A brief VIEW of the late Scots Miniftry; and of the REASONS the Scots had to wish for a Deliverance from them by them by the UNION. 1709.

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N order to give you a better View of our prefent State, I must beg Leave to put you in Mind, that ever fince the Union of the Crowns in 1602, we have had a continued Struggle with our Miniftry, who were for most part either Tools to yours, or (if not mean enough to ftoop fo low) entirely at the Devotion of fuch of our Princes, as aim'd at an abfolute Authority over us both. 'Tis well enough known, that the Invasion of our Conftitution by those Minifters which led the Way for the like Attempts upon yours, laid the Foundation of the civil War, and of all the mifchievous Confequences that attended it, till we and you were both swallowed up by a ftanding Army.

'Tis not unknown to you, that we made the first publick Step towards recovering ourselves and you both, from the Anarchy which enfued; and tho' we paid dear for it, were alfo the firft who contributed to the Restoration.

'Tis needlefs to recount how ungratefully we were rewarded, and that we were fo much difappointed of our Expectations, in recovering our Liberty under King Charles II. that we were more opprefs'd than ever.

Being full freighted however with Loyalty, and bearing an inviolable Affection to the Royal Line, we fettled the Duke of York's Succeffion, when you were for excluding him. Notwithstanding which, inftead of our being more favour'd on that Account, he fubverted our Conftitution at once, and by Despotical Proclamations, fuch as none of his Predeceffors durft ever iffue, he pretended to annull all the Laws that establish'd our Reformation. This, with the heavy Oppreffion we lay under in other Refpects, made us chearfully concur with you. in the late happy Revolution; when, having found by Experience, that we could promise ourselves no Security in any thing, while we were in a feparate State, our Convention did then make the firft Motion for an Union of the Nations as well as of the Crowns.

But instead of that, you know what Hardships we fuffered in King William's Reign by the Influence of our Miniftry, in the Matter of our African Company, Darien Colony, &c. which put us upon Endeavours to fecure ourselves in a feparate State, by obtaining Limitations upon the next Succeffor after the Determi nation of the Entail, as 'twas fettled by our Declaration of Rights at the Revolution.

I must beg leave to infift a little upon this, because it will fet what follows in a clearer Light, and help to discover the Temper of the then Scots Ministry; as alfo with what View they fince fell in with the Union, and at the fame Time will justify the honest Part of our Nation, for endeavouring to be delivered from fuch a Set of Men, which was one of the main Reasons that brought many of them into the Union, tho' hitherto they have been difappointed of their Expectations. Vol. III.

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Those of our Parliament-men, and others, who were true Friends to the Proteftant Succeffion, being fenfible of what we must fuffer under a Popish Prince, and knowing very well that fuch Limitations, as were neceffary for fecuring our Religion and Liberty, would meet with great Oppofition from our Courtiers, they thought it neceffary in the first Place to fecure themselves against a Popish Succeffor; therefore, in the Seffion of Parliament, after King William's Death in 1703, they propofed a Bill for an Oath to abjure the Pretender, which carried a firft Reading; but how it came to be quafh'd, and not to pass into a Law, the D. of 2, then her Majefty's high Commiffioner, and his Friends, are fuppofed to be capable of giving the beft Account. Besides other Reasons which our honest Patriots had to prefs that Bill, 'tis too well known to be deny'd, that by the Change then made in the Scots Miniftry, and other Proceedings, Things look'd with a very bad Afpect for the Revolution Interest in Scotland; infomuch that a Letter was procured from her Majefty in Favour of the Nonjurant Clergy, which embolden'd them to propofe a Toleration in Parliament, to be establish'd by a Law, without obliging them to own her Majefty's Title; and one of the principal Arguments they infifted upon for obtaining this Liberty, was, That they were her Father's Friends. At the fameTime 'tis obfervable,that there was no Mention made of the Proteftant Succeffion during that Seffion of Parliament, in the Speeches of our Minifters, or otherwise, which added to our Jealoufies, that they were not very fond of it. I doubt not but you will be fatisfied that our Sufpicion was not ill founded, when you confider, that before the Meeting of the Seffion in 1703, fuch a general Indemnity was fent down by our Scots Miniftry, and counterfign'd by the D. of 2 , as many People from St. Germains came over upon it, to the great Terror of all the true Friends of the Revolution Intereft; and 'tis to be. obferved, that this Imdemnity pardon'd all Crimes paft to thofe at St. Germains, without fo much as a Condition in it, requiring them to leave the Place if they would reap the Benefit of it. This gave them an Opportunity to promote that Intereft, as appear'd foon after by the Scots Plot. Nor is it to be denied that Captain Frazer, and others, who acted the Part of Plotters instead of Difcoverers, as was pretended, were furnished with Paffes, and protected in going and coming betwixt Scotland and France by Means of the D. of 2-,E. of Ln, and others then in Truft with the Affairs of our Nation.

