but may err in fome Matters; which Errors are very visible in the late Reign as well as in this: And fince it so often happens, it may be convenient to remind their Lps of your late Impeachments, that all Offenders and Embezzlers of the publick Treasure may be brought to a strict Account. This is what you always aimed at for the Nation's Service, and have always continued fo to do by your conftant addreffing her Majefty; and fince I have made it fo vifible in four Heads, that upwards of ten Millions of Money have been embezzled in five Years Time, it is to be hoped their L-ps will be pleased to condefcend, that the late Minifters of State be brought to an Account as well as the prefent.

I hope, by this Time, their L-ps are thoroughly convinced in their Judgments, that it is high Time they were brought to an Account; which, if done, I am fure would be of great Service to the Nation, and would deferve the publick Thanks of the Kingdom. This would encourage the Nation and Seamen chearfully to go on in the common Caufe; the one with their Purses, and the other with their Lives: But if their Lps will contentedly fit down only with the Accufation of the Navy, of a Churchill, a Greydon, or a Munden, for fo inconfiderable a Sum (which all their Lordships can pretend to charge is not an Imbezzlement) of 678,397 l. 3 s. 11 d. will look only like a Party-Quarrel, and fhew they take Delight in expofing their fmall Mifmanagement, when they meekly fuffer an O, a R, a S a S &c. to go away unpunished with upwards of Thirty Millions of the Kingdom's Money unaccounted for. This. I hope their Lps will take care to avoid like English Patriots, and not fuffer the Government and Nation to be miferably oppreffed and beggared.

It cannot enter into my Thoughts but their Lps will do all Things for the Good of the Nation in general: Yet I am fomewhat furprized to fee their Afs to the Q-, printed by their Authority; I cannot tell what to make of it, it looks fo much like the Obfervator's appealing to the People, defigning to expose the smallest Miscarriages in Government on one Side, and let the greatest Embezzlements on the other go free. But their Lordships have mightily miffed their Ends in it, if they intend fo; for the Addrefs is fo feafonably come out, that it will very much open the Eyes of the Nation; and if the Grievances be not redreffed on all Sides, it will look like Party Addrefs, diffenting from the Kingdom's true Intereft, and fo they may become the Odium of the Nation; but let us hope for better Things from their H-rs.

Another Thing to me feems very odd, and looks just like the Stranger and Satyr in the Fable, that blew both hot and cold in a Breath; or what can be the Meaning of fettling a grateful Reward on his Grace the Duke of Marlborough for his eminent Service done to the Publick in general; and yet at the fame Time, to repine at his Brother Churchill's inconfiderable per An. of 3142 l. 10s. which their Lps have caufed to be printed at large in their late A-fs to her Majefty? One would think, that what his Grace had done might have eafily fwallowed up fo fmall a Trifle as his ftaying at

Home,

Home, without their L- ps publick Notice thereof. If the Nation's Grievances are heartily defigned to be redreffed, I think 'twould be very convenient their L-ps fhould join with your honourable House, to call all evil Ministers of State to a speedy Account.

Secondly, In the next Place, to fecure the Government, and the Church of England, as by Law established; and not fuffer them to be infulted and bullied by the Whiggifh Enemies of State, both at Home and Abroad. And,

Lastly, To fecure to our Merchants their Trade: And this, in some Meafure, will enable you to fecure the whole State.

But, if we muft tumble into Faction, and only accufe one Party, because the leaft Tranfgreffors, and let the other go free, because the greatest Offenders; 'tis just like Alexander's Pyrate, that was condemned to be hanged for robbing in a small Veffel, whilst he himself, with his great Fleets, triumphed in spoiling and ruining of the greatest Kingdoms.

To conclude, I must be bold to fay, had the firft Tranfgreffors been feverely punished, when catched in the Offence, it would have deterred others from doing the like Mischiefs; and all Mifmanagements and Loffes that have fince happened to this Kingdom, are owing to that H of P, that refufed, upon your Complaint, to do the Nation common J, when so often importuned thereto by your honourable Houfe.

Sir,

Your most devoted Servant,

W. L.

And thus I have led you, Step by Step, through all this Commoner of England's Obfervations thereon; and I think he has handled the Ministry to Purpose.

