THE SCOTS MAGAZINE. SEPTEMBER, 1757. . L CONT Hiftory of the laft feffion of PARLIAMENT. A An account of the NATIONAL DEBT 445. MEDICINE. An Indian remedy for the vene- Account of the AUCTION 451. A hint concerning the question, Whether RE- The life of Adm. BLAKE. His exploits at Tu- His EN T S. Defence of Lord BLAKENEY 464. On the capitulation of HANOVER 474. The failing of the grand fleet from Portfmouth 488. Accounts of the comet 489. -Mr Chalmers vindicated 490. and the ma giftrates of Edinburgh 491. LISTS, TABLES, &c. 452. 493–496. The hiftory of the laft feffion of parliament, with an account of all the material questions therein determined, and of the political difputes thereby occafioned without doors, T Taken from the Votes of the house of Commons, the London Magazine, &c. HE parliament was fummoned to meet on the 18th of No. vember; but fome unforefeen difficulties having occurred [xviii. 523.}, it was previously prorogued to the 2d of December. That day the King opened the feffion with a fpeech from the throne, as ufual. When his Majefty had withdrawn, the Lord Sandys, Speaker of the houfe of Lords, read the fpeech to the houfe. Then the Earl of Gower moved for an addrefs; which motion was feconded by the Lord. VOL. XIX. Cathcart; and contained exactly the heads of the addrefs agreed to. But the paragraph thanking his Majefty for caufing a body of his electoral troops to come into this country, at the request of his parliament, was objected to by fome of the Lords who in the former feffion had oppofed that requeft [xviii. 483.]; because they wished to fee the addrefs unanimously agreed to; a fatisfaction they could not have if fuch a paragraph was inferted, as they had opposed that meafure, and ftill thought it a very bad one, 3 S : not only because it had put the nation to a monstrous expence, for which there was not the leaft occafion, but because the bringing over a body of the troops of Hanover might furnish the court of France with a plaufible pretence for invading that electorate, which they could not otherwife have had and as the measure had been generally difapproved of, and even refented, by the people without doors, fuch a paragraph might be looked on as an infult upon the people. However, as a great majority of the houfe had, in the former feffion, coneurred in the requeft, they thought they could not, in gratitude, neglect thank ing his Majefty for fo graciously complying with their requeft: confequently this paragraph, with the reft, was approved of by a majority, and the addrefs, as moved for, was drawn up accordingly. But in the house of Commons no fuch paragraph was moved for. As foon as his Majefty's fpeech had been read by Mr Speaker, Charles Townfhend, Efq; ftood up, and moved the heads of an addrefs; and having been feconded by Thomas Potter, Efq; an addrefs, exactly agreeable to his motion, was agreed to, nem. con. Our readers have already feen the speech and -the addreffes. [xviii. 564.-567.] After Mr Townshend's motion was agreed to, and a committee appointed for drawing up the addrefs, the Commons immediately refolved, nem. con. to confider, next morning, in a committee of the whole houfe, that part of the King's fpeech which related to the high price of corn. Accordingly, next morning, as foon as the addrefs was agreed to, and ordered to be prefented, the house refolved itfelf into the faid committee; the confequence of which was, an order, nem, con. to bring in a bill to prohibit the exportation of corn, c.; and a refolution, likewife nem. con. to address the King to order an imbargo to be laid on all ships laden or to be laden with corn, &c. [xviii. 567.] -Thus the parliament moft charita bly began, as foon as poffible, to provide for the relief of the ftarving poor. And it was pity fome one did not fug geft an addrefs to his Majefty, to order his attorney-general to profecute, at the public expence, any one who had been or should be guilty of the criminal prac tices made punishable by the act of Edward VI. against foreftallers, regrators, and ingroffers: for if fuch an address had been fuggefted, we cannot doubt of its having also been refolved on nem.con.; and it might perhaps have opened some of the ftores that were then in the kingdom: for what prevents the execution of most of our penal ftatutes, is the certainty of the trouble and expence which profecutors are put to, and the uncertainty of the conviction. The fame day Vice-Adm. Bofcawen, from the board of