And as a Proof that the Conduct of our Ministry was all of a Piece, when the Earl of Marchmont, who was our Lord High Chancellor in King William's Time, but laid afide at his Death, had form'il a ftrong Party in that Parliament for fettling the Proteftant Succeffion,on Promife of the D. of 2's Concurrence, the Ddifcovered the Concert which defeated the Defign, and the Earl's Draught of an Act, which he offer'd for fettling the Succeffion on Limitations, was fcandalously treated and thrown out for Want of the Concurrence of our Courtiers.

Yet in this very Parliament our Minifters fuffer'd an Act of Peace and War to pass, by which No Perfon, being King or Queen of Scotland and England, fhould have Power to engage the Scots in War with any Prince or State, without Confent of our Parliament; and that no Declaration of War without fuch

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fuch Confent, fhould be binding on this Kingdom, which, though fome honeft Patriots were drawn in to concur with, out of very good Intentions, yet it will appear by what follows, that the D. of 2- and his Friends had other Views in fuffering it to pafs, and therefore that 'tis no uncharitable Conjecture to suppose that some of the then Scots Ministry were rather for embroiling the Nations, to ferve fome Arbitrary Defign, than for fettling them under one and the fame Proteftant Allegiance.

It is very well known to you, that in the Parliament of England, this Act was taken Notice of as a Thing of the greatest Danger imaginable to your Nation; infomuch that if I be not misinform'd, a noted Gentleman of the Long Robe faid in your House of Commons, That if any Englishman advised or confented to that Act, he was guilty of little lefs than Treafon;' and fome of your great Lords and Minifters were fo apprehenfive of this, that they declared in the Houfe of Peers they gave no Advice about it, or Consent to it.

The Defigns of our Miniftry will appear yet more plain, if we consider that in the fame Parliament an Act was pafs'd by their Influence, Allowing the Im portation of all Sorts of Wines, and other Foreign Liquors, tho' the Duke of Hamilton and the Squadrone protefted Against allowing the Importation of French Wines and Brandy, as difhonourable to her Majefty, inconfiftent with the Grand Alliance, and prejudicial to the Honour, Safety, Intereft, and Trade of the Kingdom; and tho' the Marquis of Twedale, in the Name of the Country Party, offered an Equivalent, if our Courtiers would drop the Bill.

A worthy Member charged this home upon our Miniftry, in a Speech upon that Occafion, wherein he had thofe remarkable Expreffions: To repeal fuch 'a Law in Time of War, will found admirably well in England and Holland, 'fince it is no less than a direct Breach of our Alliance with those Nations, and exactly calculated to inform the World of the Inclinations of our Minifters. No 'Man in this House can be ignorant, that this Act will not only open a Trade ' and Correspondence with France, contrary to the Declaration of War, and our own standing Laws, but that the Defign of those who promote the paffing this Act, is to have a Trade directly with France, and bribe Men to betray our Liberty. If any Juftice were to be found in this Nation,the Advisers of thefe Things had been long fince brought to the Scaffold.'

And that our Ministry had as little Inclination at that Time to an Union, as as they had to the Proteftant Succeffion, I think will appear plain from this, that in that fame Parliament,they fuffered a Refolve to pafs To make void the • Commiffion for treating of an Union with England, and discharging any other • Commiffion for that End, without the Confent of our Parliament;' but here again it is neceffary to obferve, that our honeft Members fell in with this Refolve, because they were unwilling to truft a Thing of that Confequence in the Hands of the then Ministry, which our Minifters knew well enough, and therefore must have had fome other End in fuffering it to pafs, as will appear by what follows.

The Proteftant Succeffion met with another very remarkable Defeat in the Parliament of 1704, when the Marquis of Twedale was her Majefty's Commiffioner, tho' her Majefty recommended the fame in her Letter thus: • The

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The main thing we recommend to you, and which we recommend with all ⚫ the Earneftness we are capable of, is the Settling the Succeffion in the Proteftant Line, as that which is abfolutely neceffary for your own Peace and Quietness, as well as our Quiet and Security in all our Dominions, for the Re'putation of our Affairs abroad, and confequently for ftrengthening the Prote'ftant Interest every-where; this has been our fix'd Judgment ever fince we came to the Crown, and tho' hitherto Opportunities have not answered our 'Intention, Matters are now come to that pafs, by the undoubted Evidences of ⚫ the Defigns of our Enemies, that a longer Delay of Settling the Succeffion in the Proteftant Line may have very dangerous Confequences, and a Difap'pointment of it would infallibly make that our Kingdom the Seat of War, and expose it to Devaftation and Ruin.'

