Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/166

 152 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

you now to greater zeal and vigi- the whole to the found and pene- lance: it is from this perfuafion I tracing judgment of your high appear in the aflembly of your high mightinefles, who may alfo fee by jnightinefTes, to reprefent to you, that fpeech, that it is more than that, feeing your earnelt and re- time to finilh the deliberations on peated efforts to induce the pro- the motion for augmenting our vinces of Holland and Weft Frife- forces both by fea and land, on land, of Zealand, and of Frifeland, which I have always infifted with to agree to the propofed augmenta- the greateft earnellnefs; as without tion of the land forces, and equip- it, I am convincedin myconfcience, jnentof a fleet, have been ineffedu- the flate is, and will always re- al, your high mightineffes will be main, expofed to all forts of mis- pleafed to confider of a way to put fortunes and dangers, both now and an end to this affair, and the fooner hereafter.'*

the better, in order, on one hand. In confequence of this fpeech,

to fatisfy the ftrong and well- the States General fent, the fame

grounded inftances of the provinces day, the following letter to the

of Guelders, Utrecht, Overyflel, States of Holland and Weft Frife-

and Groningen ; and on the other, land.

to comply with the ardent juft de- «« Noble and Mighty Lords, fire of the commercial inhabitants " The princefsgouvernantehav- of this country, who, though\h.3id. ing come to our affembly this morn- informed them of the aegociation ing, in confequence of a deputa- betweenGreatBritainandyourhigh tion of the merchants, who had inightinefTes to accommodate the waited on her a few days before, differences that have arifen, and of to infift on a confiderable aug- my own affiduity to forward an mentation of our naval forces, her equitable accommodation, and of royal highnefs again reprefented the confequences of the fteps I to us the urgent necefTity of corn- thought it my duty to take, have, ing to a determination both with ne'verthelefs, fent me a deputation regard to the augmentation pro- for the fourth time to infift on a pofed by land, and with regard, very confiderable augmentation of to an equipment by fea; two the naval forces of the ftate. points, upon which her royal This deputation confifted of highnefs has always moft earneftly forty merchants; a number that infifted, and without which the merits attention no lefs than the ftate is, and will remain, expofed fpeech they read to me, of which to all forts of misfortunes and a great number of copies, printed dangers, both at prefent and for before-hand, were immediately the future.

diftributed on all parts. I ftiall We thought proper to fend a

make no remarks upon that fpeech ; copy of the faid propoiition to

only that the drift of it did not your noble mightineffes, and alfo

tend to facilitate the negociations to the ftates of the provinces of

begun with England, nor to in- Zealand and Frifeland; and at the

duce the nation to prefer a con- fanie time, to reprefent to you,

vention, to a rupture, with that that it is now time, if ever, to

crown. I fhall enter no farther into confider ferioufly of thofe two

this fubjeft, choofing rather 10 refer points as foon as pofCble, and

carry