prevailed upon to declare from the royal throne, to that most renowned nation, in a manner hitherto unheard of, as certain and undoubted facts, several things, some of which are strained in that Speech to a wrong sense, some are entirely distant from the intentions of his Imperial and Catholic Majesty; and lastly, (which affect much more sensibly than all the rest) some things absolutely void of all foundation. "For as to what regards the peace concluded at Vienna with the most serene king of Spain, who can forbear being astonished, that this very peace, which is built on the quadruple alliance signed at London, and other treaties contracted with your Majesty, as its solid and sole foundation; and for the obtaining of which peace, your Majesty, together with your allies, waged so bloody, so long, and so glorious a war, and took yourself so much pains to procure, should now be alledged by your Majesty as a just ground of complaint, and should be made use of as a pretence for these things, which hitherto your ministers have been doing in all parts, to the great detriment of the emperor and the empire, and the public tranquillity, and should be represented by your Majesty to the British nation, with so much animosity against the emperor and king of Spain, as a violation of treaties. "After complaining of the peace made at Vienna, complaint is likewise made of the Treaty of Commerce entered into with Spain, which is calculated to promote the mutual and lawful advantages of the subjects of both parties, which is agreeable to the law of nations, and to the customs of all people in amity with each other; which can in no respect be of any prejudice to the British nation, whether we regard the situation of the countries, or the particular nature of the trade, and which is not in the least repugnant to the treaties made with Great Britain. So that if this Treaty be considered with a mind free from prejudice, and from all design of inflaming the nation, there will remain no pretence to say, that this Treaty can be grievous or hurtful to a nation for which his Imperial Majesty brought up to the table and read; after which the lord Fitzwilliams, sir Robert Walpole, Mr. Onslow, sir William Yonge, Mr. Doddington, and sir William Strickland: also sir William has the greatest affection and esteem, and whose glorious exploits and important succours. no time will efface out of his memory. "The other head of complaint, which contains such things as are void of all foundation, relates principally to that imaginary Alliance which, in the Speech, is called Offensive, and is there supposed to have been made against your Majesty, between the emperor and king of Spain. But it will not only appear how groundless and frivolous this supposition is, from the offer lately made by his Imperial and Catholic Majesty, of entering into a Convention, "De se mutuo non Offendendo," but will be entirely refuted by the consideration of the tenor of the Treaty of Alliance and Friendship itself made with the crown of Spain, and communicated in its whole extent to your Majesty when it was proper; from the words of which, whether the least shadow or appearance of an offensive alliance can be drawn, is submitted to the judgment of the whole world. "Another part of the complaint relates to the secret Articles made in favour of the Pretender, whereof your Majesty asserts that you have certain and undoubted informations, by which Articles it should have been agreed to set the Pretender on the throne of Great Britain. With what view, on what motive, and to what purpose, these informations, founded on the falsest reports, were represented to the people of Great Britain, is not only easy to be understood by his Imperial and Catholic Majesty, but is obvious to the meanest capacity. But since the inviolable dignity and honour of such great princes cannot suffer that assertions of this nature, intirely unsupported by truth, should be advanced from the royal throne to the whole nation, and to all mankind; his sacred Imperial and Catholic Majesty has expressly commanded me, that I should declare to your Majesty, and to the whole kingdom of Great Britain, how highly he thinks himself affronted thereby, solemnly affirming, upon his Imperial word, that there exists no secret Arti ticle nor Convention whatsoever, which contains, or can tend to prove the least tittle of what has been alledged. "But that the secret designs, which lie con cealed under a conduct until this time unheard of, may more manifestly appear, it must be observed, that the time is purposely taken for doing this, when a negotiation is on foot at Paris, for composing the differences which have arisen without any fault of his Imperial and Catholic Majesty; which negociation sufficiently shews how much his Imperial and Catholic Majesty is at all times inclined to peace, and to the religious observation of his treaties. "As to what is said of Gibraltar, and concerning the siege thereof, under which in the Speech it is insinuated, as if some other design Wyndham, Mr. William Pulteney, Mr. Sandys, Mr. Shippen, Mr. Hungerford, and sir John St. Aubin, spoke on this occasion, and agreed in expressing the highest indignation was concealed; the hostilities notoriously committed in the Indies and elsewhere, against the king of Spain, in violation of treaties, seem to have given a very just occasion to the king of Spain for attempting that siege. But as to the intentions and engagements of the