admiralty, acquainted the houfe, that the King, and the board of admiralty, having been diffatisfied with the conduct of Adm. Byng, in a late action with the French fleet in the Mediterranean, and for the appearance of his not having acted agreeably to his inftructions, for the relief of Minorca, he was then in cuftody of the marshal of the admiralty, in order to be tried by a court-martial: and that although this was no more than what was ufual in like cafes, yet as Adm. Byng was then a member of that house, and as his confinement might keep him fome time from his duty there, the board of admiralty thought it a refpect due to the houfe, to inform them of that commitment, and of the reasons thereof. And the Vice-Admiral delivered in at the table copies of the commitment and detainer. Then the faid copies, and the journal of the houfe, of Dec. 12. 1749, in relation to Rear-Adm. Knowles [xi. 596.], were read; and it was ordered, that what Vice-Adm. Bofcawen had then communicated, and also the copies of Adm. Byng's commitment and detainer, should be entered in the journal of the house. But as we fhall have occafion to refume both these affairs afterwards, we now proceed to an account of the two committees of fupply, and of ways and means. As to the firft: Pursuant to an order of Dec. 3. his Majesty's speech was taken into confideration on the 4th; and a motion having been made for granting granting a fupply to his Majefty, it was refolved to go into a committee upon the motion on the 13th; to which day the house at their rifing adjourned. On the 13th the committee came to a refolution, which was next day agreed to nem, con. That a fupply fhould be granted to his Majefty; and on the 15th the 1 house refolved itself into a committee to confider of the fupply. This committee was continued by feveral adjournments to the 20th of May, and came to several refolutions which upon report were agreed to by the houfe. By thefe refolutions the following fupplies were grant-. ed. [xviii. 435.] I. For expences incurred and not provided for. 1. For defraying the extraordinary expences of his Majesty's land-forces, and other fervices incurred in 1756 £ S. d. q. 111,570 19 72 2. Towards defraying the exceedings of the office of ordnance for land-fervice for 1756 3. For defraying the remainder of ditto exceedings 228,196 4 70 47,869 2 40 4. Upon account, for defraying the charges incurred by fupporting and maintaining the fettlement of Nova Scotia in 1755 5. For enabling his Majesty to discharge the like fum raised in pursuance of an act made in the last feffion of parliament, and charged upon the fupplies to be granted in this feffion 6. Towards paying off and discharging the debt of the navy II. For the fervice of the current year, 1757. 7. For 55,000 feamen, including 11,419 marines, and the ordnance for fea- 8. For the ordinary of the navy, including half-pay to the fea-officers. 12. For the pay of the general and staff officers, and officers of the hospitals, 13. For the charge of the office of ordnance for land-service 14. For the charge of two highland battalions of foot to be raised 15. For the charge of four regiments of foot on the Irish establishment, ferving in North America and the Eaft Indies, and augmenting Maj.-Gen. OFarrel's regiment of foot 16. For the reduced officers of the land-forces and marines 17. For pensions to halfpay-officers widows married before Dec. 25. 1716 19. For half-pay to certain staff-officers of the late garrison of Minorca, viz. 20. Upon account, for outpenfioners of Chelsea hofpital Carried forward 5,346,904 11 Brought forward as. Towards the further enabling the faid commiffioners to purchase houses 27. Upon account, to be paid to the Eaft-India company, towards enabling 28. To be employed in maintaining and fupporting the British forts and fettle- 29. Upon account, for defraying the charges of the civil eftablishment, r. of III. For foreign fubfidies, pay to foreign troops, &c. 33. For the charge of 8605 foot, with the general and staff officers, the train of artillery, and officers of the hofpital, Hanoverian troops, in the pay of G. Britain, from Dec. 25. 1756 to Feb. 24, 1757, both inclufive 34. For the charge of 5726 foot, with the officers, artillery, and hofpital, ditto troops in ditto pay, from Feb. 25. 1757 to March 26. following, both inclufive 35. For the expence of the march in Germany of the troops of Hanover, in the pay of G. Britain, both at their coming here, and their return back 36. For the charge of 6544 foot, with the general and staff officers, and train of artillery, Heffian troops, in the pay of G. Britain, from Dec. 25. 