Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/351

 celor of the Exchequer said that was nothing but for delay, so made some reflections as if they wou'd indeavour to do as they had done abroad, which had been the occasion the Queen cou'd not sooner lay before them the Treatys ; if they had any objections to the Article, they [could] make them, and they wou'd be answered. Sir Richard Anslow and Smith and Worthley Montague insisted to have the acts read, the main of their Argument was that no Law cou'd be abrogate without being read. So they devided the house again, but lost it by a great Majority. Then Lechmore and Stanhope fell upon the Tariff, Lechmore wou'd mentain our whole woolen manufacture was prohibited, not withstanding the explanatory [clause] that confined it to these four Speices ; Sir Thomas Hanmore endeavour'd to sett him right, he wou'd not understand it otherwise. Stanhope's arguments were brought from the ruin of our Portugal trade wch was a much more benefitial one then France, and if we admitted of this Tariff by Parliament, upon every breach thereof the nation wou'd be engaged in War ; we had been a florishing trading nation without a Tariff with France, and why shou'd we try new experiments at the expence of breach of Treaty with an nation whose trade was much more advantagious to us. The Peace was made, and this treaty of Commerce was a distingk thing from it, and was laid before them to take or leave, so that at least it was an affair of more time then the house seem'd to be disposed to give.

Lord Castlecomer* undertook to prove this Tariff that was so boasted of was directly against our interest ; he made the house laugh by desiring leave to read a paragraph out of a French Author who had writ what great things Lewis the 14th had done for his people, and among other thing was this Tariff or book of rates was contrived for the Advantage of his subjects.

Sir Peter Kingf spoke to the same purpose but express't himself better, and added that this Tariff of '64 was not the


 * Sir Christopher Wandesford, member for Ripon.

t Member for Beeralston, John Locke's friend and executor.

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