without which, we conceive, this Enquiry can only Die Martis 80 Decembris, 1740. A Motion was made, "That Copies of the fe"veral Inftructions given to Rear Admiral Haddock, from the Time of his failing from England "in the Year 1738, to the 24th of June laft, be " laid before this House." And after Debate had thereupon, And it was refolved in the Negative. Diffentient' I. "Because we conceive that there never were “Inftructions more neceffary to be examin'd, than those contain'd in this Queftion, in order to en"able us to difcharge our Duty both as Coun "fellors to his Majefty, and Guardians of the "Nation, "The known and aftonishing Inaction, for the Space of above Two Years, of a great and pow"erful Fleet, fitted out and maintain'd at an im"menfe Expence to the Nation, fixes a heavy 66 Charge either upon the Commander of that Squadron, or upon thofe who gave him his In"ftructions. But when we compare the experi"enced Courage and Abilities of Rear Admiral "Haddock, upon all former Occafions, with the "inglorious Inftructions given by this Admini"ftration to the feveral Admirals employ'd for "these last Twenty Years, we cannot, as at prefent "inform'd, but impute this unaccountable Inaction "to the Weaknefs or Pufillanimity of thofe, whofe 66 Inftructions, we are perfuaded, he with Concern "obey'd. obey'd. And we are confirm'd in this Opinion, by his being ftill continued in that Command, "which a Difobedience to his Inftructions would "have forfeited. 2. "Because we think it neceffary, that the "House should be fully inform'd, by what fatal "Mistake, Negligence, or Defign, the Spanish "Squadron at Cadiz, fo long block'd up in that "Port, while they were neither ready, nor the Sea"fon of the Year fit for 'em to go out, fhould have "been, by the fudden withdrawing of our Fleet in "the Mediterranean, permitted to fail without Mo"lestation, as foon as they were fit, and the Season "favourable. And we cannot, as at prefent in"form'd, impute that unhappy Measure to Sir "Chaloner Ogle, fince, Orders of that great Importance ought to be conceiv'd in the clearest, plaineft, and leaft ambiguous Terms; which, "had he mistaken, he would not have been, as he now is, entrusted with the Command of fo great "a Fleet, and with the Interpretation of In"ftructions of ftill greater Confequence. Nor "can we conceive, that the Communication of "Orders relating only to Sailing, and the Change "of Station, can fufficiently clear up a Point of "that great Importance. 3. "Because we think that the ftale Objection, "that the Communication of these Inftructions may discover to our Enemies intended Designs and Attempts, can have no Weight upon this "Occafion, when the Reason for calling for thofe "Inftructions, is, because no one Attempt of any "Kind whatfoever has been made upon our Ene"mies in the Course of above Two Years; and it " is not credible, that if, during that Time, any one Design had been intended, no one Attempt "fhou'd have been made in Confequence of it. "We therefore justly may, and only can conceive "these "these Inftructions, which we are not allow'd to "apply for, to be of the fame inactive Nature of "thofe which we have formerly feen flowing from "the fame languid Source, to the equal Difhonour "of his Majefty's Councils and Arms. <. <. 4. "Because we conceive, that the Denial of thefe neceffary Lights, puts a full Stop to any "farther effectual Enquiry into the Conduct of the War; an Enquiry fo becoming this House, and "fo unanimoufly called for by the Voice of the "Nation, that outward Appearances have at once " raised the Curiofity, the Aftonishment, and the "Concern of a brave and a loyal People, willing "to facrifice their Lives and Fortunes for the Ho"nour and Advantage of his Majesty and this Kingdom, in the Profecution of this juft and "neceffary War: And we conceive that they ought, by the stricteft Enquiry, upon the fulleft Inform"ations, to have been fatisfied as to the past, and "fecured as to the future. And we think, that "all minute Enquiries into the little Abuses of in"ferior Officers, over whom it is the Duty of the "Administration to watch, would be only amusing "and deceiving Mankind with the Name of an "Enquiry, and defcending from our Dignity of "Counsellors of the Crown, and Checks of the "Administration, to the low Rank of Inquifitors "into the Conduct of petty and unprotected Of"fenders. We therefore think, that we have dif charged our Duty to his Majefty and the Pub"lick, in having moved for those Papers, which "we confidered as the Foundations abfolutely ne"ceffary for a proper and effectual Enquiry. We "here enter our Diffent upon the Denial of thole "Papers; the World must then judge of the Con"duct of the War, upon the Appearance of Facts "and Circumstances; with this confiderable, ad"ditional Circumftance, That Lights were denied." Litchfield, Die Veneris, 90 Decembris, 1740. A Motion was made, That the augmenting the Army by railing Regiments, as it is the most unneceffary and moft expenfive Method of Augmentation, is alfo the most dangerous to the Liberties of the Nation. Contents 42 After Debate, the previous Queftion was put, whether the faid Not Cont. 50 Queftion fhall be now put? It was refolved in the Negative. On which Occafion was entered the following Proteft. Diffentient' ft, Because we conceive, That this Motion ought not to have been laid afide by the previous Queftion, the Arguments urged in the Debate against our coming to this Refolution at this Time, being, in our Opinion, highly infufficient; fince we cannot apprehend what further Lights could be had with Relation to the feveral Propofitions contained in the Question, than those we received in the Debate, authorized by the Usage of almost all the Nations in Europe; nor were there any particular Papers pointed out, as neceffary for the Information of the Houfe; and we thought this the propereft Time to come to this Refolution, before any any Steps were taken as to the Method of making the intended Augmentation. 2dly, Because it was proved in the Debate, and univerfally admitted, that the Augmentation of our Land Forces, by the raifing of new Corps, was by near One Third, a more expensive Manner of Augmenting, than by additional Men to Companies. A Confideration which, in our Opinion, ought to have the greatest Weight, at this Time, when the Nation is engaged in a new War, and ftill groaning under all the Burthen of the laft, though after Thirty Years Peace, 3dly, Becaufe, confidering that the Oeconomy of augmenting the Forces by additional Men in Companies was admitted, that the Utility of it was not difproved, we cannot help fufpecting, that the raising new Corps at this Time, when the Election of a new Parliament draws fo near, may be of a dangerous Tendency to the Conftitution of this Kingdom, and relate more to Civil than Military Service, especially fince there are now no Officers to be found (the Officers now remaining upon Half Pay having been already judged, by the Adminiftration, unfit for Service) it is, in our Opinion, opening a Door to introduce a large Body of commiffioned Penfioners. Thefe Sufpicions are ftrengthened by the Experience we have had, That no Rank has been either above, or below ministerial Refentment, and the Severity of Parliamentary Difcipline; and we must with Concern obferve, that the Honour of the Nation, and the Fate of this important War, has been intrusted to raw and new-levied Troops, in order, as we apprehend, to keep the others at Home, only for civil Purposes. Weftmoreland, Oxford, Litchfield. Suffolk, Cobham, Aylesford, Willoughby de Broke, Bridgewater, Northampton, Abingdon, |