1756 to Feb. 24. 1757, both inclufive 1,000,000 O 33,025 I 60 92494 3 9 o 31,959 15 60 37. 38. from Feb. 25. 1757 to April 26. following, both inclufive 23,335 17 II O 22,959 10 2 2 39. 40. 3300 from April 22. to Dec. 24. 1757 Towards defraying the charge of German pay, ditto troops, in ditto pay, Horfe, with the officers of the hofpital, 41. 42. 1400 from April 27. to Dec. 24. 1757 43. For defraying the charge of remount and levy money for 700 horfe and 3300 foot, ditto troops, in ditto pay, pursuant to treaty 44. For making good his Majefty's engagements with the Landgrave of HeffeCaffel, pursuant to treaty 45. For defraying the charge of an advanced fubfidy, at the rate of 150,000 crowns a-year, due to ditto, pursuant to treaty, from Aug. 6. 1756 to April 27. 1757, the day when the cavalry enters into the pay of G. Britain 46. For defraying the charge of the remaining moiety of remount-money for 1400 horfe, pursuant to treaty, payable April 27. 1757, the fuppofed day when the cavalry took the field Carried forward 25,078 6,119 9 Brought forward 47. For affifting his Majefty in forming and maintaining, during the present year, an army of obfervation, for the just and neceffary defence and prefervation of his Majefty's electoral dominions, and those of his allies; and towards enabling his Majefty to fulfil his engagements with the King of Pruffia, for the fecurity of the empire against the irruption of foreign armies, and for the fupport of the common cause 4 4 2 [Sum total of the supplies granted L. 8,350,325:1:3] 575,056 The refolutions for granting these fupplies were agreed to of the dates following, viz.-Dec. 16. art. 7.-Dec. 23. art. 10. 11. 12. 33. 36.—Jan. 17. art. 8. 13. 21. 22. 23.— -Jan. 20. art. 2. -Feb. 10. art. 14. 20. 29.-Feb. 21. art. 47-Feb. 24. art. 34. 37————) -March 7. art. 9. 15. 16. 17. 18.. -March 10. art. 3. 4. 5. 26. 30.March 29. art. 6. 35.— -April 4. art. 1. -April 25. art. 38.- -May 10. art. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46.—May 19. art. 24. 27. › 28. 31. 32-May 21. art. 19. 25. [To be continued.] Abstract of the account of the NATIONAL DEBT, as it stood Jan. 5. 1757. For a full account we refer to our preceding volume [xviii. 434.]. In this abstract we infert only the alterations. Sum of the national debt Jan. 5. 1756 Paid off, or decreased, between Jan. 5. 1756 and Jan. 5. 1757, three articles, viz. L. 72,949,986 8 2 I Exchequer annuities for two and three lives, Duties on falt, the whole 167,400 Bank-annuities at 3 1. per cent. charged on the finking fund by the act 28° Geo. II. the whole 900,000 1,069,100 71,880,886 2 L Borrowed, or increased, between Jan. 5. 1756 and Jan. 5. 1757, two articles viz. On bank-annuities, at 3 1. per cent. charged on the sinking fund, by afts 28° & 29° Geo. II. On ditto, at 31. 10 s. per cent. charged on ditto, by the aft 29° Geo. II. Sum of the national debt Jan. 5. 1757 The TEMPLE of VIRTUE, a dream; published from an original manufcript. By JAMES FORDYCE, minifter at Alloa. T O this dream there is an introduction, by which it appears, that the author intended it chiefly for the inftruction and improvement of young minds of a giddy and gay turn, to whom grave admonition and dry argument would have been too irksome to produce any good effect. It contains an account of his having been appointed tutor to a young perfon of fuch a difpofition, and of feveral converfations with him; in one of which a thought was ftarted of perfonifying VIRTUE in an allegory. The author is then fuppofed to have VOL. XIX. L. 1,400,000 1,500,000 2,900,000 74,780,886 8 2 I 2,673,140 7 11 0 been left alone by his pupil, and to have ftrolled into a fummer-house, and there mufed upon the fubject till he fell asleep. In this fleep the farther toil of his mind was anticipated by a dream; which he wrote down next morning for the use of his pupil, and of which the following is an epitome. METHOUGHT I was fuddenly tranfported into the palace of Pleasure; where, in fpite of the magnificence of the manfion, and the fpecious charms of the goddefs, I difcovered, on a clofe attention, fuch affectation and illufion in both, with fuch diftrefs in many of her vota ries, ill concealed under artificial fmiles, that I broke away with a mixture of dif dain and horror, and made what hafte 3 T I |