Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/171

 STATE PAPERS.

memorial of the merchants, ex- prefled herfelf to the following purport.

" That fhe came not to the af- fembly to iHr up the zeal of their high mightinefles for the preferva- tion of their country, of which they had given evident proofs on every occafion ; but to entreat them to take in to their feriousconfideration, the augmentation of thelandforces, which was fo uecefTary in the pre- sent critical circumftanccs of the Hate, in order to guard its frontiers from infult. That with regard to the fourth deputation of the mer- chants, and the fpeech, of which Ihe had delivered to them a copy, fhe had as yet made no remarks on it, only that it was not exprefied in proper terms to bring things to an amicable conclufion, notwith- ftanding the afi'urances fhe had given the merchants. That fhe hoped, by her repeated folicita- lions, to bring matters to an happy iilue in England ; that fhe therefore laid it before their high mighti- nefTes, and left it to them to do in that affair as they fhould think pro- per : That the time became more and more urgent, for thinking of the fafety of the republic : That if the equipment propofed by the merchants ihould be judged necef- fary, it ought immediately to be carried into execution jointly with the augmentation of the land forces, that the ftate might be put on a refpedable footing by fea and land : That fhe therefore hoped that on her folicitaticn, and that of the provinces of Guelders, U- trecht, OveryfTel, and Groningen, their mightinefTes would exhort the province of Holland to defift from its oppofition to the faid augmen- tation : and that all the confede- rates would unanimoaily confent to

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thofe two points, foefTential at all times, but efpecially in the prefent circumilances."

Tranilation of a refcript fent by Count Kaunitz, prime minifter to the emprefs queen, to the imperial minillers at the feveral courts of the empire.

laft campaign gave the enemy a line game to play. He had it in his power, from the beginning of fpring, to form his plan of ofFen- five operations as he thought bell. We, for our part, could only have one principal objeft, namely, the putting our army on a proper foot- ing, and endeavouring to make ia time every other difpofition for de- fence. This was accomplished, no labour or money being fpared : to the great furprife of the enemy himfelf, in a few months our army was put on fuch a footing, that it did not hefitate to prefent itfelf be- fore the enemy. At the fame time, a negociation was commenced vs'ith. RulTia, to induce that court to march, even in the winter, a body of 30,000 men ftraight into Mora- via. That court was fo complai- fant as to declare, that they would march a body of 30,000 frefh troops, either to be employed in Moravia, or to reinforce the im- perial army of Rullia, and fo pufh. theoperations of the war with vi- gour. Their march was left to the option of the court of Vienna. Though at that time our own de- fenllve operations were not brought to maturity, their imperial majef- ties, in confiderationofthecommoa caufe,generoufly receded from their firft demand, and fign-i-fted that the reinforcement in queftion, ought rather to join the imperial army of Ruffia, that it might continue to ad vigorouilv.
 * The unfortunate ilTue of the

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