But, perchance, you may defire to know what Effect thefe Obfervations wrought on their Lps at that Time? Even none at all; for the Defign, it feems, lay here: As foon as this Addrefs had brought over the Court Interest to their Party, all Matters of Complaint were laid afide, and the Ministry were as brisk at their Sport of Embezzlements and Mifapplications as ever, and fo would bave gone on to the End of the Chapter. Had not fome true old English Heroes opened the Eyes of her Majefty, the whole Kingdom had been funk into an eternal Ruin, without Redemption; and that occafioned the Queen. to change the Low-Church Miniftry: And this brought to our Aflistance our Deliverers from this Slavery, our prefent New Parliament, and occafioned that excellent Speech from the Throne at the opening of this Seffions; where her Majefty (though fenfibly) complains of the heavy Debts of the Navy, and other Offices.

And now, Sir, what if I fhould let you into fome other new Embezzlements and Mifapplications, which I may truly fay were occafioned by their L-ps, for want of their feasonable and annual addreffing of the Queen.

For, if Fame fpeaks Truth, it is reported, that Sir T- Ln, T of the N-y, has died indebted to the Sailors three Years Wages: If fo, according to the Eftimate of the Navy, it amounts to about 5400000 Which is one Article, without Doubt, your honourable House is to make good.

And a certain late L-Tr, they say, has embezzled or mifapplied the Sum of

}2500000

2

оо

Which Embezzlements are grown a new Debt on the feveral Offices complained of.

The Total of both come to

7900000 O

And for the Year enfuing you are to provide no less than 6000000 O To carry on the War againft France and Spain, in all 13900000

A pretty little inconfiderable Sum. Thefe you are to raise, and make good as defired. And whether with thefe Spunges, as De Foe fays, you will be pleased to wipe out the Scores and Debts of the Nation the LowChurch Miniftry have contracted, I think will be very much worth your while to try the Experiment of.

It would not be amifs to fqueeze thefe Low-Church Spunges heartily, till they drop again to purpose; and who knows but you may get out of them ten Years Embezzlements (rather than part with the whole ill-gotten Sum for twenty Years laft paft) which comes to about 15875893

17 4

So that you will clear the Nation from the Debt of the late L-d T—r, and Sir Ts L-n, the T-r of the N-y, and have in their Pockets. clear, to begin the next Year's Wars with, the Sum of 1975893 17 4

But here lies the greatest Difficulty. In whofe Hands will your honourable House entrust the remaining Money, and all that you fhall raife for the future, fince 'tis fo apparent how difficult it is to bring fuch Minifters of State to account for their Embezzlements and Mifmanagements of the Kingdom's publick Treasure? This is a Matter will require your whole Thoughts. For if that can be but effected to your Liking, Content and Satisfaction, it will for ever make the Queen eafy, the Funds well looked after, the Seamen and the Army well paid. And this will be the Means to restore the loft Credit, which evil Minifters of State have been long hammering at, to ruin, or at least to bring it to fuch a low Ebb on the Government's Side, that the faid Ministry might have new modelled any Scheme of Government they had most Inclination to, having fo often all the publick Cash of the Nation in their Hands, and that they fet up the Bank with moft felonioufly, for that End and Purpose.

In my humble Opinion (not that I am going to direct) it were not amifs, if your honourable Houfe would not fuffer one fingle Minifter, or Officer of State, to have of the publick Money fo raised to carry on the War against France and Spain, above 50000l. a Man, and good Security given, that he should no Ways embezzle or mif-employ the faid Money, but folely pay it to that publick End it was raised for: But to truft one Man with one,

two,

two, or three Millions at a Time, is a Temptation to cheat the Publick, at leaft one Quarter Part of it, if not of the whole Sum: And when you come to look into the Man's Eftate, he has none; or otherwife made it away, on purpose to become a Cheat to the Nation.

But you may, perchance, object, and fay that you cannot find any Minifter that can give fuch Security; or, if he could, he ought not to do it, for it is an Infringement of her Majefty's Prerogative; for it is fit and convenient, that as fhe is entrusted with all the Monies fo raised, it is her fole Right to appoint fuch Ministers or Officers as fhe can confide in with the faid Money.