emperor upon that Article, it is easy to see what they are, by the Treaty abovementioned, which has been communicated. "As to what is said in the last place, concerning the Ostend trade, which the goodness of the Catholic King induced him to favour, (being bound by no Treaty) after he had been apprized of the just reasons for the establishment of it, various expedients for a composition have been proposed, not only at the Hague but even lately at Paris, lest this harmless method of providing for the security of the barrier, should prove an obstacle to the comnon friendship of neighbouring powers. "Which things being thus, the injury of fered to truth, the honour and dignity of his sacred Imperial and Catholic Majesty require, that they should be exposed to your Majesty, to the kingdom of Great Britain, and to the world. And his sacred Imperial Majesty demands that reparation which is due to him by all manner of right, for the great injuries which have been done him by these many imputations." A LETTER from the Count de Sinzendorf, Chancellor of the Court to his Imperial and Catholic Majesty, sent to Mons. de Palm, the Emperor's Resident at the Court' of Great Britain, dated from Vienna the 20th of February, 1727. "His Imperial and Catholic Majesty judges it indispensably necessary, upon the step which has been lately taken in the country where you are, to send you in the dispatch here annexed, a Memorial, which you are to present to the king of Great Britain, and to publish afterwards, that the whole nation may be acquainted with it, whilst answers are preparing to certain pamphlets published before the opening of the parliament. "It is easy to see that the Speech was made for no purpose, but to excite the nation to a rupture, and open war with the emperor and Spain, and to make the parliament approve the precipitate and burthensome measures which the government has taken for private ends, but too well known: that not only unwarrantable inferences and pretences have been made use of, but that manifest falshoods have been boldly advanced for indisputable facts, a proceeding never seen before among powers who ought to respect each other, when in the most flagrant wars; from whence it ought to be presumed, that the King, whose sacred mouth ought to be an oracle of truth, must have been himself abused by the sugges and resentment at the affront offered to his Majesty, by the Memorial delivered by M. de Palm; and, in a particular manner, at his audaciousness in printing and dispersing it tions and false reports of those, who have the honour to possess his confidence; and who think it their interest to inflame, by these means, both the prince and the nation, for their own private views and personal preservation, without any regard to the honour of the majesty of the throne, or to the evils which may result from hence to their own country, and to all Europe. "For these purposes they establish a foundation, and lay down as a certain fact, that there is a positive Article in the Treaty of Alliance between the emperor and the king of Spain, to place the Pretender on the throne of Great Britain, and to invade that kingdom with open force; and this they do, a few days after the minister plenipotentiary of the Catholic King had, before his departure from London, in a Memorial presented in the sacred name of bis master, publicly and in the most authentic manner, disavowed these imputatious, which sufficiently prove the Emperor's disavowal of the same, since the pretended Article was equally imputed to the two powers, and one of them could not have stipulated any thing in the same Treaty without the other. Besides which, it is to be considered, that six months ago, upon the first reports of these false suppositions, the emperor and king of Spain, in order to silence them, proposed a formal act, "de non offendendo," into which all the allies on one side and the other might enter, and which would effectually have secured the peaceable possessions, of each of the powers contracting, either in the Treaty of Vienna, or that of Hanover, until such time as it had been possible by one general Treaty to remove and quiet the complaints of all sides but these proposals were rendered ineffectual, by the same views of those persons, who chose rather to hinder the peaceable effects of these just designs, by attacks and open hostilities. "It is further known, and it is even notorious by the solemn communication made to the King of Great Britain, of the Treaty of Peace concluded at Vienna, between the emperor and king of Spain, that the Treaty of the Quadruple Alliance, made at London the 2nd of August, 1718, has been laid down as the unalterable basis of their Peace; and that all the Articles of this Quadruple Alliance are therein confirmed and corroborated, as if they had been inserted anew: How then can it be supposed, and even given out as a matter of fact, that by another Secret Treaty, signed on the same day, conditions have been established, and engagements taken entirely repugnant to the same? "Such a thing cannot be advanced, without insulting and injuring, in the most outrageous manner, the majesty of the two contracting powers, who have a fight to demand a signal throughout the kingdom; and very severe reflections were made on the ill returns from his Imperial Majesty to the great obligations he bad to Great Britain. They only differed as to the manner of wording their censure upon so extravagant an insult upon his