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 address from the officers of the army, promising support I was presented to Richard on 18 Sept. (Mercurius Politicus, 18 Sept. 1658 ; Parliamentary History, xxi. 236). At the beginning of October, however, a number of officers met together and resolved to petition for the appointment of a commander-in-chief, who should be a soldier and have the appointment of inferior officers, and that for the future no officer should be dismissed but by the sentence of a court-martial (, vii. 434-6). This petition does not seem to have been actually presented, but Richard called the officers then in London together, heard their desires, and then in an able speech, partly composed by Thurloe, set forth his reasons for refusing to comply with their wishes (ib, vii. 447 ). He ended by saying that nothing troubled him so much as that the pay of the army was in arrears, and expressing his intention to settle their pay better for the future. In pursuance of this policy he had already, if Bordeaux is to be trusted, increased the pay of the soldiers, raising that of the cavalry fourpence and that of the infantry twopence a day, by which sums their pay had been reduced some years before (, i. 238). Besides the divisions in the army there were divisions in the council. The military members were jealous of the influence of Thurloe with the Protector, and he was driven to ask leave to retire (, vii. 490). It was said that Thurloe governed the Protector, and St. John and Pierrepoint governed Thurloe (Clarendon State Papers, iii. 423). An attempt to add Lords Broghil and Falconbridge to the council roused fierce opposition (, p. 657;, i. 271). Under these circumstances there was a certain hesitation in the foreign policy of the government. England was still at war with Spain, and pledged by the policy of the late protector to assist Sweden against Denmark and its Gennan allies. But in spite of the pressure of Mazarin, Richard's advisers delayed intervening on behalf of Sweden (, i. 23). In November, however, a fleet under Admiral Goodson was despatched to the Sound, but it was met by contrary winds and returned having effected nothing (Cal. State Papers, Dom 1658-9, pp. 182, 198, 23l). A parliament was necessary to decide between contending parties, to strengthen the government in its foreign negotiations, and provide for the needs of the public service, So great was the government's need of money that the Protector had been driven to attempt to borrow 50,000/. from Mazarin, the garrison of Dunkirk was in a state of mutiny, and there were -rumours in London that the soldiers meant to seize the body of the late protector as security for their pay (, i. 21, 29, 260). On 29 Nov. it was decided to call a parliament, and to make it more favourable to the government it was resolved to return to the old method of election. The little boroughs were more easy to influence than the larger constituencies created by the 'instrument of government' and the petition and advice. The representatives of Ireland and Scotland were retained, because those countries could be relied on to return supporters of the government (, vii. 541 ;, ed. 1751, p. 234). Parliament met on 27 Jan. 1659, and it was computed that it contained over two hundred steady supporters of the protectorate, and only fifty determined opponents (Clarendon State Papers, iii. 440). Richard's opening speech contained a dignified tribute to his father, and assurance of his resolution to govern through parliaments. He commended to the care of the house the payment of the arrears of the army and the preservation of the freedom of the Sound (Parliamentary History, xxi. 265 ;, iii. 7). An opponent notes that the Protector made, 'beyond expectation, a very handsome speech, exceeding that which followed by his keeper of the great seal' (Bethel, 'A brief Narrative ot the Parliament called by Richard Cromwell,' annexed to The Interests of the Princes and States of Europe, 1694, p. 334). On 1 Feb. Thurloe introduced a bill for the recognition of the Protector (, iii. 27). In the debate on the second reading the opposition, while professing great affection for Richard's person, refused to admit the validity of his authority. 'I do love the person of the Lord Protector,' said Haselrig ; 'I never saw nor heard either fraud or guile in him.' 'If you think of a single person, I would sooner have him than any man alive,' said Scott. 'The sweetness of his voice and language has won my heart, and I find the people well satisfied with his government,' said a third member (ib, iii. 1C5, 112). On 14 Feb. by 223 to 134 votes it was decided 'to recognise and declare his highness, Richard, lord protector, to be the lord protector and chief magistrate of England, Scotland, and Ireland,' but the opposition secured the omission of the term 'undoubted,' and the addition of a resolution that the Protector's power should be bounded by supplementary clauses to form part of the bill (ib. iii. 287; Clarendon State Papers, iii. 426). The question next raised was the recognition of the second chamber established by the petition and advice, and it was resolved on 25 March, by 198 to 125 votes, 'to transact with the persons now sitting in the other