the Great Council of the Nation should interpofe for the interest of King and People.-And whenever our Princes entertained foreigners as their counfel or chief advisers, the People of England were restless and uneafy until they were removed out of the King's council; NAY, out of the kingdom. We see most places of power and profit given to foreigners. We fee the revenues of the Crown daily given away to one or other, who make fale of them, and tranfmit their eftates elfewhere. If thefe ftrangers find themselves involved in an oppofition of interefis; to whofe intereft are they most likely to adhere? I would have us to confider that we are Englishmen, and must like good patriots fland by our country, and not fuffer it to become tributary to others-if we fubmit to fee our properties given away, our liberties will foon follow." Thrown into a flame by this fpeech, the House inftantly agreed upon an Addrefs to the King, framed in very decifive terms, to recall his grant to the Earl of Portland, which the King, not with a very good grace, engaged to do. He declared, "that he had a kindness for the Earl of Portland which he had deferved by his long and faithful fervices-that he fhould not have given him thofe lands, if he had imagined the Houfe of Commons could have been concerned-he would therefore recall the grant, and find fome other way of fhewing his favor to him." This was accordingly cordingly done; and in the month of May fuc ceeding, a fresh grant was made to the Earl of the manors of Grantham, Dracklow, Pevenfey, Eaft Greenwich, &c. &c. in the feveral counties of Lincoln, Chester, Suffex, and Kent, together with the honor of Penrith in the county of Cumberland. Of these extravagant donations the Parliament did not think proper to take farther cognizance; but the best friends of the King lamented that he fhould expofe himself to fuch unneceffary obloquy, for the fake of gratifying the infatiable claims of an haughty and rapacious favorite. The discontent of the Commons more confpicuously appeared in an affair of a nature much more important and national. The recent eftablifhment of the Scottish Commercial Company with fuch extenfive privileges and exemptions, excited in England both envy and apprehenfion. At a conference of the two Houfes, an Addrefs to the Throne was agreed upon, which had the air rather of a remonftrance than a petition, reprefenting "that by reafon of the great advantages granted to the Scots Eaft India Company, and the duties and difficulties to which that trade was subject in England, a great part of the stock and shipping of this nation would be carried thither. By this means Scotland might be made a free port for all Eaft India commodities-and confequently thofe several places in Europe which were fupplied from Eng land would be furnished from Scotland much cheaper than could be done by the English.-And further, that when that nation fhould have fettled themselves in plantations in America, the English commerce in tobacco, fugar, cotton, wool, skins, mafts, &c. would be utterly loft, because the privileges of that nation granted to them by this Act were fuch, that that kingdom must be the magazine for all commodities-and that by a claufe in the faid Act, whereby his Majefty promised to interpofe his authority to have reparation made for any damage done to the fhips and merchandize of the faid Company, his Majesty did seem to engage to employ the fhipping and ftrength at fea of this nation to fupport this new Company, to the great detriment even of this kingdom." To this addrefs the King made anfwer, "that he had been ill ferved in Scotland, but he hoped fome remedies might be found to prevent the inconveniences which might arife from this Act.": As a convincing proof of the King's fincerity in this bufinefs, the Marquis of Tweeddale, High Commiffioner, and the two Secretaries of State were indignantly difmiffed from their offices, and the feals of Secretary given to Lord Murray, fon of the Marquis of Athol. This Scottish Act of Parliament was a truly unfortunate business, and boded nothing but difafter. It is certain that the Mar. quis of Tweeddale and the difcarded Secretaries were were men of honor and integrity; but, actuated by a very pardonable partiality to their native country, they had, without fufficient warrant of authority, and with little forefight of confequences, promoted and patronized a project which could not in the nature of things but give extreme umbrage to the English Nation-though it is highly probable that the Act itself was in an abftract view wifely planned, The infant bloffoms of commercial adventure, which had with fuch extreme difficulty furvived the chilling blafts of the winter of poverty, required and demanded the foftering warmth of legislative indulgence to mature and expand their foliage. Such a competition was far too feeble to excite any rational alarm. As well might the ftately oak fear to be overshadowed by the trembling ofier. In fact, Scotland could have gained no acceffion of wealth and profperity of which England would not have been an immediate and almost equal participant. Not fatisfied with the fteps already taken, the House of Commons appointed a Committee to examine by what methods this bill was obtained. The Committee having in a fhort time made their re port, and delivered a copy of an oath de fideli taken by the Directors of the Scottish India Company; it was refolved, "that the Directors of the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the Indies, adminiftering and taking here in this kingdom an oath de fideli, and, under color of a Scots Act Act of Parliament, ftyling themselves a Company, were guilty of a high crime and misdemeanor: and that Lord Belhaven, William Paterfon, David Nairne, and eighteen other perfons named in the refolution, be IMPEACHED of the fame." On the other hand, when the Scottish Nation was apprifed that the King had difowned the Act for the establishment of their Company, it is not eafy to defcribe the indignation which was excited. For they had indulged the moft extravagant and chimerical expectations from the fuccefs of their project. Inftead of the bleak and barren hills of their native land, mountains of gold rose in blissful vifion before their eyes; and they refolved, in spite of all the oppofition that England could give, to perfift in the profecution of a plan which had now the fanction of law, and which the King, however he might difapprove, could neither alter, fufpend, or repeal. An attempt, though unfuccefsful, of a nature too remarkable to be entirely paffed over without notice, was made in the course of the present feffion, in confequence of the mercantile offes lately fuftained, to eftablifh a Council of Trade with extraordinary and independent powers. And the Houfe of Commons proceeded fo far in the bufinefs, as to vote, 1ft, That a Council of Trade fhould be established by Act of Parliament, with powers for the more effectual preservation of the trade |