Majesty; but at last it was moved, and resolved nem. con. "That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, To express the highest resentinent of this House at the affront and indignity offered to his most sacred Majesty, by the Memorial delivered by M. de Palm the Emperor's resident, and at his insolence in printing and dispersing the same throughout the kingdom; to declare their utmost abhorrence of this audacious manner of appealing to the people, against his Majesty: and their detestation of the presumptuous and vam attempt of endeavouring to instil into the minds of any of his Majesty's faithful subjects, the least distrust or diffidence in his most sacred royal word: To return his Majesty the Thanks of this House, for his care and vigilance, in discovering the secret and pernicious designs of his enemies, and his goodness in communicating to his parliament the dangers that threatened this kingdom. And to assure his Majesty, that this House will stand by and support his Majesty, against all his open and secret enemies, both at home and abroad; and effectually defeat the expectations of all such as may have, in any manner, countenanced, encouraged, or abetted the disturbers of the public tranquillity in this extravagant insult upon his Majesty, or flattered them with hopes that an obstinate perseverance in their destructive measures, could stagger the firmness of the British nation, in vindication of his Majesty's honour, and the defence of their rights and privileges." And a Committee was appointed to draw up an Address upon the said Resolution. March 14. M. de Palm's Memorial being laid before the Lords, a motion was made to take the same immediately into consideration, upon which lord Lechmere said, That it was to him matter of surprise, that a Memorial in which his Majesty's honour, and the dignity of the crown of Great Britain were so highly concerned, had not been sooner laid before that illustrious assembly, who having the preroga tive of approaching nearest the throne, ought to resent, and on all occasions have shewn themselves ready to vindicate any injuries and affronts that are offered to their sovereign. That the affair now before them, was of a very nice nature, and no less importance: that they ought to proceed in it with deliberation, and therefore he moved to put off the consideration of it at least till the next day. But this debate was interrupted by a Message brought by the lord Hervey from the Commons, desiring a Conference with their lordships, upon a matter of the highest importance to the honour and dignity of the imperial crown of Great Britain. This Conference being readily agreed to by the Lords, and the Managers of both Houses met in the Painted Chamber, those of the Commons, desired the concurrence of the Lords to their Address relating to M. de Palm's Memorial; and the Managers for the Commons left the said Address with the Lords, with other | Papers relating thereto. The Joint Address of both Houses to the King, on M. de Palm's Memorial.] March 15. At a second Conference, the Managers for the Lords declared to those of the Commons, that their lordships had agreed to the said Address; which the next day was by can tend to nothing but the destruction of the subject, of his estate, and of his commerce. reparation and satisfaction proportioned to the passionate, that more mature and serious re enormity of the affront, which equally interests flections will be made, in order to restore amitheir honour, and that faith which ought al- cably the public tranquillity, and to save all ways to be respected among sovereign princes. Europe from the misfortunes of a war, stirred "But if those who endeavour to avail them-up by motives so trifling and groundless, which selves of such feigned recriminations, and to excuse themselves from the blame which their rash and turbulent measures deserve, imagine that this unjustifiable conduct may at last oblige the emperor and king of Spain, to repel force by force, and to defend themselves by all those means which God has put into their hands, from the mischiefs with which they are threatened, and from the insults and attacks which have been actually made use of against them, so far that it has been even attempted to engage the Ottoman Porte in these unparalleled designs; at least, ought they not to publish as antecedent facts, those things which they have reason to apprehend may be the consequence of a war, into which they will have forced these two powers to enter in their own just defence? "The emperor and king of Spain hope however from the divine goodness, and from the wisdom of persons less prejudiced, and less "Their Majesties, the emperor and the king of Spain, ardently desire the blessing of peace, and to observe their treaties with all their allies, with the strictest fidelity: but as a mutual contract can subsist no longer on one side, than while it remains unbroken on the other; the evil consequences of a rupture, if that should happen, ought to be imputed to those alone who have been the authors of those in fractions. "I have the emperor's express order to write this to you in his name, that you may be able to destroy the falshoods and calumnies, which have been charged on the high contracting parties of the Treaty of Vienna, who have no other view, but that of making peace be tween themselves, without hurting any one else. I am, &c. SINZENDORF." both Houses presented to the King as follows: "Most Gracious