The better to induce the Parliament to comply with this Defire, her Majefty added afterwards, We have impowered our Commiffioner to give the Royal Affent to what in Reafon can be demanded, and is in our Power to grant, for fecuring the Sovereignty and Liberties of that our ancient Kingdom.' The Lord Commiffioner, and the Earl of Seafield, then Lord Chancellor, in their Speeches to the Parliament, recommended the Succeffion with the fame Earneftness; and the Earl of Cromarty, then Secretary of State, to obviate an Afperfion, as if the Queen had a fecret Will contrary to her exprefs Will which fhe had declared in her Royal Letter, acquainted the Parliament, That he was ⚫ certain of the contrary, becaufe her Majefty commanded him, and her other Servants, exprefsly to affure the House, That nothing in her Service could ⚫ please her better than to believe and obey her in what the propofed in her Letter, and nothing could difpleafe her more than to do otherwife.'

I doubt not but you will grant, that it was impoffible to make use of more forcible and preffing Arguments to fhew the abfolute Neceffity of Settling the Proteftant Succeffion, than those infifted on by her Majefty, and that the danger of doing otherwife could not be better demonftrated than it was by that Letter.

And we must like wife do Juftice to your Houfe of Lords, that they declared to the World they were of the fameOpinion as to the Danger of delaying it, and concurred with her Majefty's Sentiments, That the Settling of the Succeffion was the readieft Way to an intire Union between the two Kingdoms, for their ⚫ mutual Security and Advantage, as appears by their Lordships Addrefs of the 29th of March, 1704, and her Majefty's Anfwer to it before the Meeting of our Parliament, which was in July after.

Yet notwithstanding all this,when the Succeffion came to be propofed there, it was fhamefully baffled and poftponed by a Refolve For putting it off till the Scots had a previous Treaty with England, in relation to Commerce and other • Concerns.' And tho' her Majefty had prefs'd her Servants with so much Earneftnefs to promote the Succeffion, yet 'tis very well known here, That two Officers of State, a Commiffioner of the Treasury, a great many of the Council and Exchequer, with Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels, Majors, Captains, Farmers and Collectors of the Revenue, and Penfioners, who had scarce any Bread to eat but what they received from her Majefty, in all about thirty-three, not only tell in with the above-mentioned Refolve, but folicited others to do the like. 'Tis

alfo to be obferved, that fome of those who appeared against the Succeffion had but a very little before got into confiderable Pofts; and others of them had received Penfions by means of the D, of 2, and could not conceal their Hopes of being further prefer'd and gratify'd for defeating the Succeffion in the Hands of the Marquis of Twedale; upon which they affured themselves the D. of Qwould be restored, as he afterwards was; and this made all thofe, who had any Expectations from him, concur in the Design of baffling the Succeffion.

Some of their Friends did likewife boast of Affurances from London, that there would be mighty Conceffions obtained in Favour of Scotland, in cafe the Matter were refer'd to aTreaty; and this gave the finishing Blow at once to the Succeffion, tho' the Marquis of Twedale and his Friends reckoned themselves fure of carrying it, there being ninety-fix whom they thought they might have depended upon, till the very Day it was put to the Vote, and the Number was much greater before; but many well-meaning Gentlemen were deluded by this fpecious Pretext of great Conceffions with relation to Trade, if the Matter were refer'd to a

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In order to fatisfy you further, that the D. of 2 and his Friends, by whose Means the Succeffion was baffled, did it not out of Respect to England, but from other Views, it is to be obferved, that in this very Parliament they fuffered the Act of Security for arming our People to have the Royal Affent, tho' they had Influence enough to hinder it the Year before, when the D. of 2- and his Friends fuffer'd it to pass the Houfe, with a Claufe of their own inferting,' That ⚫ a Communication of Trade should be one of the Terms of their coming into ⚫ the Succeffion;' but this Claufe was now left out. This, by the way, is another Proof of the Infincerity of the D- and his Friends in the Matter of the Succeffion, fince they knew England would never grant that Claufe without an Union; but be that how it will, it was in the Power of the faid D and his Friends to have hinder'd that Act, as well as the Settlement of the Succeffion, had their Affection for England been fuch as they pretended.

You know very well how much your House of Lords refented this Act of Security, that in their Addrefs to her Majefty upon it in December following, they fet forth the Dangers which might arife from it to England, and advised her Majefty to fecure your Frontier Garrisons, to arm and difcipline your Northern Subjects, and to quarter regular Troops upon the Borders of England, and in the North of Ireland: You remember likewife that a Law was made in your fucceding Parliament to hinder the Importation of our Cattle into England, and that your Lords refolved your Ships should be appointed to hinder our trading with your Enemies; for which the D. of 2- and his Friends had procured an Act contrary to the Mind of the Squadrone, as they are now called, in the Parliament of 1703, as I have mentioned already.

This Seffion being over, the Squadrone, who appear'd zealously for the Succeffion, were laid afide, and the D. of 2- was again brought into the Adminiftration; which proves that the Hopes of his Party, who, out of Respect to him, oppofed the Succeffion, were not ill founded. What follow'd was a Change in the Privy-Council; and Matters being thus prepared, the next Seffion of Parliament was held in 1705 by the D. of A-gyle, but before it met,

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