To which I anfwer, it cuftomarily has been fo; but it is alfo too vifible, for upwards of twenty Years laft paft, that all that have been entrusted with the publick Treafure, have made it their Bufinefs to fleece the Government of the publick Treasure, to embezzle and mifapply the fame; and how hard and difficult it has been to bring fuch Minifters to account, the whole Kingdom is very fenfible of; and fure it is but reasonable to fecure the publick Treafure at all Times: And if the Houfe of Commons don't put a Stop to this great Evil, the Nation will be utterly beggar'd at laft. And there can be no other Expedient found out as can preferve the Credit of the Kingdom, but by appointing Commiffioners of their own, viz. Gentlemen of known Eftates; and to entrust them with 50000 l. a Man, and no more, they giving Security not to embezzle or mifapply the fame; if they do, their Eftates and Security to make it good. And certainly, it is impoffible that any one of thefe Perfons fhould mifcarry in their Discharge of the Trust repofed in them by the honourable the Houfe of Commons.

But I very much wonder, at this Time a-day, why the Low-Church. Party should stand fo tightly for the Queen's Prerogative, by faying, that fuch an Expedient, if found out, will be an Infringement of the fame. Time was, that none were more violent against the Prerogative of the Crown than thefe very People; and now, in a Trice, they are highly defending the Prerogative. This, at firft Sight, looks myfterious; but I will unriddle thisMatter in a Trice.

It feems, the Prerogative they ftand fo tightly for, is to fcreen themselves, and that they might not be put out of that fweet and old arbitrary Way of cheating the Soldiers and the Navy, and fleecing the Kingdom of thofe few trifling Millions, not worth the Parliament's taking Notice, which they had only gotten by Cunning, Overfights and Negligences in Accounts, by fuch. as, perchance, at firft were not able to check them. This makes them ftand fo violently for the Prerogative of the Crown, which, by no Means, they fay, ought to be leffened; and it is what her Majefty will never confent to.

Now give me Leave a little. I think they talk for the Queen, but would act for themselves: Their Business is only to dive dexterously, and to take Care that no other Sharpers fhould come at the Pocket of the Nation but themselves: They have often found it full, and have as often left it empty; yet still they are ftruggling to continue in their old Game, and are now curfed

mad

mad that any but themfelves fhould be in the Government, and are preparing Gibbets for Mordecais. And what do not fuch Minifters deferve, that deprive the Queen of the Service of the Pick-pockets and Sharpers of the Nation?

These pretended Friends to the Government have indeed ftuck faft to it, but it was like Leeches, fucking almoft the very Heart's Blood of the Nation; but a little Salt from the Hands of the Parliament will foon fhew what it was they adhered fo close to the Government for.

;

Are we not almoft driven to the very Brink of Destruction? Our Trea fures are riotoufly wafted; our Conftitution in Danger of being fubverted and the Nation almoft in general corrupted. And all this under a Colour of a falfe pretended Zeal for her Majefty's Perfon and Government; when fome Men have arrived to such a Height of Favour in Court, and fuch a Degree of Popularity in the City, that they have at laft took upon them, with an audacious Front, to direct the very Monarchy.

They have been able, for many Years paft, to brand all those who took any Care of our Conftitution, or offered to require any good Husbandry in the Difpofition of the publick Treasures, with odious unpopular Names, and almoft to ftir up the Mob against them: Thus, had they fucceeded, the old English Conftitution had expired. And fince the Majority of the Nation have, by their Choice, fent us up fuch worthy Patriots, it is to be hoped they will effectually take care of the Monarchy, the Church and State, and fet the Kingdom out of Debt, and fee that the Army and the Navy are well paid; and keep out, for the future, fuch ravening and devouring Wolves, that have brought the Credit of the Nation to fo low an Ebb by their Mifapplications and Embezzlements of the Kingdom's Treasure.

Is it not a strange and wonderful Thing, that while the Nation is almost Bankrupt, wealthy Men fhould fhoot up in feveral Offices like Mushrooms; and while the Government was endangered to be beggared, that all its Servants fhould riot in fuch Wealth and Plenty, that the bare handling of a Brush in any Office was the ready Way to a plentiful Fortune; as if the publick Treasure had been thrown in there only for the Officers to brush it into their Pockets? Thefe Abufes call loudly for Reformation; and our Reprefentatives, no doubt, will do their utmoft Endeavour to amend the

fame.

And fince fome People may queftion to what Ends and Purposes Members of Parliament are elected by the People to represent them, I fhall prefume to give them thefe following Inftructions.

The Eufinefs therefore of a Houfe of Commons, is, to reprefent the whole Commonalty of England; that is, they are to do all fuch Things, and exercife all fuch Powers, for the Welfare and Safety of the Publick, which the whole cominon People would be fupppofed to do and exercife, could they meet together, to counsel and debate orderly and quietly, and deliberate maturely, for their own common Good and Safety.

They