Sovereign; "We your Majesty's most dutiful and faithful subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled, think it our indispensible duty to express the highest resentment at the affront and indiguity offered to your most sacred Majesty, by the Memorial delivered by M. de Palm, the Emperor's resident; and at his insolence in printing and dispersing the same throughout the kingdom. "This audacious manner of appealing to R the people against your Majesty, under the pretext of applying to you for redress and reparation of supposed injuries, and turning a Memorial, presented to your Majesty, into a seditious libel, is a proceeding that creates in us the utmost abhorrence and detestation. "The endeavouring to instil into the minds of any of your faithful subjects, the least distrust or diffidence in your Majesty's most sacred royal word, or to make a distinction between your Majesty and your people, is an attempt as vain as presumptuous; for, by your goodness, the interest of your Majesty and your people is but one, and as inseparable; as their duty, affection and confidence in your Majesty are most justly and deservedly unalterable; and if time has not effaced the memory of the glorious exploits and important succours, confessed to have been received from Great Britain; gratitude, affection and esteem for this nation will be best manifested, by doing honour to the King, whom the people honour, and justice to the people, whose rights and privileges the best of Kings is now defending against the invasions and encroachments made upon them. "We return your Majesty our sincerest Thanks for your care and vigilance, in discovering the secret and pernicious designs of your and our enemies, and for your goodness, in communicating to your Parliament the dangers that threatened this kingdom. "And we beg leave to assure your Majesty, That no amusements, by artful or evasive denials, shall lead us into a false security, or divert us from exerting ourselves in vindication of your Majesty's honour, or from defending and supporting your Majesty against all your open and secret enemies, both at home and abroad. And if any among your own subjects have been so wicked as to countenance, encourage and abet the disturbers of the public tranquillity, in this extravagant insult upon your Majesty, or flattered them with hopes, that an obstinate perseverance in their destructive measures could stagger the firmness of the British nation. We are resolved effectually to defeat all such groundless expectations, and to convince the world, that the intrigues of a few cannot, in any degree, abate or slacken that vigour and resolution, with which true love and concern for our country, a VOL. VIII. just sense of its interests, and an unshaken. loyalty to your Majesty, have inspired us." The King's Answer.] To this Address his Majesty returned the following Answer: "My Lords and Gentlemen, "Your unanimous concurrence, in this du tiful and affectionate Address, gives me the greatest satisfaction, The just concern you express for my honour and the dignity of the crown is very becoming a British parliament. And this fresh proof of your confidence in me will convince the world, that all attempts to divide our hearts and interests will be vain and ineffectual."* "The public indignation, excited by the peremptory demand of the restitution of Gibraltar, and the secret articles in the treaty of Vienna, which, according, to the positive declarations, of the king and his ministers, related to the Pretender, was still farther increased by the imprudent conduct of Palm, the imperial minister at London. Caballing with the Hanoverian ministers, and confiding in the counsels of opposition, he advised the emperor, in a letter which fell into the hands of the ministers, to make a public declaration, that the assertions contained in the speech were false. "Guided by this imprudent advice, the emperor, who was wholly unacquainted with the principles of the English constitution, ordered Palm to present a memorial to the king. In this inemorial, the imperial minister, after reflecting on the speech, and after denying, in his master's name, in the most solemn manner, the existence of any secret articles, concluded in these words: "Which things being thus, the injury offered to truth, the honour and dignity of his sacred Imperial and Catholic Majesty require, that they should be exposed to your Majesty, to the kingdom of Great Britain, and to the whole world and his sacred Imperial Majesty demands that reparation which is due to him by all manner of right, for the great injuries which have been done by him these many imputations.". "This Memorial was printed and circulated, and was accompanied with a letter from the imperial chancellor, count Ziozendorff, enjoining Palm to publish it, that the whole nation might be acquainted with it. The intemperate language used in these papers, and the indiscretion of distinguishing between the king and his subjects, and of appealing from the throne to the nation, excited the just resentment of parliament. The Memorial being submitted to the House of Commons, not only those who supported government, but even Pulteney, sir William Wyndham, Shippen, and the leading members in opposition, agreed in expressing the highest indignation at this affront offered to the crown, and strongly reprobated the audacity of the imperial minister. The whole House unanimously adopted the address drawn up by Walpole. Soon after the 20 |